Reset Stamp and Pray (Except Not) – A 3rd Place Worlds Report
[cardimg name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”194″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Hello everyone! I’m so thankful to have the chance to share my 2019 Worlds experience here on PokeBeach. Before this accomplishment, you may know me by my Top 4 Regionals finish at Dallas, as well as a few sprinkled Day 2 placements this season. What you may not know is that I am the youngest of a Pokemon family. Every single one of my siblings have played competitive Pokemon, most notably my brother, Curran Hill, who took 1st place at the 2005 World Championships. Being surrounded by such well-respected players as siblings lead to my interest and eventual obsession with all things Pokemon. Though I’ve been playing since I was about 5 years old, I didn’t count myself as a top player until I started changing my attitude towards testing to more effective methods, as shown by my results. I’m excited to share my knowledge and experiences from my upbringing as well as what lessons I’ve learned along the way.
In this article, I’ll be diving into how I ended up selecting the [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] variant as my Worlds pick, how the tournament went, and the UPR-UNM format matchups for the deck. For clarity, I’ll refer to the lengthy title of my deck as simply Green’s Reshizard and other popular meta decks by their common name (e.g. [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] is Pikarom).
Deciding for Worlds
As soon as the official set list for Unified Minds was released, I started seriously mulling what could be both powerful and consistent enough to take down the crown jewel of the Pokemon circuit. Along with fellow PokeBeach writer Grant Manley, we tried out everything from [card name=”Whimsicott-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Triple Acceleration Energy” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”190″ c=”name”][/card] to [card name=”Gengar and Mimikyu-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Omastar” set=”Team Up” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], similar to the list that finished 50th at Worlds. Everything eventually had some sort of issue: Pikarom lacked a way to consistently beat Green’s Reshizard, an Ability version Reshiram and Charizard-GX had a weak consistency engine, Mewtwo Box lost to [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] as well as [card name=”Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]’s Tandem Shock, Dark Box was a bit too slow and clunky, [card name=”Shedinja” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] had uncertain matchups along with requiring near perfect play, and Green’s Reshizard struggled with Reset Stamp and turbo aggressive decks. After trying and failing to get [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] to consistently hit [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] while also dealing with no gust effects in the deck, I was at wit’s end on what to play.
After playing with the rough draft Grant Manley handed me, I knew Green’s Reshizard was going to be a top pick thanks to the skill ceiling the deck had, the power level it contained, and the consistency engine it maintained game after game. The deck had its quirks, but being able to consistently gust with a Green’s into [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] or utilize [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM179″ c=”name”][/card]’s Flare Starter while going second made almost every scenario into a winnable one. One caveat the deck retained (along with a large amount of other decks) was the fact that if one opened with a dead hand, there was no coming back, barring a miracle. This style of deck rewarded thinking multiple turns ahead, planning your Knock Outs/Prize cards, and prioritizing setting up your board over blitzing your opponent.
Tournament Report
Now let’s get into the tournament report! I had reached my 550 Championship Points off of a League Cup in Quarter 4, so I was excited to even be playing in the World Championships, though I was confident I had the ability to perform well. Here are my rounds along with what decks I played against:
Day 1
[cardimg name=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”205″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Round 1: 1-0-0 Chris Sikala (US) with Pikarom (2-0)
Game 1, I open with an average hand. Chris manages to Reset Stamp a few times and establish a Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX to paralyze me. Unfortunately, my Shrine of Punishment was prized, so I took risky Knockouts on small Pokemon such as [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. I managed to use Lusamine to pick up two Green’s Exploration while my opponent used Resource Management. It was scary when I was Reset Stamped to two, but paid off tremendously with a Green’s Exploration topdeck. Game 2 finished with a Dedenne-GX open from my opponent and pass while I sat on a Welder plus Fiery Flint combo for a turn 1 Double Blaze GX for 200.
Round 2: 2-0-0 Andrew Scott (US) with Pikarom (2-0)
This round took a much more standard route when it comes to the Pikarom matchup. This time in Game 1, I utilized Shrine of Punishment for a non-GX attack OHKO on a Pikarom, and conserved my Mixed Herbs for the eventual Tandem Shock paralysis. The second game was almost a repeat, with my opponent discarding key resources such as [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], and more [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] through desperate Dedechanges.
Round 3: 3-0-0 Grant Manley (US) with 60 card mirror Reshizard (2-0)
Man, when pairings went up, I knew it was going to be a good match. Since we had tested almost all of our decks together, I knew exactly which cards Grant could use. Due to this unique knowledge, I won the flip, chose to go second, and was rewarded with a turn 1 Flare Starter on Volcanion for its full effect. Game 2, Grant selected to go second, and started Reshizard, effectively putting him on the back foot. Both games, Grant drew well, but just a bit less than was requiring to keep up with my big Reshizards. I made sure to play around Reset Stamp as well, and conserved mine to prevent a big healing turn to remove Outrage damage.
Round 4: 4-0-0 Shunpei Hosoya (JP) with [card name=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] (2-0)
As I will explain later in the matchup section, quad Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX is an amazing matchup for Reshizard. The damage output of Kaldieostorm and Magical Miracle GX is nothing compared to Flare Strike and Double Blaze GX. I simply built up a six Energy Reshizard, and used High-Heat Blast to put 110 on the active Gardevoir. I then went in with my Reshizard and cleaned up the game. Game 2 follow suit.
Round 5 (on stream): 4-1-0 Jason Annichiarico (US) with Pikarom (0-2)
As all good things must come to an end, I believed my Cinderella run would end here as well. Game 1 was atrocious; I started with no Supporter and a Reshizard. I managed to topdeck a Pokegear 3.0 and find a Green’s Exploration, but it was not enough for the insane speed my opponent had with a triple Electropower Tag Bolt GX for 290 on my lone Reshizard. Game 2 was not better by any stretch. Here, I started with two Volcanion and some Fire Energy, but no Supporter once again. I was soon benched out, and had my first stream match on a TCPi stream recorded as a loss.
Round 6: 4-2-0 Sander Wojcik (NL) with [card name=”Rowlet and Alolan Exeggutor-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”1″ c=”name”][/card] Stall with 3-2 [card name=”Araquanid” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] (0-2)
Although I was dejected from the last round, I was determined to rally back and make it through. My heart sunk as my opponent flipped over a [card name=”Shaymin” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] from Lost Thunder and proceeds to bench double [card name=”Dewpider” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card]. At this point, I had actually forgotten if there was a Standard legal Araquanid that had the Water Bubble Ability. I asked a Judge, and he informed me that he was unable to tell me. I decided to assume the worst, and targeted down the Dewpider with my Custom Catcher and Volcanion, yet that was unable to keep me from the demise of Araquanids that were immune to my attacks as well as [card name=”Munchlax” set=”Unified Minds” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card].
Round 7: 5-2-0 Kosuke Uogishi (JP) with Gardevoir & Sylveon-GX (2-0)
This matchup was almost an exact repeat of Round 4, yet my opponent used [card name=”Xerneas-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] to poke my Reshizard before trying to go in with a Gardeon. This game plan did not work, as I simply played 3 Great Potion and watched my opponent sigh in disbelief.
Round 8: 6-2-0 Joel Suryadi (ID) with Pikarom (2-0)
This matchup was again, almost a repeat of Round 2. My opponent had rough Dedechanges, and had few options left at the end of each game to deal with a fresh Reshizard. Shrine of Punishment put in work, allowing me to Flare Strike a Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX for a KO. My opponent prized Reset Stamp both games, preventing any comeback too.
Day 2
Round 1: 1-0-0 Kohei Kurita (JP) with Pikarom with Judge and Power Plant (2-1)
This matchup was scary, since I knew Pikarom had the power and speed to go toe to toe with Reshizard. Usually I can rely on being able to slowly build up multiple Reshizards with Welder for the full two Fire Energy. However, with the inclusion of ~3 copies of Judge, I couldn’t deal with the opposing Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX late game. Game 2, I was the one punishing my opponent off of his Judge. He drew poorly, resulting in multiple turns of missed attacks. Game 3, we both set up properly, and I was able to draw Green’s Exploration off of the hand disruption for my Shrine of Punishment and Custom Catchers.
Round 2: 1-0-1 Robin Shultz (DE) with Mewtwo Box (1-1-1)
As I alluded to above, I managed to take a tie with the 2018 World Champion. Mewtwo Box, with Latios-GX is a horrid matchup despite having access to Custom Catcher. I took Game 1 through a misplay of Robin: he decided to use Marshadow’s Resetting Hole to discard his own Giant Hearth to prevent options for me from his incoming Reset Stamp to three cards. I had hid my Power Plant and Reset Stamp techs carefully, and used Green’s Exploration to grab both of them off of the Reset Stamp. I used a Fire Crystal, attached, dropped both of the cards I had just grabbed, and used Outrage for 30. This resulted in Robin bricking off a Reset Stamp to one, snatching the game from the wolves’ teeth. Game 2 was winnable for me, as Robin had left the door open for me to take six Prize cards with a big Double Blaze GX coming in clutch to keep Robin’s Reshizard in check. I managed to place 230 damage on Robin’s Reshizard with my Flare Strike on the following turn, but I couldn’t find a Energy card off of his Reset Stamp to clean up with my Volcanion using High-Heat Blast.
Round 3: 2-0-1 Octavio Gouveia (BR) with Green’s Reshizard (2-0)
This matchup is a bit fuzzy in my memory, but thanks to the countless hours of testing, I remember taking the victory by having the superior deck list. Since I chose to run much more healing than the average Reshizard, this let me poke continuously with Outrage for 30 onto his Reshizard (after he used Double Blaze) and eventually Flare Strike for 240 with a Shrine tick. Game 2, Octavio lacked a strong setup as he started Reshizard going second. I managed to sweep his major threats from there, taking a clean 2-0 victory.
Round 4: 3-0-1 Lucas Henrique de Araujo Pereira (BR) with Pikarom (2-0)
The more I play against Pikarom, the more I’m convinced its not as consistent as it is made out to be. My opponent bricked off Dedechange in the first game, and had no answers to multiple Reshizards. The exact same thing happened in Game 2.
Round 5: 4-0-1 Bert Wolters (NL) with Mewtwo Box (2-1)
I was scared of this matchup after squeaking out a tie versus Robin. Bert had a powerful turn 1 during the first game, setting up a Mewtwo and Mew-GX for an immediate Tag Purge chain starting turn 2. Game 2, I decided to go second in order to maximize Volcanion. My disappointment was most likely apparent when I opened Reshizard instead. However, Bert had a weak turn 1; he started Latios-GX, benched a Dedenne-GX, used Dedechange, and passed. The rest of my hand was golden: I had a Welder, Fiery Flint, Green’s Exploration, and more. I decided to pressure Bert, and went for the turn 1 Double Blaze for 200 to Knock Out the Latios-GX. This lead me to Flare Strike two Dedenne-GX later in the game. Game 3, Power Plant put in work, making Bert miss a Tag Purge turn. After taking 3 Prize cards from this Mewtwo and Mew-GX, I simply targeted down two more Dedenne-GX to take the set.
Round 6: 5-0-1 Pacco Saurus (ES) with Green’s Reshizard (2-1)
Let me start off with saying Pacco Saurus is genuinely once of the best opponents I had the pleasure of facing at the World Championships. We had a pre-round deck check, during which we made small talk and talked about our seasons. Game 1, I was able to outplay him by preserving my Double Blaze GX and poking with Volcanion. Game 2, he was able to take advantage of my weak board and Custom Catcher plus a fully powered Double Blaze GX to eliminate my only Reshizard. I quickly scooped up my cards to leave time for a Game 3. In this game, I chose to go second and high rolled into starting a Volcanion. I used Flare Starter and a Green’s Exploration to setup my board while Pacco was stuck retreating his tech [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Unified Minds” no=”140″ c=”from”][/card] into a Volcanion of his own. Again, I conserved Double Blaze GX while pressuring to take the first three Prize cards. Near the end of the game, Pacco decided to retreat into his Reshizard to take out my damaged first Reshizard. Due to mental strain or what have you, he must have forgotten I had not used my GX attack. I look over to the judge, ask “Have I used my GX attack this game?” “No.” “Well, I’ll attach and use Double Blaze GX for game.” With those words, I was locked with a tie into the World Championship top 8!
Round 7: 5-0-2 Henry Brand (AU) with Mewtwo Box (Intentional Draw)
I was nervous on who I was going to be paired against, but I was relieved when Henry accepted an intentional draw. We both filled out some paperwork (release forms for media, and so forth), had our photos taken, and celebrated.
Top 8: Ryota Ishiyama (JP) with Mewtwo Box
Once the final standings were posted, I was again worried about the matchup, despite my 1 AM Power Plant tech. I was lucky to take a set and a tie off of two of the world’s best players, and doubted if I could do it once more. Turns out, my opponent chose to not play the Latios-GX, making his deck much worse against mine. I was able to poke with Volcanion, utilize Flare Strike, and close with Double Blaze GX in both games.
Top 4: Henry Brand (AU) with Mewtwo Box
At this point, I was ecstatic. On the outside though, I was calm. I was in the semi-finals of the World freakin Championship! I had all my friends and family cheering me on both in person and at home. Again, Henry was the fourth Mewtwo Box player I had run across in Day 2, making me doubt how much more I could take. Game 1 started off perfectly. Henry stumbled, and allowed me to use Double Blaze GX to take three Prize cards. I quickly followed suit with two double Custom Catcher combos to take the game.
My nerves at this point were shaken from all the adrenaline pumping through me the entire day, yet I managed to soldier on and focus once more for Game 2.
You can imagine my disappointment when I opened with Volcanion going second with an almost unplayable hand. On my turn 1, I was forced to reveal Power Plant through playing it, and then passing. Henry bumped it, set up more of his board, and used Clear Vision GX. I was forced to Lusamine for Power Plant (revealing both of my techs) and thin my hand for Custom Catcher. I drew into a Reshizard and a Green’s Exploration, but it was too late. Henry had established his Tag Purge lock, preventing me from taking 6 Prizes.
I tried to push the Game 2 from my mind and focus on the final one. I could feel all the blood rushing through me as I shuffled, and tried to take deep breaths to give my body the oxygen it so desperately wanted. “It all comes down to this,” I thought to myself. I chose to go second, deciding that it was more important to get a Flare Starter than it was to try to pressure, drew my hand, and flipped over my cards.
I started with a perfect hand. I had Volcanion active, a Cherish Ball, a Green’s Exploration, and I believe a Welder all in hand. Henry prioritized the Clear Vision GX, and I knew I was in trouble. Later in the game, he benched the Resetting Hole Marshadow, giving me a window of opportunity to Reset Stamp, Power Plant, Custom Catcher, and remove the option of Resetting Hole to try and stick Henry with a dead hand. At a point in the game, I tried Knocking Out the Marshadow and playing Power Plant, but Henry had the immediate bump with a Giant Hearth of his own. After this, Henry received a double prize penalty for drawing seven cards off of Dedechange. I almost didn’t even notice, as I was looking at his discard to see what he had to dump, but thankfully a judge was able to catch it. This meant I only needed to take a Tag Team Knock Out to advance to the finals! I built up my hand again using Lusamine for Power Plant and more Green’s Exploration, and with two Prize cards remaining, decided to Reset Stamp, holding the Power Plant in case Henry had to discard his last Stadium to dig himself out of the Reset Stamp. When this didn’t happen, I tried to Custom Catcher stick his benched, clean Mewtwo and Mew-GX since he needed his last Welder to retreat as well as a Stadium to win the game. He unfortunately had all the pieces he needed, and was able to close it out. I could have waited a turn to Reset Stamp Henry to one, but feared a Reset Stamp of his to effectively lose me the game. I had seen a good portion of his deck during Game 1, yet the option for a 1-of tech was within the realm of possibility. I also did not want him to have a turn to make a manual attachment to his benched Mewtwo, as that would drastically reduce the combo of cards he needed that exact following turn. (He would have needed just an Energy and a Stadium, instead of a Welder, a Fire Energy, another Energy, and a Stadium.)
We shook hands, and I was finished at the 2019 World Championships.
Final Placement: 3rd Place
In the semi-finals, it came down to a heart-breaking Reset Stamp draw, while in many of the other rounds, the deck was able to checkmate multiple turns in advance. In retrospect, there are minute decisions that could have affected the semi-finals, such as going second Game 3, deciding to KO the Marshadow, or the final turns with the Reset Stamp and Power Plant drop.
Although I feel like I could/should have taken the deck to the finals and beyond, I am still extremely blessed to make it to that point. The entire culmination of my season ended with a Pikachu trophy, so who can be mad about that?
List and Card Counts
My decklist for the tournament was:
[decklist name=”Reshiram & Charizard-GX” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM201″][pokemon amt=”7″]3x [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM201″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”42″]4x [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mixed Herbs” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”184″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Great Potion” set=”Unified Minds” no=”198″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Cherish Ball” set=”Unified Minds” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fiery Flint” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Energy Spinner” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”170″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre Labs” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Heat Factory Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]11x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”Generations” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
As you can see, this deck is very similar to how it was built pre-rotation thanks to the small number of cards being removed. [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] were all key pieces in building up checkmate positions in the previous format. One can see how they were replaced through Custom Catcher, [card name=”Cherish Ball” set=”Unified Minds” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Lysandre Labs” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card], respectively.
[premium]
4 Green’s Exploration, 4 Welder, 4 [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card]
[cardimg name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”214″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This is the backbone of the deck. Being able to dedicate only 12 slots to consistency means that despite occasionally not drawing aggressively, it makes the deck’s turn 1 and 2 into momentum turns to build up big threats.
4 Volcanion, 3 Reshiram and Charizard-GX, 0 Eevee and Snorlax-GX
Volcanion honestly might currently be one of the most bonkers support Pokemon. It is an extremely solid vanilla attacker which often allows you to play the 8-Prize game. Flare Starter, however, is what takes the deck to the next level. By either going first and threatening 110 with a non-GX off the bat along with a Welder, you often can choose to go second and high roll into starting it and getting the threat of a fully powered Double Blaze GX onto the board immediately, pressuring even the fastest Pikarom decks. [card name=”Eevee and Snorlax-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] is not a strong Tag Team in this format (so far), since it does not handle the big threats of other Tag Teams, while Reshizard can also handle the weak evolutions with Flare Strike.
1 Giant Hearth, 1 Shrine of Punishment, 1 Lysandre Labs, 1 Power Plant
[card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] is a solid consistency card, and fetches 2 Energy off of a Green’s for a minimum of one turn, while maybe even going longer if it is not immediately bumped. Shrine is how the deck autowins any Pikarom deck without 4 [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] or 4 Reset Stamp. It allows a Knock Out on a Pikarom without using a GX attack, which allows you to save it for the eventual [card name=”Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]. Lysandre Labs is for [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], and allows you to play around [card name=”Spell Tag” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”190″ c=”name”][/card] even more than just with Custom Catchers. I originally did not love playing Power Plant in Reshizard, as it only improves a few matchups, and chose not to play it for Day 1. After seeing the field of Day 1, I expected a lot of wacky decks such as [card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] Stall or [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”custom”]Mewtwo[/card] Box, all of which would be helped with the inclusion of the Power Plant tech.
1 Lusamine
[card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] takes the deck from good to great. It is a second copy of almost every Stadium (poor [card name=”Heat Factory Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card]) and can be used as a pseudo-consistency card. It makes the deck more Reset Stamp- proof, as it can fetch 2 Green’s Exploration on “off” turns where you are not/cannot use a Green’s Exploration or Welder. I find myself using this card almost every game I draw it, or against a deck where I need multiple copies of my Stadiums.
1 Energy Spinner
I honestly do not understand why people do not include [card name=”Energy Spinner” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card] in Reshizard decks. Even though it is a poor man’s [card name=”Professor’s Letter” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] 99% of the game, it makes such a powerful combo alongside that turn 1 Flare Starter, without forcing troublesome discards with [card name=”Fiery Flint” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]. Not to mention it is a Green’s out to an Energy card if one cannot find the Giant Hearth for some reason.
4 Mixed Herbs, 4 Great Potion
[card name=”Mixed Herbs” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”184″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Great Potion” set=”Unified Minds” no=”198″ c=”name”][/card] are also what make this deck unique. By allowing a Tag Team Pokemon to tank multiple attacks (think a Pikarom Full Blitz or even a big Flare Strike from opposing Reshizard) it essentially takes away a turn from your opponent. In the mirror match, the healing almost always ends up being the deciding factor in whose Reshizard will live longer, and Knock Out the other one.
1 Reset Stamp
I like to think this is a part of the deck’s strategy since it can always be found at the appropriate time, and can even be used in conjunction with Power Plant to win in otherwise unwinnable situations. I’ll discuss this combo more later, but it is how I won a game against the reigning Worlds Champion Robin Shultz in Round 2. Similar to “[card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”custom”]Let Loose[/card] and pray”, this deck can win simply by “Reset Stamp and pray.”
4 Acro Bike, 4 Custom Catcher, 1 Heat Factory Prism Star
Consistency is king, especially with only 6 sets to work with. Use [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] as a way to dig for more Supporter cards, a [card name=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card], or some other piece you need to establish a strong board. Unless there is absolutely nothing else you need on a specific turn, don’t play them for the sake of playing them. Do not save them to become a Reset Stamp out, as they will thin your deck of awkward cards such as Lysandre Labs, extra Cherish Ball, or extra Pokemon beyond your 8-Prize game. These two sentences can seem contradictory, but the essential decision making process is this:
- Early game – Use Acro Bike to setup your board (Prioritize Pokemon, more Supporters, big Energy search. Discard Fire Energy to get back with Fire Crystal.)
- Mid game – Save Acro Bike unless you need something (Discard whatever is less valuable in terms of resources if you do not find what you’re looking for. Have 2 Fire Crystal gone? Might want to save that third one.)
- Late game (when Reset Stamp is a danger) – Play Acro Bike to thin cards. (Discard excess fat – Pokemon, Pokemon search, extra healing)
Almost always, save Custom Catcher to be used for the dual effect allowing you to gust an opponent’s Pokemon to the Active. Ideally, with four in deck, Reshizard can pull this off twice. Yet in dire situations, make sure to remember the first effect to get you out of a pinch.
Heat Factory Prism Star almost always is a great card to have. I find myself using Green’s Exploration to search for it multiple games in a row, often on Turn 1 paired with a Welder to draw six to nine cards over the following turns. This draw power is almost always enough to give you a new Supporter to replenish the Green’s Exploration and/or Welder you had just played. Be aware against certain decks such as Mewtwo Box, Blacephalon-GX, and Reshizard mirror, they can utilize the effect as well. In these situations, the benefit of drawing three cards yourself should be more useful than the opponent’s ability to do the same, otherwise hold off on playing it. Late game, use Heat Factory along with other Stadiums to bump your opponent’s Stadiums, in order to eventually stick a Power Plant or Shrine of Punishment.
1 Switch
I ran [card name=”Switch” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] for Day 1 over Power Plant. It is certainly the most expendable card, but it can be extremely scary if your opponent realizes you don’t have it and decides to Custom Catcher stall a Volcanion at the end of the game. It can also be used to switch into a Volcanion for Flare Starter on turn 1 or turn 2 if you draw into one after the initial opening seven. Since I played 4 Mewtwo Box total in Day 2, it turned out to be an important switch (pun intended). During the first half of the tournament, I found maybe one or two uses of the card throughout the day, but it always provided peace of mind.
3 Fire Crystal, 1 Fiery Flint
If you thin the Fire Energy appropriately, Fire Crystal can become a consistency card on turns 2-3. Fiery Flint (and Energy Spinner) is here to find those initial bursts of Energy needed for manual attachments as well as Welder. Make sure to always have enough Fire Energy by conserving Fire Crystal for its full effect. Otherwise you’ll run into situations where you won’t have enough Energy to attack with multiple Volcanion and Reshizard.
Other Options
1 Friend Ball
Credit to Chip Richey and Grant Manley for this idea: against the mirror match and [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card], you can [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card] for [card name=”Friend Ball” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] and Switch (if you choose to run both) to charge up a Reshizard on turn 1. In the mirror match, it tends to boil down to who goes second and if they set up a big, fast Reshizard.
1-4 Tapu Fini
I haven’t tried out this addition, but with [card name=”Tapu Fini” set=”Unified Minds” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card], the deck can, in theory, outtrade Blacephalon-GX. Otherwise, you’ll have to get creative and try to skip [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] with Shrine of Punishment.
1 Pal Pad
I don’t hate a [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] in here, but Lusamine fulfills the spot better by being able to cover >4 extra Stadium slots. Feel free to switch them out if you add more of a particular Stadium though.
Matchups
Vs. Pikarom
Pikarom was the most popular deck Day 1, if you do not count the multiple versions of Malamar together. Luckily, my 1 Shrine of Punishment (2 if you count Lusamine) made the matchup a breeze. Issues only arise when the opponent drops [card name=”Judge” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] (or Reset Stamp) multiple times in a row. The biggest piece of advice is to not take any Knock Outs except for 2 Tag Teams. This allows you to be Reset Stamped to a healthy three cards rather than an ugly one or two. Volcanion and Outrage on [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] can be used to help setup for these Knock Outs, but if the opponent decides to attack with [card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM159″ c=”name”][/card], stay calm and [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] up a Tag Team rather than taking out the immediate threat. Use the [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] liberally in order to rack up ticks on the [card name=”Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] to bring its remaining health down to 230 in case you can’t find the extra 3 Fire Energy to Double Blaze GX for 300.
Vs. Green’s Reshizard
The mirror match does come down to an unfortunate amount of luck. If you know both your opponent and yourself are about the same skill level, consider choosing to go second to maximize Flare Starter and Energy Spinner. This allows you to check any big Reshizard they decide to build up with a threat of your Double Blaze. Save the Double Blaze GX for the last 3 prizes if you can, otherwise you’ll be staring down another Reshizard which cannot be taken out immediately. It can be correct to use Outrage to set up 30 early on a Reshizard, and then use Flare Strike with Shrine of Punishment for the remaining 240 damage. If you choose to include Friend Ball, it would put in work, allowing you to utilize the 8-Prize game while setting up the ideal board state of 2 Reshizards with at least 3 Energy each. Once they are down to about two Prize cards, Reset Stamp and either attack and hope the opponent cannot heal or take a Knock Out.
Vs. Ability Reshizard
I have not had a chance to test this vs. Green’s Reshizard yet, but in theory it should be a bad matchup. Grant Manley, who ran the same 60, was pummeled in Day 1 by the Limitless Ability Reshizard list. The turbo speed and consistency should be too much for poor Green’s Exploration to counter, but again, Reset Stamp and pray. If you’re lucky and they are unable to draw out with [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]’s Stellar Wish, you may have an opening to come back and take out their main threat. The Ability Reshizard can easily brick to a turn 1 Power Plant if they do not start with a [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM161″ c=”name”][/card], as [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is the deck’s draw out. Otherwise you can force suboptimal switches into Jirachi or ideally, for your opponent to dead draw.
Vs. Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX
I believe wholeheartedly that this is the deck’s best matchup. During Worlds, all of my [card name=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] opponents took one Prize card — combined! Prepare your board, setup the necessary attackers, and there is almost nothing your opponent will be able to do. A strategy I discovered on the fly that worked for every game against the Japanese Gardevoir & Sylveon-GX lists was to power up a Reshizard using Volcanion, switch into High-Heat Blast, and finish off the first Gardevoir & Sylveon-GX with Flare Strike (with Custom Catcher if necessary) while attaching more Energy. If done properly, the Gardevoir & Sylveon-GX player cannot do anything about the big Reshizard facing them if you have six Fire Energy attached to Double Blaze GX. If the Gardevoir & Sylveon-GX player decides to use [card name=”Xerneas-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card], then either Custom Catcher, or take out the Xerneas-GX while leaving enough health to survive a Magical Miracle GX. Beware of random Reset Stamps early that clunk up your hand and prevent full power [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card]s.
Vs. Mewtwo Box
If the [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] Box player is running a similar list to Henry Brand’s, it will be tough yet winnable. The win condition will be to take 2+ Prize cards before the Mewtwo player chains Tag Purge. Do this through Power Plant or hoping they start a non-Mewtwo. After this, Custom Catcher twice to take 4 Prizes on [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Latios-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] or what have you. If the Mewtwo player’s board state is weak and does not have [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench, Power Plant and Reset Stamp can win you the game too. Try Custom Catchering the Marshadow if they do have it, and Power Planting and Stamping in the same turn at the end to create a win condition if they do not have a Reshizard or something similar built up on the Bench. I did these plays to win myself a few rounds in Swiss Day 2, as well as grab a game off of Henry in Top 4. (I bricked game 2, and he drew perfect off of Reset Stamp for game 3.)
Vs. Dark Box
[cardimg name=”Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”226″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This matchup is almost as good as Pikarom. Be wary of Dark Moon GX as it will prevent you from doing much other than attacking on that turn. Use Shrine to tick down 2 Tag Teams to one-shot range, and use Reset Stamp and Power Plant to stick your opponent with Energy on the wrong Pokemon. Heal off Black Lance snipes with Great Potions and Mixed Herbs to prevent a [card name=”Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] from cleaning up. [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] is great to poke at big Tag Teams with and occasionally take an early prize on a [card name=”Sneasel” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card]. If this is the case, look for points in the game where a Custom Catcher Knock Out on a [card name=”Weavile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] would make sense to even out the Prize card math.
Vs. Malamar
Reshizard versus all of the Malamar variants is probably one of the most skill intensive matchups. Due to the limited knowledge of your opponent’s decklist, you have to play around [card name=”Garchomp and Giratina-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card]’s GG End GX, [card name=”Gengar and Mimikyu-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card]’s Poltergeist, [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card]’s Photon Geyser, as well as Copycat for Flare Strike on baby [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM99″ c=”name”][/card] and Nightcap on [card name=”Nihilego” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card]. At some points in the game, you will be unable to play your hand down to less than 5 Item cards, but keep a good poker face and your opponent shouldn’t know when to drop down the Gengar & Mimikyu-GX. Use [card name=”Lysandre Labs” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] to play around [card name=”Spell Tag” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”190″ c=”name”][/card]. Spell Tag is Reshizard’s greatest enemy. It allows [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] to two-shot a Tag Team, and set up one-shots with Mimikyu, Ultra Necrozma, etc. Lusamine for Lysandre Labs can be used as well to eventually even stick it. Do NOT Custom Catcher and take Knock Outs with Volcanion. Save them to gust around a Spell Tag onto your Active Reshizard and ensure it’ll live another turn or two.
Vs. Blacephalon-GX
This is an unfavored matchup due to the one-shot power of both decks. Only problem is that you are running a Tag Team deck, while your opponent most likely is not. Try to skip Beast Ring turns by using High-Heat Blast on Volcanion for 110 onto a Blacephalon-GX followed by an Outrage for 30 or two. Then stick a Shrine of Punishment, and Custom Catcher up a new GX Pokemon to take four Prize cards in a turn. The good news is that [card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”160″ c=”from”][/card] should be the most popular variant of Blacephalon-GX moving forward. This is a variant that provides you with a large amount of time to set up this play, while they are stuck using Burst-GX, Bursting Burn, or similar weak attacks. Keep in mind that the matchup is bad, so take risks to get lucky to take a win. If it means taking the four Prize turn, but leaving yourself with a dead hand, go for it. You’ll need to high roll to take a dub.
Conclusion
With Hidden Fates being legal for the Atlantic City Regionals, I expect a healthy amount of stall to be popular with the introduction of the new Supporter, Jessie and James. It provides a much faster win condition for archetypes such as Shedinja and Quad [card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card]. Reshizard can be an extremely good pick, but it will be the hype and the centralized list building that will warp the expectations of what’s going to be played.
[card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Generations” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] making a comeback might actually find a way into this list (and others) as another healing option and way to get out of [card name=”Darkrai Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]’s Abyssal Sleep or Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX’s Tandem Shock paralysis. Being recyclable with Lusamine is an added benefit.
Past these two, I don’t see too many new Standard cards making an impact in time for Atlantic City. I’m excited to see what players cook up there, as well as how they respond to the World Championships.
Thank you for making it so far with this debut, and I appreciate any feedback on my writing style, ways to improve, or comments you’d like to share. I am also available through the PokeBeach Subscriber’s Hideout Forum if you need tips or opinions on any Pokemon deck.
Until next time,
Blaine Hill
[/premium]