Rosa-Colored Glasses — The New Way to Play ADP

[cardimg name=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”130″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Hello, readers!

For those of you playing in the North American circuit, the Daytona Beach regionals just finished and you may be preparing for San Diego next weekend. As always when two tournaments follow each other, the metagame of the first will inform the second one. So the question is: what do we take away from Daytona?

Let’s start with the big surprise: [card name=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] winning the event. Multiple top players have claimed that the deck was bad and that it was very surprising that it won the event (not always in such moderate terms). Even I, a fan a Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX, had to admit I wouldn’t have recommended the deck to anyone going into the event. However, it turned out to be a good deck–in Day 2.
Here’s my explanation: [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] was very expected for Daytona. It was played in decent numbers, although lower than what I and many others expected. Instead, many people tried to beat Baby Blacephalon, hence [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] being played more than any other deck, Pidgeotto Control numbers dropping in favor of [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] Stall, and the return of [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], probably Baby Blacephalon’s worst matchup. It worked: only four Baby Blacephalon players made Day 2, and three of them dropped to the bottom of the standings in the end. (The fourth made top 32, but barely.)
Incidentally, all these shifts to the metagame made the [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card] variant of Baby Blacephalon a much better choice than the Pidgeotto variant!
With few Baby Blacephalon and lots of Mewtwo and Mew-GX and Malamar, plus many [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] lists dropping their Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX counter (generally [card name=”Lucario and Melmetal-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card]), Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX was in a great spot–it only needed to dodge Baby Blacephalon and Ability [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], two decks that were big in Day 1, but scarce in Day 2. That’s why, although only two players made Day 2 with Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX, they both made Top 8 with it, and one of them, Drew Cate, managed to take the win.

I don’t expect Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX to have too big a presence in San Diego. The deck won, but many influential people wrote it off as a fluke. As I explained, I think there are reasons why the deck did well, but that doesn’t matter; what matters is that this is the general perception of the deck. Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX enthusiasts who might have lost confidence in the deck could pick it up again, but I don’t expect many people to suddenly shift to the deck. It’s also easy to counter the winning list if you know what you’re doing. Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX can add Lucario and Melmetal-GX, or even Mewtwo and Mew-GX to use Altered Creation GX with a Pokémon without a Fairy-type weakness. Doll Stall can include [card name=”Mimikyu-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] to get rid of [card name=”Omastar” set=”Team Up” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]. Even though it shuffles it into the deck, Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX only plays one [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] so it can’t set it up again. And against lists that only play Tag Team Pokemon-GX, such as Dean Nezam’s Top 8 list, a [card name=”Latios-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] spamming Tag Purge wins. Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX can protect itself with Fairy Charms, but then the game will be won by whoever doesn’t deck out first. A Malamar deck with Latios-GX and several [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] would easily win that contest.

Instead, there are two decks I think will rise in popularity. First, Malamar’s first Top 8 in a long time could inspire players who had written off the archetype. I definitely noticed there were a lot more of them than usual on TCGO this week, although that’s anecdotal. Daniel Altavilla and Michael Pramawat having success with Malamar / [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] is also noteworthy. To be honest, I don’t think Malamar will do as well in San Diego now that the conditions necessary to its success aren’t met anymore, but I think it will see a lot of play.
Second, Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX did very well thanks to the innovation of [card name=”Rosa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”204″ c=”name”][/card]. I think that this is the deck that got the most positive attention this weekend and will undoubtably have many copycats. As an aside, I know it may seem unfair that Rosa / Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX is lauded while Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX is scorned, even though the latter won. I’m not trying to take a side one way or another, or to discuss whether the reception these decks get is right or not. I only report what it is–or what I think it is, at least, and what I believe that will mean for San Diego.

Today, I want to talk about that new variant of Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX, explain why it’s an improvement over the lists that were played at LAIC and what my personal list would be if I attended San Diego regionals. I’ll also discuss the deck’s weaknesses and how to exploit them!

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Rosa Explained

[cardimg name=”Rosa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”204″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

What makes Rosa so good? Rosa is usually played in non-Pokemon-GX decks since they have more turns to play it. Why would it be good in Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX, a deck that often loses three Prizes in one turn when its core Pokémon is KO’d?
In Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX, [card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] is the main attacker and often the win condition against Pokemon-GX decks. However, it’s weak to non-GX attackers, which is why cards that can one-shot it, like [card name=”Victini Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Turtonator” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] (the latter is increasingly played in Mewtwo and Mew-GX decks), are effective against it. Traditional lists use [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card] only, so they are powerless to stop such an attacker. This is why it’s necessary to include [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] in Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX. It also has other uses such as beating Doll Stall. Of course, even with four [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], it’s not easy to get double Custom Catcher in hand. That’s where Rosa comes in.
Another new card that feels absolutely fantastic in the deck is [card name=”Counter Gain” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card]. Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX is a slow deck: it doesn’t attack turn 1, uses a non-damaging move on turn 2 and only starts dealing damage (and accelerating Energy) on turn 3. Outside of Ultimate Ray, you’re only ever attaching one Energy per turn. You can play [card name=”N’s Resolve” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”200″ c=”name”][/card], but it’s time to face the truth: it’s not very good. Against some faster decks, that can be a problem.
Counter Gain can win you a turn at some point in the game. It can be on turn 2 after your Jirachi is KO’d or late in the game, but you always find a use for it. Once again, the fact that Rosa can search for it (with great timing, because it’s often the turn after one of your Pokémon is KO’d that you need Counter Gain) is a huge advantage.
An underrated thing is Rosa also being able to search for an Energy. Since Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX doesn’t have Energy acceleration, you need an Energy every turn. Rosa can guarantee one for the turn, which isn’t as flashy as searching for the missing Custom Catcher, but is often just as good.

I also want to talk about how good Rosa is with [card name=”Cryogonal” set=”Unified Minds” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card]. Here’s a classic situation: you’re against [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. You and your opponent both have two Prizes left. You haven’t been able to use your GX attack because they used Latios-GX’s Clear Vision GX–but as a result, there’s a Latios-GX on their Bench. Because of the way Clear Vision GX is supposed to work (it was slightly mistranslated from Japanese), it doesn’t affect Keldeo-GX, so you could use Resolute Blade GX to KO Latios-GX, but you only have one Custom Catcher in hand. You could use [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]’s Dedechange Ability, but that means getting rid of one Custom Catcher, with no guarantee of finding two others. You don’t want to attack into [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] with Keldeo-GX, that’s a bad trade. (Especially if the Giratina has a [card name=”Spell Tag” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”190″ c=”name”][/card]!) What do you do?
If you have Rosa in hand, then you’re fine. Use Cryogonal’s Frozen Lock. It means your opponent can’t use Great Catcher on your Keldeo-GX, and they can’t use [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] either. As soon as your opponent takes a KO (and they will have to), you can use Rosa, search for the missing Custom Catcher and win the game, and there’s nothing they can do to prevent it. Even if you don’t have Rosa in hand, using Cryogonal is often the best play. After all, you can always use Stellar Wish to look for Rosa when Cryogonal is KO’d. Similar situations can happen against many other decks, not only Malamar.

Finally, Rosa simply gives the deck a Supporter to play in the midgame. Early game, you’re trying to draw with [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] or Cynthia ([card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] if you don’t have anything better), and sometimes you need to draw specific cards with [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”name”][/card] or heal with [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”name”][/card], but otherwise, the deck sometimes lack something to do. Rosa is a strong Supporter to play.

Decklists

Let’s look at Xander Pero’s and Will Jenkins’ lists. Although Xander had the better final result, Will was the one leading in the standings during most of the tournament, so both lists are worth taking a look at.

[decklist name=”ADP Xander” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″][pokemon amt=”12″]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cryogonal” set=”Unified Minds” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Team Up” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Girafarig” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]4x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Rosa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”204″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Switch” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Cherish Ball” set=”Unified Minds” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Gain” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”170″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”13″]6x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]5x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”XY” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”5″][/card]2x [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

[decklist name=”ADP Will” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″][pokemon amt=”12″]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cryogonal” set=”Unified Minds” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Drampa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”159″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Girafarig” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Rosa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”204″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cyrus Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Switch” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cherish Ball” set=”Unified Minds” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Helmet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Gain” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”170″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]6x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]4x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”XY” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Unit Energy GFW” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Unit Energy LPM” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Both lists are very similar, so I’ll discuss the differences:

Draw Supporters

Xander chose to play [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] while Will opted for [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card]. In my opinion, Lillie is better because the deck is trying to add cards in hand, and shuffling them back with Cynthia can prevent you from getting the pair of [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] you’re looking for, or get rid of the [card name=”Rosa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”204″ c=”name”][/card] you’re keeping in hand. In addition, Lillie is better on turn 1, and after that you’ll be looking to play other Supporters anyway, until you’re getting hit with Reset Stamp, in which case both Lillie and Cynthia are about as good (Cynthia a little bit better maybe). That said, there are situations where Lillie is unplayable and in which you would actually want to change your hand, in which case Cynthia would be stronger.
I have a suspicion that the best way to use these four slots would be to do a 3-1 split (three Lillie and one Cynthia). You can use [card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] to get back the Cynthia later on, which is why having one could help. I haven’t tested this idea enough, but it makes sense on paper.

Rainbow Energy vs. Unit Energy plus Choice Helmet

[cardimg name=”Charizard-GX” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”9″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Will included [card name=”Unit Energy LPM” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Unit Energy GFW” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] as Special Energy to be searched with [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”name”][/card], as well as a [card name=”Choice Helmet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card]. I group them together because it makes more sense to play Choice Helmet with Unit Energy: if you run [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card], then [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] still gets OHKO’d by a [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] copying [card name=”Charizard-GX” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card]’s Flare Blitz GX. I don’t think Choice Helmet matters too much though, as the strategy in the Mewtwo and Mew-GX matchup usually involves not using Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX at all. My preference goes to Rainbow Energy for its flexibility: you need specifically a Metal Energy and a Water Energy in the first two turns, so having an Energy that counts as both really softens the requirements. It also stinks to use Guzma and Hala for the Unit Energy you need and discover it’s in your Prizes, something that doesn’t happen with Rainbow Energy (unless you Prize both, I guess).

Mimikyu vs. Drampa

Rainbow Energy also means you can use other attackers, such as [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Team Up” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] in Xander’s list. Will uses [card name=”Drampa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] instead, which I think is better. The need for Rainbow Energy makes Mimikyu not as reliable whereas Drampa is much more usable. Its 140 damage (170 after Altered Creation GX) is solid, it OHKOs [card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] in the mirror match, and is usable against basically everything. As cool as Mimikyu is, I would rather have Drampa in most situations.

Consistency vs. Techs

Xander has a [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], a third [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] and a 13th Energy instead of the second [card name=”Cryogonal” set=”Unified Minds” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Cyrus Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] and Choice Helmet in Will’s list. I like the second Cryogonal (something that was suggested to me in the first place by João Pedro Medeiros, the best deckbuilder in the world, and which got second place at LAIC in the Senior division), but overall, I think Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX needs the consistency more. Dedenne-GX isn’t used that much because sometimes you can’t afford to discard some cards, and it’s better to wait and use Jirachi’s Stellar Wish until you get what you need, but it’s still a card I want in my list.

There is one card that isn’t in any of the lists but which I think is really needed: [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card].
What do Mewtwo and Mew-GX, [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], Ability [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX, and Doll Stall have in common? Two things. First, all six are in the top seven most played decks in Daytona Beach (the last deck being [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Naganadel” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card]). Second, they all use Jirachi and [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], a combination that has issues with Absol. (Not all Mewtwo and Mew-GX lists play Jirachi, but almost all do.) At least half of the decks in Daytona Beach used Jirachi. And in Day 2, 42 out of 48 (87.5%!) played it. That’s a huge proportion of decks against which Absol will be useful. That’s why I would really recommend playing Absol if you can. Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX is not the only deck that can use it, but there are two reasons to play it in that deck specifically. Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX is a slow deck, so cards that slow down your opponent and make them closer to your speed are useful, especially when you’re trying to survive a quick start from a Mewtwo and Mew-GX or Ability Reshiram and Charizard-GX deck. Second, Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX has an easy way to search for Absol: yes, I’m talking about Rosa again! Of course, that’s more for the mid-game and late-game, but Absol also shines in this kind of situation. Having Absol in play when you play a Reset Stamp to two or three cards makes it much harder for opponents to recover even if they have Jirachi and Escape Board in play.

So here is where I’m at. If I had to submit a list for an event right now, this is what I would be playing:

[decklist name=”ADP Stéphane” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″][pokemon amt=”13″]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Drampa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”159″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cryogonal” set=”Unified Minds” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Girafarig” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]4x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Rosa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”204″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Switch” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Cherish Ball” set=”Unified Minds” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/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]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Gain” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”170″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”13″]6x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]5x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”5″][/card]2x [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

As I’ve mentioned, I think three [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] and one [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] might be better than four Lillie, and that’s something I want to try more. I could also see playing four Lillie and one Cynthia, although it’s not easy to find something to cut: it would probably have to be either Dedenne-GX or [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s not easy to find space in that deck!
I chose not to run a [card name=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] counter because I would expect it to be countered by the rest of the meta, so I don’t want to use a spot in my list for it.

Tips

I won’t talk about every matchup in this section because many of them didn’t change since previous versions of the deck. [card name=”Rosa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”204″ c=”name”][/card] by itself doesn’t change much about how matchups go, although having [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck does affect the strategy. What did change was how decks reacted to [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card], so let’s talk about some of these changes.

Mewtwo and Mew-GX

I recommend watching the Top 8 match between Xander Pero and Gustavo Wada to understand how to play the matchup. Basically, if you’re the Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX player, don’t use Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX at all (unless your opponent is drawing so dead that it doesn’t matter what you do, or if you happen to start with it). Even with a mediocre start, a [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] player can get a turn 2 Flare Blitz GX and turn the game around with a good topdeck. Yes, even if you have Absol in play (although Absol does help).
Instead, the plan is to use [card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] to attack, because Mewtwo and Mew-GX has few ways to deal with it. In a typical list, they can only damage it with Reshiram and Charizard-GX’s Double Blaze GX, Greninja-GX‘s Mist Slash, or [card name=”Turtonator” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] (and other non-GX Pokémon such as Jirachi or [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] can use their attacks). Because Greninja-GX requires Water Energy (or [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card]) while Turtonator is better in lists with more Fire Energy, the latter two are rarely run together, so if you see one, you shouldn’t expect the other.
Greninja-GX is the easiest to deal with: as soon as it’s discarded, use [card name=”Girafarig” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] to send it to the Lost Zone. If your opponent discards Reshiram and Charizard-GX, you should do the same, but they’ll most likely keep it until they have six Energy to take a KO. That’s OK: you run two Keldeo-GX, and they don’t have a GX attack anymore, so they’ll need another way to win.
Finally, Turtonator is the most dangerous, because it can be charged up in one turn thanks to [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card]. However, if it’s not able to attack the turn it’s benched, you should dig hard for Custom Catcher to bring it Active and KO it. The other good news is that, with six Fire Energy needed to use Double Blaze GX and three for Turtonator, assuming they have nine Fire Energy in the list, the Mewtwo and Mew-GX player can’t afford to Prize or discard even one if they want to use both attacks. If they do, they’ll have to charge up Turtonator with [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM104″ c=”name”][/card]’s Turbo Strike at some point, which means it has to stay on the Bench for at least one turn, which means it can be KO’d.
Keep track of how many Prizes you’re allowing your opponent to take: you’ll most likely play Girafarig, at least one Jirachi, perhaps an [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]. Make sure that they can’t win the game without Knocking out a Keldeo-GX (or, ideally, two), and put pressure as soon as possible so they can’t draw into what they need. You can use Sonic Edge on turn 2 with a [card name=”Counter Gain” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card] if your Jirachi got KO’d, and then you should start setting up the other Keldeo-GX, so that if your opponent manages to get a KO with Turtonator, you can get the revenge KO.
It’s possible that at some point in the game, your opponent stalls by sending up a sacrifice, just so they get time to charge up their Energy and possibly make their Reset Stamp plays stronger. This way, it’s safer for them to bench Turtonator. In that situation, you can use Girafarig to send targets yo the Lost Zone such as [card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Espeon and Deoxys-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card], making your Bench safe (this lets you bench more Jirachi, which is strong against Reset Stamp). You can also start using [card name=”Cryogonal” set=”Unified Minds” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] in some situations, although it’s situational and I can’t give you a guide on when it’s the right choice.

Malamar

[cardimg name=”Latios-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”78″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

I’ve seen a lot of people trying this deck again, and my assessment of the matchup hasn’t changed: Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX is heavily favored. What has changed is that almost all [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] lists play Latios-GX and will try to use Clear Vision GX. If you go first, it’s still likely you can use Altered Creation GX on turn 2. Absol helps here to make it harder for your opponent to retreat into Latios-GX on turn 1. If you get the Altered Creation GX off, you’ve basically won already.
Even if you don’t, you’re still favored. Charge up your Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX to use Ultimate Ray and start setting up your next attackers: [card name=”Drampa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] and Keldeo-GX. The plan is to use Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX to take at least two KOs, although it can take a third one if you can heal it with [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”name”][/card]. Drampa will KO one [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] at some point, and Keldeo-GX can take one or two KOs (depending on healing). What is tricky is that Sonic Edge doesn’t KO Giratina if it doesn’t damage itself with Shadow Impact. However, you can use Custom Catcher on their Malamar, and more importantly, you can bring up Latios-GX and use Resolute Blade GX on it. (I explained why in section one). That’s two free Prizes to take, but do so as soon as possible, because in the late game, your opponent might stop benching Pokémon, which means Resolute Blade GX wouldn’t be an OHKO.
Between the healing, the Resolute Blade GX play, and possibly Cryogonal (especially against a Malamar that took Shadow Impact damage), you should win the Prize race. It’s also worth mentioning that Absol can OHKO Giratina if needed. That’s generally not the case but could be useful if Drampa is Prized.

Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX

The best play in this matchup is to use Altered Creation GX without the extra effect, unless your opponent’s start is terrible. They will KO Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX easily with Kaleidostorm but thanks to the damage boost from Altered Creation GX, Sonic Edge is now a 2HKO. The fact that you don’t take an extra Prize doesn’t matter since you’ll have to KO two Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX to win anyway.
If possible, use Reset Stamp the turn after they take the KO (yeah, Rosa helps here too). The rest of the game is about trying to keep [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card] in play so they can’t play [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] and KO your Keldeo-GX.

Tips, but the Other Way

Maybe you’ve read this article because you wanted to understand the deck in order to beat it. In which case, these tips will probably be helpful to you! Here are some ideas of how to improve your matchup against Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX.

First, I mentioned Absol’s utility above, but it goes both ways: because [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] loves to switch into Jirachi to get cards in hand, it has trouble with Absol, so include it in your list if you can. Beware, as they can use [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] against Absol for two Prizes sometimes.

If you’re playing Mewtwo and Mew-GX, the most effective way to deal with Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX’s new gameplan is to include [card name=”Energy Recycle System” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]. This way, you can use Double Blaze GX, and then recover Energy to charge up Turtonator in one turn. It’s not foolproof, because sometimes you just have to discard unfortunate cards, but it puts you in control of the game again. As often with [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card], if you draw what you need, you beat anything. The trouble is when you don’t.

[card name=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] players should expect some (most?) Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX lists to include [card name=”Lucario and Melmetal-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] again. I’ve found that two [card name=”Weakness Guard Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”213″ c=”name”][/card] alongside a [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”name”][/card]) make you favored against a pure Lucario and Melmetal-GX game plan. The reason why you need two Weakness Guard Energy is that, if you only play one, Lucario and Melmetal-GX can use its GX attack to discard it. However, if you have two, then you can attach another one again. Or have one of each of your two Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX.
That doesn’t mean the matchup is easy, though. A smart Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX player will go for the [card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] and Chaotic Swell if they see you’re prepared for Lucario and Melmetal-GX, and in my experience, that’s tough to beat.

If you’re worried about Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX, the best deck you can run is probably Ability [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. It has a good matchup spread and can beat almost anything, as long as you draw into your multiple Welder, and against Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX specifically, you can both one-shot their Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX on turn 2 and deal with Keldeo-GX thanks to [card name=”Victini Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Turtonator” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] later on.

Conclusion

That’s all for today! As much as I’d want to, I’m not attending San Diego, but hopefully my training with [card name=”Rosa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”204″ c=”name”][/card] / Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX can benefit you anyway! If you’re playing this weekend, best of luck to you. If you’re not, enjoy your weekend anyway! Next week, we’ll probably be talking about Expanded, in (early) preparation for Dallas Regionals.

–Stéphane

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