Who’s Scared Now? — Revisiting and Revitalizing ZapBeasts

[cardimg name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] decks didn’t perform well at Wisconsin Regionals. Coming off a pair of semifinalist finishes at California Regionals two weeks earlier, Zapdos was truly seated in a weird, bland place. Many top players were off the deck, feeling it was underwhelming, and the rest of the player base had shied away from it in favor of new archetypes that had a higher powering ceiling like [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s strange to see a deck that was so widely popular fall off so quickly. It went from widespread success since its Team Up release to near mediocrity after Unbroken Bonds dropped. So this begs the question, what’s wrong with Zapdos?

Nothing is wrong with Zapdos, in fact, it’s still one of the best decks and dons a great array of matchups with the slight exception to [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] builds playing [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]. It is the goal of this piece to dispel doubt from the perceived notion of viability surrounding Zapdos. The Zapdos lists circulating as of late are missing a big piece that helps you beat matchups like Reshiram and Charizard-GX, an important deck that you need to beat in this format that many people are discounting for the Zapdos decks. Yes, two Zapdos decks did lose to Reshiram and Charizard-GX builds in Santa Clara about a month ago now, but those lists were far off what I would be playing. The list I’ve been working with has a consistently slightly favorable matchup with the deck, so right away it’s something you could consider playing for a big event. It should be everyone’s number one priority to beat Reshiram and Charizard-GX decks right now, with Zoroark-GX following closely behind.

The List

So with a poor Zoroark-GX matchup, how could this ever be the play? Like I said, there are things to improve it. Taking a loss somewhere is fine in most cases, and you won’t be outright tipping your hand to your opponent in the matchup. [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM168″ c=”name”][/card] decks have been rising in popularity once again, another favorable matchup for Zapdos, and with that, Zoroark-GX builds should decline in popularity. Zapdos is a great and consistent deck that operates smoothly nearly every game behind the straight consistency of four [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] and a streamlined list that plays into itself. I firmly believe that Zebstrika is absolutely essential right now for Zapdos decks to do well, as is Spiritomb. Both of these have been missing from most lists which begs an assumed conclusion: this is why Zapdos has been underperforming. Here’s the current list for Zapdos:

[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″][pokemon amt=”15″]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”82″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Blitzle” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”81″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/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=”Spiritomb” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Nihilego” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]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]2x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/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=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]4x [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

This list is closer to what used to be standard before lists really got out of hand and messy. The consistent base of four [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] should always be a mainstay in Zapdos decks, you want to have an explosive first turn and then Guzma early and often. A rift I’ve seen in list is a disparity in [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] versus [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] counts. I’ve talked about my dislike of Volkner before in Pikachu and Zekrom-GX (although that’s changed in recent weeks with the introduction of the “new” list debuted in Madison) but never in Zapdos. Let’s start there…

Volkner is horrible in Zapdos, especially against Alolan Muk. Power of Alchemy dismantles much of your strategy. When that happens, Jirachi can’t find one of the, say, two pieces you need to attack for the turn for some significance. Volkner only “works” when you already have one piece of the puzzle in hand, unless you truly just need a switching card and an Energy (very rare). Zapdos is a combo deck when it comes to pieces. You play an [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card], dig for more cards, sometimes look for a Guzma; there’s more to the deck than just the linear approach that Volkner brings to the table. Volkner is slow. Volkner is weak to [card name=”Judge” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card]. Volkner is very bad in Zapdos, I could go on and on. Playing two isn’t great either, you don’t have a guarantee of when you’ll find it and it’s not great in many situations. There are times where it could get you the one card you want but with Zapdos it’s very often a matter of wanting more than just one card. Two copies of Cynthia fits the purpose of the deck better because it can find multiple things at once and still set you up for your next turn if you draw a follow up Supporter or another Energy already for the coming turn. Volkner is too slow in a deck that’s one of the fastest in Standard and I do not want to compromise a good thing but stoking its flame for speed.

[card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] is something that’s drifted in and out of Zapdos decks for a while since the “original” straight Zapdos deck came out in Australia with three Professor Kukui, I can’t believe we played that many still. Anyways, it’s much better now with hitting numbers against Zoroark-GX when Alolan Muk is down, finding the missing piece to finish off 270 HP TAG TEAM Pokemon-GX, and even taking out non-GX stuff like [card name=”Arcanine” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] with the pesky total of 140 HP. There’s so much versatility for Professor Kukui right now that I think it belongs in the deck again. Zapdos might be fast, but with the rest of the format catching up to it in that regard and Alolan Muk still paving the way for other decks in the matchup, playing Professor Kukui opens new paths to victory that weren’t possible without it. Having more ways to win is always good and Professor Kukui is just a crafty card that finishes Knock Outs when you need them.

Explanations

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Two Blitzle, Two Zebstrika

[card name=”Zebstrika” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card] is essential to keeping Zapdos smooth and consistent. Against anything with Alolan Muk, Sprint will save you from certain doom without Jirachi. Sprint flies through your deck, thins it out, and gives you better reach to hit combo pieces like additional Electropower and such. In this variant focusing on [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] attackers, you can’t afford to miss a swing turn where you need a Rainbow Energy to fire off an important attack. The extra reach with Sprint nearly ensures you’ll hit it, and gives you extra chances to take risks and be rewarded. It’s a clutch consistency card and playing two of each piece keeps it up and running even when an opponent decides to take it out to slow you down.

Two Zapdos, Two Rescue Stretcher

Two Zapdos might feel weird at first but with this deck donning multiple one-of tech attackers playing two [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] is needed and having two Zapdos makes space for that. You can always Rescue Stretcher back the two Zapdos and reuse them or just put one back in your hand immediately to recycle it. Two has been fine in my testing except in games where you land both in your Prizes which is extremely unlikely. Two Rescue Stretcher is completely necessary though and I wouldn’t change that at all in a deck like this with lots of moving pieces.

One Spiritomb

With 60 HP, Anguish Cry can do 160 damage when 50 damage is on Spiritomb and Building Spite speeds that process up in a matter of just four turns. With Rainbow Energy on the fourth turn you can hit the 50 damage mark and get that 160 swing. I love Spiritomb as a tech for other non-GX matchups where they have a big non-GX that you can’t one-shot normally with Zapdos easily, like [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card]. Anguish Cry finishes Reshiram and Charizard-GX Knock Outs more easily if needed and just packs a big punch to take out the likes of [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] to finish a game. It’s a beast of a non-GX attacker and it’s genuinely concerning why more lists aren’t playing it. It’s an amazing addition to this deck and having two in play even can create a weird pickle for your opponent where they can’t Guzma the one and take out the threat. While Guzma can eliminate it before you Anguish Cry for meaningful effect, the Guzma itself distracts your opponent from the Zapdos or whatever you were attacking with previously and the course of the game remains the same. Obviously this little guy doesn’t help out in the Zoroark-GX matchup with Alolan Muk as such a problem turning off Building Spite, but it carries the deck in many other matchups.

One Nihilego [cardimg name=”Nihilego” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”106″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Nightcap is very strong in the Pikachu and Zekrom-GX and Reshiram and Charizard-GX matchups, especially the latter. Copying Flare Strike with a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] does 260 and you’ll just be one [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] tick away from a one-hit Knock Out. [card name=”Nihilego” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] pulls some serious weight in those matchups and can be relevant in other situations, you just need to look for them. The application about those big two previously mentioned still justifies its inclusion on its own. Some people have cut Nihilego from the deck but I think that’s because they were misusing it. You need to be looking for its use and craft your play to that opening. Smacking for 260 is unfathomable and I’m always going to play a way to do that if possible and this card and that opportunity conceived.

Three Switch, One Escape Rope

Four switching cards is all you need in this deck to function properly and I’ve liked this split. Originally starting with four [card name=”Switch” set=”Shining Legends” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] has been cute in the right situation and with Cynthia to put it back into the deck for the right moment and you may as well play it for the option. Sometimes you’ll force something your opponent has that they don’t want to be attacked into the Active spot and it will be well worth it. Aside from that the Switch are like draw cards with Jirachi and serve a purpose to reset your Zapdos. Playing more is just a way to boost your consistency so if there’s a card you don’t like in the list and are looking to improve your consistency you could look to another copy.

One Pokegear 3.0

Originally a third Cynthia, I’ve found that a single [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card] is better than it because it’s like a “fifth” Guzma in that you can reach for Guzma sooner and have better reach for it in the late game. Worst case, you just find a Cynthia or a Lillie with the Pokegear 3.0 itself, so it’s just another cool consistency card to bolster your Supporter count. I’ve liked having it and it’s a nice fetch off Stellar Wish if you don’t get the Guzma you want outright.

One Choice Band

A single Choice Band might feel weird but it’s because with so many TAG TEAM Pokemon-GX in the format you’re going to have to three-shot in many cases or you might already be swinging for a two-hit Knock Out without extra damage modifiers like Choice Band. There’s so many ways to craft important numbers in this deck and since Choice Band goes away following a Knock Out, there’s more proactive cards like Professor Kukui or Shrine of Punishment that I would play before using a second. I haven’t minded the single copy and Jirachi paves paths to finding even one-of copies of cards when you really need them.

One Thunder Mountain Prism Star

I dropped [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card] from the deck for a time but I’ve put it back in to increase your chances of using [card name=”Tapu Koko-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card]. Missing a clutch Tapu Thunder GX feels bad and having this to increase your chances of doing so with just one Energy in play at the start of your turn is a great option.

One Shrine of Punishment

I started by thinking a higher Shrine of Punishment count was better in this format but it’s really not with so many ways to bounce Stadium cards with many builds donning high [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] counts and lots of Stadiums. Against something like the [card name=”Kiawe” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card] version of Reshiram and Charizard-GX where your opponent will likely be playing just a single Stadium card, you can play your Thunder Mountain Prism Star first, draw out their [card name=”Heat Factory Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] and then drop and pseudo lock in the Shrine of Punishment for the remainder of the game. Sometimes you use the Stadium more like a one-time damage modifier (like the 260 damage Nihilego play I mentioned earlier) too so playing one is just as fine as playing the single Choice Band.

Four Rainbow Energy, Four Lightning Energy, One Beast Energy Prism Star

This list plays three attackers that abuse Rainbow Energy so having four Rainbow Energy is necessary. While having more Lightning Energy would increase your chances of using Dance of the Ancients for full effect, the concession of having more Rainbow Energy is well worth it. To the same tune, nine Energy feels right in this deck and four Lightning Energy is just fine for me, the Rainbow Energy can work on Zapdos as well of course and giving yourself the best odds of using your colored attackers is important. Beast Energy Prism Star is not only an Energy card for Buzzwole and Nihilego, but it’s like another Choice Band so it’s an absolute must to play in this deck with even two Ultra Beast Pokemon.

Options

[cardimg name=”Kartana” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”19″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

When [card name=”Kartana” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”19″ c=”name”][/card] came out I thought it’d be an instant inclusion in this deck but I haven’t found much use for it since. While Big Cut is a nice option, the times when you have four Prize cards remaining usually lines closely up to when your opponent has four Prizes themselves. In those situations it’s better to use [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], it’s better overall in more matchups, but you can really only pick one or the other to serve the purpose of fulfilling the “Sledgehammer turn” for the game. The free retreat cost on Kartana is nice, giving it a little more value, but this deck has so many attackers and Bench sitters already that adding another clogs things up and doesn’t make much sense

[card name=”Pheromosa and Buzzwole-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”1″ c=”name”][/card] is nice in mirror matches and that’s about it. While other decks do play Jirachi, the three-Prize sacrifice of the TAG TEAM Pokemon-GX is much too much to play down in Fire-based matchups or even against Pikachu and Zekrom-GX other than for a game-winning play which is very hard to set up when you usually need both the one-of Beast Energy Prism Star and a Guzma to Beast Game GX for two Prizes on a Jirachi.

As you can tell, I’m not a big fan of this, nor am I of [card name=”Marshadow and Machamp-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card], another three-Prize behemoth. While it’s very nice against Fighting-weak decks, most of them you’re already favored against except Zoroark-GX. Against Zoroark-GX it is strong but it’s hard to pull off in a timely manner and your opponent can still use non-GX attackers to soften it up and then take it down. Of all of these I think the Marshadow and Machamp-GX has the best value, but I’m not a huge fan of it overall. Other than that, this list is pretty primed already to do well! You can buff out some of the counts if you value the techs less and improve your consistency even more, but it’s already at such a high point that that’s largely unnecessary.

Matchups

Blacephalon-GX: Slightly Favorable

Your non-GX typing will give you a solid advantage in this matchup. While your lower Shrine of Punishment count will make it a little more difficult, focusing on a two-shot non-GX Prize trade plan will be the way to go. [card name=”Naganadel” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] can’t one-shot a [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] without its own Beast Energy Prism Star, so [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] will be your prime target for most attacks. [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] is in most Blacephalon-GX decks so set up one or two [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card] if you can to keep the cards flowing and the attacks coming. Tapu Koko-GX can be used as a last resort to take a one-hit Knock Out if you need to.

Pikachu and Zekrom-GX: Favorable

Most of these lists have dropped [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] as a counter to increase your retreat and [card name=”Raikou” set=”Shining Legends” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] is pretty unpopular; because of this, you’re favored more than ever. Tapu Koko-GX addresses a big [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] getting ready to Tag Bolt GX and Buzzwole can even do so itself. Your opponent will try to play around your Sledgehammer but it will be hard. Other than that, you can two-shot things if you need to and Nihilego can copy Tag Bolt GX as another way to one-shot a Pikachu and Zekrom-GX as long as you have the some damage modifiers to finish the job.

Reshiram and Charizard-GX: Slightly Favorable

[card name=”Miltank” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] makes this matchup harder and the Volcanion-based lists are harder to deal with, but this list does fine against either with Spiritomb as another way to one-shot the big non-GX Pokemon and to finish two-hit Knock Outs. When Miltank comes down I like to take a Knock Out on it as soon as possible with a Guzma to avoid excessive healing.

Zapdos Mirror: Even

I like playing first in this matchup to throw up either Buzzwole or [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] on the first turn to decrease your opponent’s chances of taking a Knock Out right away. They will need two [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card] to take out either which is a huge waste and then they will struggle to one-shot your Zapdos consistently. Playing second is super risky and you’ll be put on a clock to have a Guzma if your opponent mirrors the aforementioned strategy and it will be hard to keep taking Prizes each and every turn. If you’re going first I like to avoid putting a [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] in play if you can so that you don’t give your opponent their own easy Prize. You can win from either the first or second side but playing second is less good overall.

Zoroark-GX: Slightly Unfavorable

This is the hardest of your matchups, Alolan Muk will make things difficult. You can choose to Knock Out Alolan Muk by using Guzma on your Sledgehammer turn, a viable option, but that can be hard to pull off without the perfect hand. Using two Electropower to Knock Out an Alolan Muk with Zapdos is pretty unrealistic and I wouldn’t recommend that, it’s a waste of resources and you won’t be able to finish the game. Focus on getting not one, but two Zebstrika into play so you can Sprint and consistently have more chances to get the cards you need to win. Getting the best value out of your Buzzwole as possible is going to greatly improve this matchup so if you can, use the Beast Energy Prism Star to attack with Sledgehammer instead of Rainbow Energy so you don’t put it in Riotous Beating Knock Out range. Map out your Prize cards and focus on only those Pokemon. Taking one-Prize targets in this matchup is pretty lackluster and will make the game take too long for you to win. Guzma for [card name=”Alolan Grimer” set=”Team Up” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] should be your first turn play and aside from taking just one more non-GX Knock Out to even out your Prizes, you should be doing everything you can to take as few Knock Outs to win the game as possible. The longer the game goes the more time your opponent will have to find [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] it back in, burning your Electropower and dwindling your resources. Crank your game plan to the fastest possible to try to overwhelm your opponent and leave them more vulnerable to Sledgehammer and you can have a shot at winning this unfavorable matchup.

Conclusion

I really like Zapdos right now and it’s something I’m thinking about playing for the Origins Special Championship this coming weekend. It’s been underrated for a little while and I think it has a great opening for success if given the chance in the hands of a strong pilot. Try the deck out for yourself, especially if you’ve never played a Zapdos deck. Zapdos will likely be a successful archetype to some extent for years to come so you should have some kind of feel as to how to use it if you don’t already. Hit me up in the Subscribers’ Hideout if you have any questions and thank you so much for reading, take care!

Peace,

Caleb

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