Worlds Malamar Survey
[cardimg name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Hey guys, Rukan here. First of all, apologies for this article’s delay. I lost electricity for a few days and could not test as much as I wanted to for this article.
Today’s article covers [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], so I wanted to make sure I could squeeze in as much testing as possible. But before I move on, I want to set some expectations. This article aims to identify core issues with the Malamar archetype and suggest ways to remedy them. But despite the improvements, I would not consider any of the final lists in this article worthy of pushing Malamar into one of the top 3 archetypes of our Worlds format.
Malamar’s position after this rotation reminds me of [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]’s position last rotation. Both decks lost a lot of consistency tools but remained popular. Zoroark still earned a lot of Day 2 placements after rotation last year due to its sheer popularity but ultimately earned below average conversion rates. I expect the same to happen to Malamar. When you look at Day 2 conversion rates at regionals, the “best” archetypes usually score Day 2 conversion rates between 15-30%. The rest of the format tends to score 15% or lower. Meanwhile, Zoroark scored about 7% day 2 conversion rates for the first few events after rotation, and so I expect Malamar to perform roughly the same. Perhaps after the meta settles, Malamar can start to tech appropriately for the rest of the field. But as of right now, I think Malamar’s suboptimal consistency engine limits it from securing a top position in the meta off the back of the archetype’s innate power level.
With expectations in check, let’s finally dig into the meat of the article. I went through several phases of testing for Malamar. First, I dedicated some time optimizing the consistency engine, which I discuss in the first half of the article. The middle of the article discusses more gameplay related concerns with a particular focus on Prize sequencing in the new format. And the final part of the article proposes two Malamar lists to play, based on the results and conclusions from the previous two sections. Without further ado, let’s dive into consistency testing results.
Testing Log 001 – Getting a Feel
[cardimg name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Objective: Try to determine the main limiting factor for setting up a turn 2 attack.
Conclusions: Run [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]
I started testing Malamar’s consistency months ago. At first, the results seemed promising.
After a few solo test hands, I immediately came to one conclusion: I need more Basic Pokemon. Prior to rotation, I searched out [card name=”Inkay” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] more readily, and thus I built my lists to conserve Bench space whenever possible. If you watched me on social media back then or read my past articles, you know I was against cards like Jirachi and [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] as they consumed a Bench slot for relatively slow or minimal card advantage. But that changes with the rotation.
While I could reliably find three Inkay on my first turn pretty reliably before rotation, I find myself making do with two Inkay post rotation. With three Inkay, I could comfortably attach [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card] to one Inkay and use it as a pivot while I evolved the others into Malamar. In scenarios with only two Inkay, I want to find an additional basic Pokemon to serve as my pivot slot. And Jirachi fills that role better than any other Pokemon.
Now I need to determine the optimal number of Jirachi and the relative value of other consistency cards.
A Core List
From there, I built the core consistency engine. It contains eight empty deck slots that I tweak in all the subsequent testing logs. In the next section, I try a few different combination of cards in the remaining eight slots to determine which cards offer the most value.
[decklist name=”Core list” amt=”52″ caption=”” cname=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″][pokemon amt=”16″]4x [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Inkay” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”28″]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]8x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Generations” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Testing Log 002 – Consistency Benchmarking
[cardimg name=”Spell Tag” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”190″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Experiment 01 – Simple [card name=”Spell Tag” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”190″ c=”name”][/card]
List: Core List +4 [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], +4 Spell Tags
Results: 75% turn 2 attack rate in sample of 20 hands
Comments: Started simple, and got some promising results! Remember, solo testing assumes no disruption from the opponent. So in a real game, I would not expect swing 75% of games by turn 2. Either way, 75% with no disruption represents a solid number and it lets me know that the inclusion of four Jirachi paid off.
Experiment 02 – Fewer Jirachi
List: Core List +4 Acro Bike, +4 Spell Tag, -2 Jirachi, +1 [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], +1 [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card]
Results: 50% turn 2 attack rate in sample of 20 hands
Comments: Next, I wanted to determine if I could get away with fewer Jirachi, especially as benching a Jirachi makes the Prize race in Malamar mirrors much worse. The results were very poor, only 50%. To some extent I blame this drastic decrease on variance, but the test results made it clear that I definitely want to max out my Jirachi count.
Experiment 03 – More Basic Pokemon
List: Core List + 4 [card name=”Emolga” set=”Team Up” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], +4 Spell Tag
Results: 50% turn 2 attack rate in sample of 20 hands
Comments: So if 4 Jirachi helped, what if I ran more basic Pokemon? I did not expect improvement, and I did not see improvement. Dumb experiment in hindsight. Emolga may guarantee a target for [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] but generally, you gain more consistency by running cards with a chance to access a variety of options than cards that guarantee a single option.
Experiment 04 – [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card]
List: Core List + 2-2 Zebstrika, +4 Spell Tag
Results: 65% turn 2 attack rate in sample of 20 hands
Comments: Emolga offered negative value, but how about Zebstrika? Zebstrika performed much better, but worse than simple quad Jirachi. At this point I settled on a four count of Jirachi. I did not bother testing three Jirachi yet, but I expect marginal difference and would rather spend my time elsewhere.
Experiment 05 – [card name=”Order Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card]
List: Core List + 4 Order Pad, +3 Spell Tag, +1 Pokegear 3.0
Results: 75% turn 2 attack rate in sample of 20 hands
Comments: Next, I wanted to see if Order Pad could outperform Acro Bike. Order Pad does not risk burning precious Inkay, Malamar, or [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card]. In my experience, it performs better in the late game for setting up that final Custom Catcher for game. I cut a Spell Tag for an extra Pokegear 3.0 to capitalize on this, as Order Pad made Spell Tag more searchable. It turned out to be as consistent as Acro Bike in terms of early game setup, despite the coin flip nature of the card. Makes sense when you think about it — Acro Bike frequently whiffs what you need, sometimes burning key resources in the process.
So to summarize, I prefer Order Pad to Acro Bike now. Tests indicate that Order Pad offers comparable consistency to Acro Bike in early turns and I generally prefer Order Pad in the late game. Acro Bike lost a lot of value with rotation when you think about it. We lost [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], so discarding a Pokemon hurts a lot more than ever. We also lost [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], so each individual card slot in your deck offers less flexibility. Before rotation, the choice of two cards were more likely to offer more options than they do after rotation. Finding a [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] or Ultra Ball could get you a Supporter or a Pokemon. Now I play Acro Bike and often find I either get the exact card I want or I do not, because I run fewer cards to find the card I want. Order Pad, in contrast, gained value with rotation. I can Order Pad for Custom Catcher after all.
A Brief Argument for Custom Catcher
[cardimg name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
That more or less concludes my discussion on consistency testing. But before I move onto matchups, I want to briefly mention why my core list included four Custom Catcher, as I noticed a lot of players cutting or talking about cutting [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”231″ c=”name”][/card] from Malamar for more consistency. Let’s take a brief moment to discuss why I advise four copies of Custom Catcher in any deck, including Malamar.
[premium]
Yes, I understand one could run [card name=”Espurr” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] to snipe Bench sitters, but that actually does not replace Custom Catcher. At the end of the day, Espurr realistically caps out at 180 damage and effectively 2HKOs a Pokemon. You could argue that you might use Spell Tag to gradually set up an OHKO, but not every deck or opponent plays into that. For example, you might put 40 damage on a Zeraora-GX, but your opponent can send that Zeraora-GX as an attacker before you put it in range of either Shadow Impact or Ear Kinesis. Doing so puts you in a very awkward position in terms of the Prize trade.
In Malamar mirrors, Custom Catcher can offer a big swing turn. If you Custom Catcher around a [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] with Spell Tag, you effectively deny both a Spell Tag and a Distortion Door turn, mitigating six damage counters. Decks without Custom Catcher also leave themselves vulnerable to cheeky plays from an [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] player. For example, a Spell Tag Malamar player can put four damage counters on a Jirachi to set up a Prize with a second Spell Tag. But say the opposing player runs Ultra Necrozma-GX. They attach two Energy to Jirachi, pull up a Malamar to Active and uses Slap for 30 damage, putting it in range of Sky Scorching Light. Without Custom Catcher, the Spell Tag Malamar player needs to Shadow Impact the Jirachi, removing the opportunity to take a two Prize turn by killing the damaged Jirachi with a Spell Tag.
Without Custom Catcher, you cannot ensure your Spell Tag damage gets spread optimally. A lot of your Spell Tags end up going to waste without it. And in the context of [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Garchomp and Giratina-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card], you can realistically gust up a healthy Pokemon-GX to secure a win.
Testing Log 003 – Vs Pikarom and Reshizard Blacephalon
Next, let’s discuss actual matchups. We start with the single-Prize Spell Tag Malamar as it runs the most consistently of all the Malamar variants and because, on paper, it looks like Giratina trades well against every other Pokemon-GX in the format. I decided to start my testing against none other than [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], one of the de facto top decks of the format. In said testing, I opted to use a version similar to a list that Rahul Reddy posted on YouTube. I did try some other lists but I found the four [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] build offered the most consistency. I later tweaked some counts and incorporated useful tech cards such as [card name=”Eelektross” set=”Unified Minds” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card].
[decklist name=”Pikarom” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″][pokemon amt=”12″]3x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”54″ 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=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Eelektross” set=”Unified Minds” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”63″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Erika’s Hospitality” set=”Team Up” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Fan Club” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Electromagnetic Radar” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Stadium Nav” set=”Unified Minds” no=”208″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tag Switch” set=”Unified Minds” no=”209″ 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=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]12x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Generations” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”12″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
To put it bluntly, Spell Tag Malamar got annihilated. It only ever won games where it went first, attacked turn 2, and Pikarom whiffed a turn 1 attack and never managed to find a healing turn with [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card]. I found similar results when I tested against Peter Kica’s [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] deck as well.
Based on what I hear from social media, I feel like most people would not believe me when I suggest this. After all, Giratina should trade up against Pikachu & Zekrom-GX as long as you run [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] right? Well, yes, it does, but not fast enough to make up for a Prize deficit and your opponent forcing a seven-Prize game. In the next section, allow me to explain exactly why Giratina, and single-Prize Pokemon in general, do not perform well in the upcoming format.
The Tragedy of Giratina
[cardimg name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
In my testing, I did find that Malamar can win going first. Giratina helps lock in a Prize race when the Malamar player manages to secure a Prize lead. But in most games, Malamar falls behind by a Prize and needs a way to secure the last Prize.
I wish I could trust most of my audience to believe me when I say that. But my past experience tells me otherwise, which is why I intend to spend the next few paragraphs explaining this in excruciating detail. If you believe me or already know why, please feel free to skip ahead to the next section.
Imagine a fresh game where both players start with six Prizes left. Usually Pikarom takes the first KO. Let’s generously assume that Pikarom never hits heads on a Super Scoop Up and never manages to skew the Prize trade with Eelektross. But to be slightly fair, let’s assume that Pikarom finds a way to bypass the first Spell Tag as well, be it with [card name=”Lysandre Labs” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] or Custom Catcher.
Pikarom attack #1, goes down to five Prizes
Malamar attack #1, uses Giratina to hit Pikarom for 130
Pikarom attack #2, goes down to four Prizes
Malamar attack #2, uses Giratina to KO Pikarom, goes down to three Prizes
Now, if Malamar whiffed Spell Tag, Pikarom should be able to send up a relatively healthy Zeraora-GX that does not immediately die to a Shadow Impact. Or maybe they sent up a healthy Eelektross. Either way:
Pikarom Attack #3, using Zeraora-GX, goes down to three Prizes
Malamar Attack #3, hits Zeraora-GX with Giratina, not enough for KO unless you managed to stick multiple Distortion Door pings and a Spell Tag.
Pikarom Attack #4, using Zeraora-GX again, Needs Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX or [card name=”Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] or Super Scoop Up to pull this off technically, goes down to two Prizes
Malamar Attack #4, kills Zeraora-GX, goes down to one Prize
Pikarom Attack #5, using a healthy Pikarom, goes down to one Prize. Presumably uses a [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] too.
Now, single Prize Spell Tag Malamar finds itself checkmated. It cannot promote anything that tanks another hit and it cannot promote anything that knocks out the opposing Active Pokemon in one shot. To put it simply, A Malamar deck attacking with only Giratina tends to lose the Prize race to any Pokemon GX deck that can force a seven-Prize game against you, if that deck does not necessarily run counters to Malamar or draw into any healing cards.
The Big Guns
As discussed in the previous section, Malamar cannot reliably build a six-Prize game plan with single-Prize attackers against a Tag Team archetype such as Pikachu & Zekrom-GX with Zeraora-GX or Reshiram & Charizard-GX with Blacephalon-GX, due to their ability to force a seven-Prize game. Before rotation, a single-Prize Malamar deck could fix a seven Prize game so long as their opponent benched a Let Loose Marshadow, which they usually would.
Nowadays, Malamar needs at least one big OHKO over the course of the game. Malamar can leverage a few tools to do this, so let’s review the options.
[card name=”Espurr” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] – Solid utility for one slot
[cardimg name=”Espurr” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”79″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I do not hate Espurr, but I consider it a marginal tech card, mostly because it only offers a 2HKO, and thus does not actually fix the Prize race concern itself. Espurr does offer a lot of utility so maybe you can run a copy. But absolutely not in place of consistency cards or in place of an OHKO option.
[card name=”Marshadow” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] – One matchup for one slot
Marshadow Reset Hole does not deal a lot of damage, but it lets you smack a Blacephalon-GX on turn 1. In other matchups, it helps manage the Stadium trade and occasionally lets you bounce a [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] already on the board from the previous turn and play down a fresh one to get two Energy into play. All in all I consider Marshadow a one for one tech slot, that is it swings one matchup for one deck slot. Given how desperately Malamar values its deck slots post rotation, I would consider this a poor deal.
[card name=”Nihilego” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] – 2.5 matchups for one slot
I actually like Baby Nihilego a lot, assuming your deck runs some sort of damage modifiers, namely Spell Tag or [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card]. Combined with Spell Tag, you can take out a Reshiram & Charizard-GX or Pikachu & Zekrom-GX. This gives you one big OHKO over the course of the game, perhaps enough to push the Tag Team matchups a bit more in your favor for Spell Tag Malamar. I value Nihilego somewhat in the Blacephalon-GX [card name=”Naganadel” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] matchup because you can grab it off their [card name=”Ultra Space” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] to leverage your own Pokemon Communication, hence I scored it at 2.5 Matchups.
[card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] – 1.5 Matchups for one slot
Mimikyu helps improve the Reshizard matchup, but does not help as much against Pikarom or Blacephalon-GX Naganadel as Nihilego. But it does let you copy [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]’s Resource Management in the [card name=”Shedinja” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card]matchup if you fear that. I would value it at 1.5 Matchups for a slot. Not awful, but probably not good enough to make the final cut at Worlds.
[card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] – Many matchups for many slots
Ultra Necrozma-GX offers a lot of flexibility. It can blow up anything and simultaneously swings many single-Prize matchups with Sky Scorching Light-GX. Unfortunately, it takes up a lot of deck space. At a minimum, it requires two deck slots for Metal Energy and Ultra Necrozma-GX. More often you end up using four deck slots to fit a thicker line. But using up to four deck slots dramatically reduces your deck’s consistency. You add two heavy retreat cost Pokemon that interfere with your ability to put a Jirachi into your Active slot. You add Metal Energy that you cannot discard as readily as a regular Psychic Energy.
[card name=”Espeon and Deoxys-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card] – One matchup for one slot
Unlike Ultra Necrozma-GX, Espeon & Deoxys-GX offers the benefit of Sky Scorching Light-GX for a single deck slot. But it does not offer an OHKO option so you leave your deck vulnerable to Tag Team decks. I might consider running it alongside another tech to improve my Reshizard Blacephalon and Pikarom matchups, but not as the exclusive tech option.
[card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] – A good card
[cardimg name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
After playtesting, I gained an appreciation for the seven-Prize game. You want to try and control the Prize race in the post rotation format, and promoting a Mewtwo & Mew-GX when your opponent goes down to four Prizes helps that cause. If they cannot KO it in one shot, you might establish a huge Prize swing. Most decks cannot realistically gust the single-Prize Pokemon on your Bench twice, and if they try to, Mewtwo & Mew-GX might hit hard enough to sweep your last few Prizes. If they try to 2HKO Mewtwo & Mew-GX, you can use the GX attack to fully heal it. This of course all goes out the window if you fall behind enough for your opponent to setup an OHKO, but I like the utility. The card works nicely against [card name=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] in tandem with [card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card], because it lets you get around either [card name=”Fairy Charm Ability” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Fairy Charm D” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”177″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Fairy Charm UB” set=”Team Up” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card].
[card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] – Toying around with the idea
Nagandel-GX could theoretically swing a Tag Team matchup. You use the GX attack with a healthy Mewtwo & Mew-GX, and if they do not Knock it Out, you setup game with a Custom Catcher to knock out a Tag Team. If you hide the combo, your opponent might not see it coming. I would not make it the central focus of my deck, but the option could allow you to swing a few Prizes from behind. This tech beats the Shedinja matchup for you, even if they try to counter Malamar’s usual game plan of spreading with Giratina and Mew. And the tech greatly improves the Gardevoir & Sylveon-GX matchup, ensuring you only need to take one KO.
[card name=”Garchomp and Giratina-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] – Fallen out of favor
Garchomp & Giratina-GX saw a lot of success in early playtesting for Worlds, but I believe it has fallen out of favor. As players naturally started refining the consistency of their Malamar lists, Ultra Necrozma-GX returned to prominence. Garchomp & Giratina-GX offers some merits, but I think it gets outclassed by Ultra Necrozma-GX.
[card name=”Sigilyph-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] – 1.5 Matchups for one Slot
Sigilyph-GX, at least on paper, improves Malamar’s Pikarom matchup dramatically. I personally do not like the card though. I saw some players discussing Eelektross in Pikarom, so that scares me off the card a bit. It serves little to no value against [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card]’s decks such as Reshizard Blacephalon or Gardevoir Sylveon. As such I do not like this particular tech card. It feels too niche and easy to counter.
[card name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] – Better than I thought
At first glance, I thought Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX would not provide enough value to justify the slot. The GX attack does not hit hard enough to OHKO anything, and it still awkwardly leaves a GX Pokemon on the field. But it turned out much better in practice than I gave it credit for. For example, Pikachu & Zekrom-GX often wants to force a 7-prize game utilizing, but Moon’s Eclipse-GX Knocks Out a Zeraora-GX cleanly if you set up a single Giratina ping earlier on. Blacephalon-GX started seeing a lot more play recently too. And the GX attack simply puts in a good bit of work on your opponent’s 2nd prize turn. Due to that last point, I would probably avoid running both Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX and Nihilego at the same time though.
Two Recommended Lists
With the aforementioned tech card reviews in mind, let me recommend two “top” Malamar variants.
The Spell Tag build offers more consistency due to its simplified game plan, but it feels a bit fragile. The inclusion of Nihilego provides an additional OHKO against Tag Team decks but you could end up losing if your opponent gets a bit lucky with Super Scoop Ups.
[decklist name=”Spell Tag” amt=”60″ caption=””undefined][pokemon amt=”18″]4x [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Inkay” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Espeon and Deoxys-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”72″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Nihilego” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Order Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”131″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Spell Tag” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”190″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]8x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Generations” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
I tried a few Ultra Necrozma-GX builds, and almost all of them work well enough against Tier 2 decks and players. But when I test against Pikachu & Zekrom-GX or Reshizard Blacephalon, I found myself struggling. I would just fumble a single turn and instantly lose the game as the result. All Malamar variants possess this issue, but Ultra Necrozma-GX and Metal Energy really slow down your early turn setup if you draw them, since you want to conserve them for the end of the game.
In one build, I tried running 1 Ultra Necrozma-GX, 1 Naganadel-GX, and 1 Mewtwo & Mew-GX. I liked that the inclusion of Mewtwo & Mew-GX allowed you to try and force a 7-Prize game. Stinger GX also helps a few niche matchups like Gardevoir & Sylveon-GX or Shedinja. But I ultimately dismantled the deck because I did not find Mewtwo & Mew-GX or Naganadel-GX put in enough work to justify two card slots. Instead, I opted to try baby Nihilego and a single copy of Beast Energy Prism Star. The combination of baby Nihilego, Beast Energy, and Ultra Necrozma-GX really lets the deck push for a lot of damage in the last two turns of the game.
[decklist name=”Malamar Ultra” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″][pokemon amt=”18″]4x [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Inkay” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Nihilego” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Order Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”131″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”147″ 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=”233″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]7x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Generations” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]1x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
But as I stated earlier at the start of the article, I frankly do not love either archetype too much. If I needed to pick one list for Worlds immediately, I would probably go with the Ultra Necrozma-GX build and roll the dice.
Bonus Rogue Nonsense
Let me throw some dumb ideas at you. I tried these, and they ultimately did not make the cut. But, Jirachi aside, you can build them on a budget and torment your friends. So cheers.
Malamar Aerodactyl
When I first ran into healing decks, I thought: What if I hit my opponents harder? If hitting for 130 damage twice whiffed a KO after some [card name=”Mixed Herbs” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”184″ c=”name”][/card], then why not hit 180 damage twice? Thus Malamar Aerodactyl came into existence. This deck demolishes Blacephalon-GX Naganadel, Gardevoir & Sylveon-GX, and dedicated Reshiram & Charizard-GX decks. But I found myself struggling against Pikarom and Reshiram Blacephalon due to their ability to force a seven-Prize game. I would find that roughly half of those games, I would either attack turn 2 and win or whiff my turn 2 attack and get checkmated. This fact combined with the deck’s poor matchup against other Malamar variants put me off the archetype.
[decklist name=”Malamar Aerodactyl ” amt=”60″ caption=”undefined” cname=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″][pokemon amt=”18″]4x [card name=”Aerodactyl” set=”Team Up” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Inkay” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Unidentified Fossil” set=”Unified Minds” no=”210″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Stadium Nav” set=”Unified Minds” no=”208″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Research Lab” set=”Unified Minds” no=”205″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]6x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Generations” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]4x [card name=”Triple Acceleration Energy” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”190″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Malamar Shedinja
If my opponents want to make me take seven Prizes, why not make them take seven Prizes too! And thus I tried Shedinja Malamar. It seemed nice on paper. Shedinja could serve as a pivot when you need to send up your next attacker. But it does not actually work terribly well in practice. A lot of Pikachu & Zekrom lists run Lysandre Labs, so it does not swing that matchup. And in the mirror, the [card name=”Nincada” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] fall too easily to a Spell Tag. But mostly, the Shedinja line ate a lot of deck space that I felt could be better used elsewhere.
[decklist name=”Malamar Shedinja” amt=”60″ caption=”undefined” cname=”Shedinja” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”95″][pokemon amt=”20″]4x [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Inkay” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Shedinja” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Nincada” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”29″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Order Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”131″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]8x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Generations” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Closing Thoughts
I hope you liked this article. I wish I could tell you I liked Malamar more than I did right now, but the deck lost a bit too much consistency in the new format. On top of that, I found the post-rotation format revolves much more around Prize control and Prize manipulation than ever before, and that game dynamic naturally punishes Giratina. Don’t get me wrong, the deck can compete with other top tier decks. But the archetype feels underwhelming compared to any time it truly dominated the format in the last year.
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