Stepping Back into an Expanded World — Starting with Turbo Dark

[cardimg name=”Greninja and Zoroark-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”107″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

While it might not look like much in the Standard format; in Expanded, [card name=”Greninja and Zoroark-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] shines with [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]. Similar to [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card], Greninja and Zoroark-GX has the Dark Pulse attack, this time dealing a 30 base damage with an additional 30 damage for each Darkness Energy in play. This gets super powerful very quickly and with all the Item based support as well as [card name=”Darkrai-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card], you’ll OHKO Tag Team Pokemon-GX in no time. This deck has the strength to take it all the way in Pokemon’s Expanded format, but does it have the consistency and overall edge? Let’s get going!

Starting Turbo Dark List

This deck hasn’t seen the light of day post-Cosmic Eclipse yet, but have no fear—nothing new was introduced. Turbo Dark has been the most played deck at both Expanded format tournaments in the United States this season so far and with bans imposed on most of the integral pieces to control decks, I see no reason for that popularity to subdue in any way. This deck hits hard and is easy to play; not to mention it’s super fun to flop a ton of Energy onto the board quickly. First we have the last top-placing list for the deck by Chris Stotts; this is from last format.

[premium]

[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Greninja and Zoroark-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”107″][pokemon amt=”13″]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Greninja and Zoroark-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Darkrai-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Sneasel” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Weavile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]2x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]12x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”12″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

This was a consistent, generic list and what I’ve got to share for my own today isn’t far from it; little spice to be had! This deck does what it wants well and there’s little reason to alter that significantly. Here’s why the cards are played:

Two Shaymin-EX, One Oranguru and One Dedenne-GX

The best way to draw cards and not lose resources for this deck is using [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s Set Up Ability helps you fly through your deck! The Instruct Ability from [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] is a nice defense against [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] in the late game, something this deck can struggle against—finding outs to [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] to finish games off is important. You get extra Darkness Energy into your discard pile with [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and is yet another useful support Pokemon.

One Darkrai-EX

[cardimg name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Still kicking after over seven years, [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] and its Dark Cloak Ability continue to be good. While its Night Spear attack isn’t what it once was, against some decks the damage to your opponent’s Pokemon on the Bench can be a problem and the 30 damage can set up some Knock Outs. More importantly, its Dark Cloak Ability gives no Retreat Cost for your Pokemon with Darkness Energy attached — its splendid and grants you some much-needed mobility in a deck that wants to avoid discarding Energy from play, as that would reduce your Dark Pulse numbers!

One Sneasel and One Weavile-GX

While these were originally added for control matchups, it turns out that [card name=”Weavile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] is amazing in this deck in general. It’s a great way to combo with Darkrai-EX’s Dark Cloak Ability—providing an instant switch effect for any Pokemon by moving a Darkness Energy to it. Plus, it gives you an out to random things like [card name=”Pyroar” set=”Flashfire” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] that can stop your Basic Pokemon from dealing damage. Plenty of options are opened up by playing Weavile-GX, I definitely recommend playing it.

One Mew

Memories of Dawn [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] gives you an alternate Psychic-type attacker that can be strong against the likes of [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card], as well as random Fighting-type decks that would normally give you lots of trouble with your own Weakness. A non Pokemon-GX attacker in general is welcome for a deck that’s typically going to use two Tag Team Pokemon-GX. Instead of conceding six Prizes directly to your opponent, with your non Pokemon-GX you can “force” an opponent to take an extra Prize by either attacking with Mew for your first punch or after your first [card name=”Greninja and Zoroark-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] goes down.

Two Guzma

Your opponent can use [card name=”Girafarig” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] to send your single copy of Guzma (if you only played one) to the Lost Zone, so two is a great addition. Two is defense against bad Prize cards as well and Guzma speeds up your game plan. Without it, you might be forced to take odd Prizes that don’t win you the game as quickly as you normally could.

Four Max Elixir and Four Dark Patch

Maxing out your ways to get Energy into play is one-hundred percent necessary. You want to be as consistent as possible and ideally attack on your first turn. Four [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and four [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is optimal to give you the best chances of doing that. If you do want to cut down on one of them, it would be Max Elixir—Dark Patch should be maxed in a deck that’s nearly guaranteed to get use out of each one.

Two Trainers’ Mail

There’s only two copies of [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] because there’s maxed hard copies of the cards we want to see off Trainers’ Mail already. Trainers’ Mail isn’t a filler card, but it’s close—it’s like playing more copies of the cards you want to find quickly though, finding the means to get a first turn attack is important and Trainers’ Mail increases your chances of doing that.

Two Fighting Fury Belt

This is the best Tool for this deck because a 290 HP Greninja and Zoroark-GX is super hard to OHKO and the extra damage puts you into nice tiers. With [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] and eight Darkness Energy in play, you can OHKO a 280 HP Tag Team Pokemon-GX such as [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]. The extra HP is most important though, that’s going to be a rough number for any deck to reach realistically.

Two Battle Compressor

Thinning your deck with [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] is super nice and activating your [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] quickly bolsters your consistency. In this deck, getting Darkness Energy into the discard pile benefits both [card name=”Darkrai-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] and Dark Patch itself. The strange thing is that by taking Darkness Energy out of the deck you reduce your Max Elixir odds. Creating a balance between the two effects is important, think about putting two Darkness Energy tops to start in the discard pile and going from there. You might want to hold off on Darkness Energy in the discard pile altogether unless you’re pushing for a big OHKO to help you win the game.

One Field Blower

Getting rid of an opposing Fighting Fury Belt with [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] can get you a clutch OHKO, and against [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] with Garbotoxin you now have an out to get your Abilities back, turning your support Pokemon back online. You can recover this with the Ace Spec Trainer card of choice, too.

One Dowsing Machine

More Dark Patch or Max Elixir? Yes please! Scratch that, any Trainer! [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] is the most easily adaptable Ace Spec Trainer card and makes the most sense in a deck that very consistently sets up. You would use [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] for decks that win if they set up, or something that’s inherently more inconsistent. Turbo Dark, though, is one of the most consistent decks in Expanded with its knack to thin the deck fast and start snowballing once you actually take Knock Outs.

Twelve Darkness Energy

This is the magic number for both one-hit Knock Outs and hitting Max Elixir. There’s no need to play more or less, this is a proven number in plenty of lists and I wouldn’t touch it—spend time elsewhere.

Options

Most everything about this deck pre-Cosmic Eclipse has been solidified. There are a few outliers which I’ll cover, but most of these options will be newer cards to the Expanded format.

Guzzlord

[cardimg name=”Guzzlord” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”136″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Red Banquet is very good for picking and choosing your Knock Outs. If you time a [card name=”Weavile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] right, you can move a bunch of Energy to this [card name=”Guzzlord” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] and take extra Prizes. The problem normally would be committing so much Energy to something with low HP, but Weavile-GX’s Shadow Connection Ability fixes that.

Mega Lopunny and Jigglypuff-GX

In theory, [card name=”Mega Lopunny and Jigglypuff-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] is the most cost-effective way to OHKO something in the mirror match or against Mewtwo and Mew-GX. I can’t see it being extremely good anywhere else and the triple Darkness Energy cost makes it a bad investment in my opinion. If you want some help in either of the aforementioned matchups, this might be your guy.

Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX

Weavile-GX in combination with [card name=”Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card]’s Gigafall GX is incredibly broken, especially when you move all the Energy over at the right time. The effect to discard 15 cards from the top of your opponent’s deck will win you games and I think playing it is worth it; it’s great to have additional win conditions in your game plan. Not to mention, Greedy Crush can solo a [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] deck or something else with 210 HP. Finally, 280 HP is massive and this is a solid option to deal chip damage if nothing more to survive a turn.

Bellelba and Brycen-Man

In combination with Gigafall GX, [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] can threaten to deck out your opponent. But more importantly, you can clear off Bench sitters that you don’t want your opponent to have. With VS Seeker you can potentially do this multiple times a game and get rid of your opponent’s support Pokemon that could lose you the game. With Weavile-GX, you can conserve your Energy cards in play when you discard your Pokemon on the Bench. I love this card in the deck.

Great Catcher

Don’t want to use Guzma for the turn? Do you need more cards for a big Knock Out? Try [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card], which you can potentially use multiple times with Dowsing Machine. Having a non-Supporter way to pull your opponent’s Pokemon from the Bench to the Active and to still be able to disrupt an opponent with an N is powerful. Great Catcher opens up new ways to win and I would like to add as many as possible.

Current Dark Box List

[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Greninja and Zoroark-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”107″][pokemon amt=”13″]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Greninja and Zoroark-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Darkrai-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Sneasel” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Weavile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”126″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]2x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]12x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”12″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

I’m hyped on this list, it’s got a lot of great options. I’ve tried the [card name=”Sneasel” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] from Cosmic Eclipse, which arguably has the best attack of all the Sneasel available, but the Darkness typing of the [card name=”Sneasel” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”73″ c=”from”][/card]—it still has 70 HP —is better, you don’t want to miss a Dark Patch.

Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX is broken; I think every list wants to be playing it. I haven’t needed [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] and building a better board with more options essentially does the same thing because you’re protecting yourself from [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] by having other ways to win. Thinning your deck is protection enough already! Bellelba and Brycen-Man is great for many reasons in this deck and it complements the Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX well. One [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] to make room for that inclusion is fine as your GX attack of choice will sometimes be Gigafall GX, not Darkrai GX’s Dead End GX; you now have more options to help you win.

Matchups

Archie’s Blastoise: Even

[cardimg name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

In this matchup it’s going to depend on what’s thrown at you. Say you’re starting up against a [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card], it’s got 270 HP so you’ll need eight Darkness Energy in play to get the one-hit Knock Out. That’s a lot of work and can be difficult to do right away, but [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] can make that easier. The biggest thing to watch out for is a [card name=”Mega Lopunny and Jigglypuff-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] tech, which will probably make its way into lists. If you have four Pokemon-EX and/or Pokemon-GX in play, your opponent will OHKO your [card name=”Greninja and Zoroark-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s best to lead with Mew, then go into a Tag Team Pokemon-GX of your own. If you score the first three-Prize Knock Out you’ll be in the driver’s seat. Setting up [card name=”Weavile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] in this matchup for a potential [card name=”Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] play is very nice and I would go for it. Between discarding 15 cards and [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card], you should be able to get the deck out win.

However, games develop quickly between these two speedy decks, so it’s more often than not going to be a quick Prize exchange. If you get that Tag Team Pokemon-GX Knock Out, you can take two more to win, getting the first Knock Out will indicate if you’re favored or not. You can fall back on [card name=”Darkrai-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] for a turn to Dead End GX if the Dark Pulse damage isn’t there. If your opponent ever misses the first turn [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] you’ll likely to be slighty favored.

One Prize Decks: Varies

It depends what you’re up against, but there’s a method to giving yourself the best chance to win. Say you’re up against a [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] deck. Buzzwole is going to be strong against you, so you’re going to need to lead with Mew. Sure, you’re “even” in the Prize trade following that, but it’s extremely rough from there. Using Darkrai-GX is your best bet, you can use Mew and three Darkrai-GX to try to stay close to even in the Prize trade. If your opponent drops [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], try to go for a [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] Knock Out as N will be your out in the late game. If they miss an Energy, you can win.

Other non-GX decks like Night March are somewhat closer because you can prey on their own two Prize Pokemon like [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]; there will be plenty of them unless they have a flawless opening which doesn’t require their use. [card name=”Ultra Necrozma” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] can take many forms and in that matchup they can’t OHKO a Greninja and Zoroark-GX so you can do something sweet—use your [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] as often as you can and then retreat to an undamaged attacker to attack again. In order to return the attack, your opponent will need [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] down; when this happens you can discard the damaged attacker and start anew! Overall, one Prize decks are not Turbo Dark’s forte, that’s for sure. If one Prize decks rise in popularity I would consider playing [card name=”Guzzlord” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card]. That guy will single handedly swing one Prize matchups!

Rowlet and Alolan Exeggutor / Vileplume: Even to Slightly Favorable

Remember, your opponent’s deck is slow. You’ll have at least one turn of Item use, regardless whether you go first or second. If your opponent manages to use [card name=”Rowlet and Alolan Exeggutor-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”1″ c=”name”][/card]’s Super Growth, it will ruin you once [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] and its Item lock Ability is online. Until then, you need to pop off as hard as you can. Use your [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] preemptively to get Supporter cards back and prepare for the lock. You need Weavile-GX in this matchup so prioritize [card name=”Sneasel” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card], you’ll need an out to Burning Shadows‘ [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”6″ c=”name”][/card] with the Disgusting Pollen Ability. Put on the pressure as much as you can and hope you can coast the rest of the way.

Turbo Dark: Even to Slightly Favorable with Marshadow-GX

The mirror match is favorable if your opponent doesn’t have [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] and you do, but some other things can come into play. Mew can be problematic if you don’t have a Guzma. Ideally two Tag Team Pokemon-GX Knock Outs will be the game plan. Using [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card] is nice in this match because it gives you another possible way to find a multiple-Prize Knock Out on a turn your opponent might not be able to after you use an N. Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX’s Gigafall GX can come into play in this matchup if your opponent gets a little too low on Prizes. Starting with a Greninja and Zoroark-GX, followed by a Marshadow-GX, then another Greninja and Zoroark-GX along with N puts your opponent down to one card in hand, where you can hopefully coast the last Prize and win.

Zoroark-GX / Garbodor: Slightly Favorable

Marshadow-GX gives you an advantage here as does the speedy nature of your deck. You can reliably hit big numbers right away and if you can get Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX going for Greedy Crush, [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] gets destroyed and you get three Prizes. With Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX itself you can win the game! Garbodor’s Garbotoxin and N can hurt, but thin your deck accordingly and make sure to save your [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] for the right time and you should be fine.

Playing the Deck in General

Be careful with all of your sequencing, you want to get the most out of every play. Sometimes you might want to use [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] before a [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] if you are planning to use the Battle Compressor to discard Darkness Energy for [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. You can use [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] before Max Elixir to bolster the odds of getting an Energy or vice versa if you want to hit a Trainer card not named Trainers’ Mail. The better you sequence, the better results you’ll see. Map those Prizes out, attack as few times as possible to win the game and make sure every attack counts! Look for alternate win conditions because this deck has a few. Know the power of N and plan your game where you optimize the chances of hitting your opponent with an N to leave your opponent with one card in hand.

Conclusion

This is the go-to deck for any Expanded format beginner, check it out if you need something quick and easy. It’s become slightly better with the release of Cosmic Eclipse and didn’t lose any cards to the ban list (other than Let Loose [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card]; not the biggest hit anyway). It should continue to do well and be widely played so either play to beat it or have the deck sleeved yourself with a tech for the mirror. As always, hit me up in the Subscribers’ Hideout if there’s anything you want to talk about and take care!

Peace,

–Caleb

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