Figuring out Florida — Gedemer’s Final Takes

By: Caleb Gedemer · Posted Posted onNov 28, 2019 at 11:54 PM · 0 Comments

Let’s try this Standard format thing again. This weekend we’ve got Daytona Beach, Florida Regionals, offering itself as the second major opportunity to play the Standard format featuring the new Cosmic Eclipse cards. Going into a new format “blind” is an interesting experience and you’ll often see many ingenious decks take the event by storm. But in the case of the Latin America Internationals it was the opposite — decks utilizing [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] showed up in full force and we saw a deck wielding only one Cosmic Eclipse card win it all.

Moving forward, we should have a better idea of what to expect after a week of League Cup events and more content being released around the web. I played Robin Schulz’s Welder Toolbox at a local League Challenge and League Cup this past weekend and saw a wide variety of decks. [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] by far seemed like the go-to for most players, especially those that hadn’t put much time into the format. This makes sense, as the deck is very much this format’s [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], a simple deck that can be picked up and played decently right away. Going into this weekend’s Regionals I want to beat the following decks in this order:

[premium]

  • Primary Threats
    • Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX
    • Welder Toolbox
    • [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card]  / [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card]
    • [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] Toolbox
  • Secondary Threats
    • [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] Control
    • [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Naganadel” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card]
    • [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”custom”]Doll[/card] Stall
  • Tertiary Threats
    • [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]
    • [card name=”Naganadel and Guzzlord-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Mismagius” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card]
    • [card name=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card]
    • Welder / [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card]

Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX

There’s a lot of lists going around for this deck, ranging from hyper aggressive with [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] and other means of finding [card name=”N’s Resolve” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”200″ c=”name”][/card], all the way to Green’s Exploration lists going for a methodical approach. I like somewhere in the middle of all of these the best.

[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″][pokemon amt=”16″]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Phione” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mega Lopunny and Jigglypuff-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lucario and Melmetal-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Drampa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”159″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Blitzle” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”81″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”82″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”31″]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N’s Resolve” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”200″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Cherish Ball” set=”Unified Minds” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”13″]7x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]6x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This list uses the consistent base of four [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] along with four [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card] to give yourself a chance to get a first turn N’s Resolve if you want it, but it’s okay if you don’t get it. N’s Resolve is a must in this deck because if your opponent ever one-shots one of your attackers and you don’t have another within one Energy of attacking, you will lose. You’ll want a way to get back into the game using Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX’s Ultimate Ray.

[card name=”Zebstrika” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card] is the best counter to control decks with this deck. I think [card name=”Cryogonal” set=”Unified Minds” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] is worth passing on because a competent Doll Stall player will have a counter in either [card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] to one-shot it or a [card name=”Channeler” set=”Unified Minds” no=”190″ c=”name”][/card] to continue being able to play down [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Phione” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is nice in this deck to grant you a way to one-shot things that you couldn’t otherwise. It’s especially nice against anything that has a bunch of one-Prize Pokemon on the Bench that you can then force up. Thicker [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”name”][/card] counts in this deck are absolutely necessary because you won’t be able to win against the mirror without the same ideology, nor will you be able to beat anything that doesn’t one-shot you. You will turn those matchups favorable because you can out-heal them. I like favoring Water Energy over Metal Energy because some games you’ll want to attack with two [card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] and that will require four Water Energy at least. [card name=”Drampa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] is a necessary tech for the mirror match as a strong hitter that can one-shot your opponent’s Keldeo-GX after you use your Altered Creation GX to boost your damage output.

Matching Up

  • [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]: Even to favorable (depending on their healing)
  • [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] Toolbox: Slightly unfavorable
  • [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card]: Unfavorable
  • [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] Toolbox: Slightly unfavorable

Against the aforementioned top tier decks that you want to be able to beat, Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX does not stack up very well. The only thing you have working for you is the mirror match, if you’re prepared with Mallow and Lana copies and they’re not. On the bright side, you’ll find that you’re very well positioned against the rest of the metagame, which is why this deck remains in the top tier. I don’t think I would play this deck myself, but it’s a good choice if you’re uncertain what to play or haven’t had much time to practice for a major event. I think you will struggle against stronger players that have prepared and are playing a deck that can beat yours, but your matchup percentages aren’t widely bad. You can win given the right hands or sequence of events. For example, I played my Welder Toolbox deck against an Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX at my League Cup in the first round. It went poorly, I couldn’t find a way to get my Jirachi out of the Active spot for three turns and lost because of it—obviously this is a little dramatized, but a break like this can push yourself into the favorable driver’s seat in the matchup.

Overall

  • Avoid if you’re practiced with something else
  • Play if you’re in doubt
  • Realize that the deck has a target on it and will be countered, but it is quality control for most of the metagame, especially for lower tier decks

Welder Toolbox

Robin Schulz’s list is about optimal if I do say so myself. I logged a fair number of games this weekend with the deck and it felt smooth. The addition of [card name=”Mega Lopunny and Jigglypuff-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] is nice and solves a few issues the deck previously had. Now you can use a neutral attacker with decent HP that only takes three Energy, you only need to use one [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] and attach one Energy to attack. Previously, [card name=”Heatran-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] was the only attacker that could fit that bill, other than [card name=”Turtonator” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] or maybe [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] depending on the list. Mega Lopunny and Jigglypuff-GX helps you out a lot against [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card], previously a nail biter matchup. I would copy and paste Schulz’s winning list moving forward with the exception of a card or two.

[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″][pokemon amt=”18″]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Team Up” no=”16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Vulpix” set=”Team Up” no=”15″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”82″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Victini Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”7″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Turtonator” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mega Lopunny and Jigglypuff-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Heatran-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”24″]4x [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Cherish Ball” set=”Unified Minds” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fiery Flint” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Heat Factory Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”18″]18x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”18″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Everything here has a place and this deck isn’t something you want to fiddle around with. It’s a proven build that doesn’t need a makeover. The only thing I’ve considered lately are “flex spots” in the deck—[card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Fiery Flint” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], but I like all three as is. [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] would be okay in this deck, but since you dump your hand so often I would want two to guarantee I get to use one in a game. An argument could be made to try Mewtwo and Mew-GX as well, allowing you to reuse some of your attackers. With it, you could run a new one like [card name=”Charizard-GX” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Magcargo-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card]. However, this takes up a lot of space and I wouldn’t vouch for it personally.

Matching Up

  • [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]: Slightly favorable
  • Welder Toolbox: Even
  • [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card]: Unfavorable
  • [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] Toolbox: Even to slightly favorable

The matchup with Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX depends a lot on your start—in almost every matchup, you’ll play Heatran-GX into your non-Pokemon-GX, followed by a Tag Team Pokemon-GX. This doesn’t play out exactly right, but you should be trying to achieve this gameplan if you can. [card name=”Victini Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] will be your game-ender in nearly every matchup for massive damage.

The mirror match is a race to six Prizes, you can set up [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Team Up” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] to better position yourself to snag [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and get ahead on Prizes. I would avoid putting your [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] down in this matchup because it could give your opponent the advantage.

The baby Blacephalon matchup is a wash, but it’s possible to win by pressuring a Pidgeotto Knock Out early and then trade Prizes in the most favorable way possible. Non-Pokemon-GX attackers are key, try to make it as difficult for your opponent to stream Blacephalon as much possible. A Reset Stamp would be useful to disrupt your opponent from leisurely building a hand with Pidgeotto.

Finally, Mewtwo and Mew-GX Toolbox plays similarily to a mirror match, where you need two Tag Team Pokemon-GX Knock Outs to win. Avoid putting Reshiram and Charizard-GX down if you can. If you want a nuke one-hit Knock Out you can use Heatran-GX’s Hot Burn GX for 300 damage while only conceding two Prizes if they Knock Out Heatran-GX after. Mega Lopunny and Jigglypuff-GX is great as you can take control of the game by delivering a one-hit Knock Out on a Mewtwo and Mew-GX when your opponent has four Pokemon-GX on the field. Between these options, Turtonator for more one-shot power or your Victini Prism Star to finish up, you can take out two Mewtwo and Mew-GX for your six Prizes.

Overall

  • Can be hard to manage your Bench, you will need to practice it a bit to play it optimally; sequencing your effects like [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]’s Stellar Wish can be challenging, think about what you want for the situation, if you need a Trainer card, you might want to Giant Hearth first to make that more likely
  • If you don’t find Welder you lose, that can be frustrating and that’s one reason to avoid this deck
  • The “best” deck after winning the last major event and continuing to perform elsewhere

Blacephalon / Pidgeotto

This might be the most hyped deck going into Florida Regionals. It’s another local favorite and it has some fan appeal, making it a likely choice for many players. This is another deck I want to be able to beat and you should too. It’s like quality control for Tag Team Pokemon-GX. This deck goes hard fast and not much can compete with it other than decks that can wipe its board such as [card name=”Espeon and Deoxys-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card].

[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″][pokemon amt=”18″]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Pidgey” set=”Team Up” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Pidgey” set=”Team Up” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Victini Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”7″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”28″]4x [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Professor Elm’s Lecture” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”188″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Fiery Flint” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Ultra Space” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Heat Factory Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”14″]14x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”14″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This list keeps it quick and consistent. [card name=”Victini Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] is one of my least favorite parts about this deck, but I think it’s needed for the Fire Energy recovery in games where you might go a little too hard with discarding them. [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] is one of the best parts of the deck, giving it a buffer in a format where most decks don’t play [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card]. With Lillie’s Poke Doll, you have the time to set up your [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] lineup and prepare to take a Knock Out with [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card]’s Fireball Circus. [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card] helps to pick your six Prizes efficiently. You could consider adding [card name=”Lana’s Fishing Rod” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”195″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] to expand your options with this deck, with Lana’s Fishing Rod giving you an additional Blacephalon. You usually win before that becomes a desire, but it would help against non-Pokemon-GX decks like [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] that you’re normally unfavored against.

Matching Up

  • [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]: Favorable
  • [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] Toolbox: Favorable
  • Blacephalon / Pidgeotto: Even
  • [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] Toolbox: Unfavorable to Even

These matchups are attractive, it’s mainly because so much of the metagame has become Tag Team Pokemon-GX focused and the non-Pokemon-GX decks have fallen off, other than Blacephalon / Pidgeotto. You’ve got to watch out for Malamar, a deck that can trade head to head non-Pokemon-GX with you, but that’s about it. Mewtwo and Mew-GX can get sketchy if your opponent manages to use Welder on turn 1 for two Fire Energy and an Energy attachment, then does so once more on turn 2. If they do that, they can use Espeon and Deoxy’s Cross Division GX on turn 2 and wipe your [card name=”Pidgey” set=”Team Up” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] and Pidgeotto from the board. That will lose you the game but that’s a lot for them to do. If you’re keeping Energy off their board by taking Knock Outs, the Cross Division GX play won’t be a threat because it takes two turns to set up whichever way you do it.

Overall

  • Most powerful deck in the game with a nearly unlimited damage cap
  • Pidgeotto engine is extremely consistent
  • Relies heavily on the first turn [card name=”Professor Elm’s Lecture” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”188″ c=”name”][/card] and missing it will doom you to a loss much of the time, that’s the risk you take but it’s easy to play

Mewtwo and Mew-GX Toolbox

Tried and true, Perfection keeps adding new options and techs to counter the metagame. I talked briefly about my list for the deck in my past article but today I wanna drop a list for a straight Fire-type version I’ve been working on. The losses you take are to [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], and you give up a chance against [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”custom”]Doll[/card] Stall and [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] Control too. These are some rough losses to take but the raw consistency of focusing on your powerful Fire-type attackers could be worth it if you hit the right matchups.

[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″][pokemon amt=”20″]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”81″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Turtonator” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mega Lopunny and Jigglypuff-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Magcargo-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”44″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Heatran-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Charizard-GX” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”9″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Charizard and Braixen-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”22″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”28″]4x [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Cherish Ball” set=”Unified Minds” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fiery Flint” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Heat Factory Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]12x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”12″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This list is odd, but it’s made to get out the broken Fire type attackers like [card name=”Charizard-GX” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Magcargo-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] quickly. Those two Pokemon might be the best part of normal [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] lists and this build aims to get the most value out of them as possible. You’re going to be switching over to [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] to have a way to build up attackers behind it, plus it’s another way to seek out [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] while serving as a little wall in the process. There’s a slew of other relevant attackers in here as well that go a lot better with the Fire type focus. This deck plays similarly to a Welder Toolbox, but you’ll have that explosive edge right away instead of waiting for the late game [card name=”Victini Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM104″ c=”name”][/card] is nice for Turbo Strike to attach Energy cards from the discard onto the next Mewtwo and Mew-GX on the Bench. It’s something to try, but perhaps a version closer to the Welder Toolbox deck itself would be better as [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Team Up” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] is a good card and helps in many of the aforementioned matchups that this list now loses to.

Matching Up (Normal Psychic Type Attackers Mewtwo and Mew-GX List)

  • [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]: Favorable
  • Welder Toolbox: Slightly Unfavorable to even
  • Blacephalon / Pidgeotto: Even to favorable
  • Mewtwo and Mew-GX Toolbox: Even

Normal Mewtwo and Mew-GX lists can be built to counter any deck, which is part of why they’re so strong. I believe that Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX is a fine matchup with the inclusion of both [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] for Double Blaze GX and [card name=”Turtonator” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] to Explosive Jet and one-shot a [card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card], the biggest problem for the deck in the past with limited counters.

Overall

  • Deck is changeable to your liking to prepare for a variety of decks that you might have issues against
  • [card name=”Espeon and Deoxys-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card] can beat Blacephalon / Pidgeotto, something most Tag Team Pokemon-GX decks can’t say
  • More complicated than other decks so don’t play it with limited experience

Conclusion

This weekend is going to be interesting, almost every deck has merit right now and it’s going to be difficult figuring out which is the best. I’m going to be playing a lot of games from now until the event to make sure I’ve got a good idea of what to play. Right now I like the [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] Toolbox deck. It’s fast and consistent, pairing well with most decks. However, it’s [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] matchup is scary though. Hit me up in the Subscribers’ Hideout if you’ve got any questions, thanks for reading, and take care!

Peace,

–Caleb

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