Downloading Dallas — Review and Eye Towards Sword and Shield

By: Caleb Gedemer · Posted Posted onJan 23, 2020 at 9:17 PM · 0 Comments

Last weekend, my teammates and I ran Turbo Dark for Dallas. I played a whopping 229 games of Expanded outside of events themselves in preparation for this tournament and could not convince myself or anyone else to play anything other than the best deck itself. This is the most I’ve tested for an event in a while, I wanted to make Top 8 or better. Ultimately, I went 6/3/0 for Top 128, missing Day 2 altogether. I won the TCG Cup the next day, so the weekend wasn’t a complete wash. I’m motivated more than ever to keep grinding for events and I will continue to push out my unabridged thoughts in article form for PokeBeach readers. Without further ado, let’s inspect the results from Texas, starting with the Day 2 makeup:

Day 2 Dallas Regionals Metagame

[cardimg name=”Garchomp and Giratina-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”146″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

  • 11 [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] Toolbox
  • 9 Turbo Dark
  • 8 [card name=”Reshiram and Zekrom-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Ho-Oh-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 7 Shock Lock
  • 6 [card name=”Garchomp and Giratina-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Roxie” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”205″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 5 [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 5 [card name=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 4 Garchomp and Giratina-GX / Roxie / [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 3 Wall Stall
  • 3 [card name=”Ultra Necrozma” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 3 [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”custom”]Doll[/card] Stall
  • 2 Turbo Dark / [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 2 [card name=”Rowlet and Alolan Exeggutor-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”1″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 2 [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 1 Zoroark-GX Control
  • 1 Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 1 [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 1 Ultra Necrozma / [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 1 [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 1 [card name=”Trevenant and Dusknoir-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM217″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Milotic” set=”Flashfire” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 1 [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] Toolbox
  • 1 [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor
  • 1 Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / [card name=”Moltres and Zapdos and Articuno-GX” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 1 Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / [card name=”Medicham” set=”Primal Clash” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 1 Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card]

Sheesh, that’s 25 unique archetypes! Although a few are similar to each other, the point stands. This is the biggest Day 2 we’ve seen population-wise for a while with 84 starting players (reduced to 81 after three disqualifications) so lots of variety comes as no surprise. My main predictions were largely accurate: Lots of Mewtwo and Mew-GX Toolbox, Turbo Dark, and Ultra Necrozma (to a lesser degree of accuracy). I underestimated Shock Lock, perhaps to my own demise; I ran into one in the sixth round and without a counter to give me a chance, I was quickly rolled two to zero games. This Day 2 culminated into:

Dallas Regionals Top 8 Final Standings

1. Hunter Butler with Garchomp and Giratina-GX / Roxie / Tapu Koko Prism Star
2. Luis Duran with Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX / Aromatisse
3. Gibson Archer-Tang with Rowlet and Alolan Exeggutor-GX / Vileplume
4. Jon Eng with Zoroark-GX / Garbodor
5. Pablo Meza with Trevenant and Dusknoir-GX / Milotic
6. Alex Schemanske with Doll Stall / [card name=”Regirock” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY49″ c=”name”][/card]
7. Grant Hays with Rowlet and Alolan Exeggutor-GX / Vileplume / [card name=”Sceptile-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card]
8. Brandin Tucker with Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX / Aromatisse

General Takeaways

  • Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX was a tech in a variety of underrated decks and [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] wasn’t very common to disrupt it
  • Garchomp and Giratina-GX / Roxie / Tapu Koko Prism Star as a deck is a broken archetype and I am personally disappointed that I didn’t think of it; it was the best play for this event and absolutely rocked the competition
  • Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX was underrated for this event and proved itself once again with two spots in the Top 8
  • Mewtwo and Mew-GX was a top pick by many skilled players, adapting the Standard format archetype to Expanded by adding techs to counter the competition; [card name=”Incineroar-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] was an underused tech and better than the likes of [card name=”Lucario-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM100″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Reshiram and Zekrom-GX decks with Ho-Oh-EX were underrepresented but performed well, mostly preying on Pokemon-EX / Pokemon-GX based decks and folding to anything outside of those
  • Rowlet and Alolan Exeggutor-GX / Vileplume was underplayed and took two of the Top 8 spots, largely avoiding Turbo Dark decks in the process
  • Shock Lock warrants a dedicated tech in most decks moving forward, I see no reason for those playing it to stop when it’s so strong against most of the format naturally
  • The only viable control build are the Doll Stall variants that did well, most featuring Regirock as an attacker to counter Turbo Dark decks; [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] were used in many cases to one-shot a [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] that was using Night Spear to eliminate Lillie’s Poke Doll, or a [card name=”Guzzlord” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] tearing it up for multiple Prizes
  • Trevenant and Dusknoir-GX / Milotic is a real threat, it’s a legitimate way to reduce an opponent’s hand to zero cards
  • Turbo Dark will continue to be the centerpiece of the format and while it may not have made Top 8, it wasn’t far behind and all of the decks that made it almost had to get through multiple matches against the deck
  • We used [card name=”Guzzlord-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] in our Turbo Dark deck, which was very strong and won us many games as a group; the best way to play Turbo Dark for this event was with a thicker [card name=”Weavile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] line and tech attackers such as this:[premium]

The Final Turbo Dark List

[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Guzzlord-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”63″][pokemon amt=”15″]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ 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=”Sneasel” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Weavile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzzlord-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”63″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzzlord” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Greninja and Zoroark-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”107″ 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=”33″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ 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=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ 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]2x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]12x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”12″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

One Guzzlord-GX

[cardimg name=”Guzzlord-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”63″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The centerpiece of this new list is [card name=”Guzzlord-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card], many games are quickly decided in as few as two turns with careful Prize planning to get to six; often you will [card name=”Guzzlord” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] for two or three, then Glutton GX for the rest. Included was [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] to have the option to OHKO a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and taking four Prizes as well as for another Stadium bump so you can discard unneeded support Pokemon or damaged attackers from your Bench.

Two Weavile GX

The thicker [card name=”Weavile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] line was important to this deck’s success because it allowed continued use of techs like Guzzlord, Guzzlord-GX, and [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card]. Two different [card name=”Sneasel” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] were included, one with Beat Up against annoying cards like [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Shining Legends” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] and as a solid non Pokemon-GX and another [card name=”Sneasel” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] with Sneaky Smash for the extra 10 HP and second turn utility with the first attack.

One Greninja and Zoroark-GX

One [card name=”Greninja and Zoroark-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] is completely fine, only annoying when you Prize it in a matchup where an opponent has a Special Condition scapegoat to get around [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Darkrai-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]’s Dead End GX, or a way to stop you from taking six Prizes with the alternative Guzzlord into Guzzlord-GX strategy.

One Dowsing Machine

Perhaps [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] might be worse than [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], Grant Manley has sold his soul to Computer Search and his obsession has me confused. Both have merit but the fact that Computer Search can “let you play the game at all” might make it better, this is up for debate.

Supporter Cards

Through hundreds of games I’ve found that this Supporter lineup is absolutely optimal for Turbo Dark decks, anything else feels unnecessary and you want all six so that things go smoothly. With [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card] included you don’t need a second [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] any longer.

Four Max Elixir and 11 Darkness Energy

Using 11 Darkness Energy might be fine as well, perhaps playing a third [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] in one’s place, Manley went down to this count and didn’t have significant problems. While [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] is important to this deck, you want to be able to thin quickly and playing one less might have a similar effect to playing more. One Max Elixir can probably be cut with little problem, it would free a space needed for a Shock Lock tech.

Expanded Moving Forward with Sword and Shield Banter

The next Expanded event will take place in Collinsville, Illinois post-Sword and Shield set release. Some things will be changing in the metagame with the release of new cards. For one, the first turn rule change is going to severely damage the balance of the Expanded format, which is arguably already off kilter. The main problem is attacking on the second turn in Expanded is very doable. With the rule change, going second is going to be preferred for almost every deck. You’re going to be able to gas up with Supporter card use and be able to attack. Playing first, you’ll be stuck with Item cards and Item reliance will be more prominent than ever to make sure that you don’t get donked. Immediately, there are a few standout cards that will fill this void, cards that may want to play first.

Zacian V and Zamazenta V

Zacian V is one of these cards that stand out in both Standard and Expanded formats. Its Intrepid Sword Ability is able to fill the first turn void. However, you will have to find a way to get Zacian V out into play. 220 HP is a ton and it likely won’t be one-shot immediately, so it’s a card that’s not going to care a whole ton about going first; it will welcome it. As for it’s counterpart Zamazenta V, it’s a new wall Pokemon that’ll make a difference in Wall Stall decks.

Lapras V and Lapras VMAX

These cards are too strong not to play in some form, and in Expanded Lapras V and Lapras VMAX get [card name=”Aqua Patch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card]. Its massive HP and raw power make it an option for [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] decks or as a turbo-style deck of its own. I don’t think you would play Lapras VMAX in Blastoise to use Archie’s Ace in the Hole on it — but you could evolve it the old fashioned way. Plus, the Lapras V has a solid set of attacks in its own right.

Snorlax V and Snorlax VMAX

With [card name=”Triple Acceleration Energy” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”190″ c=”name”][/card] in Expanded, Snorlax VMAX can G-Max Fall for an absurd amount of damage with [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] in play. [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Flareon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] can supplement your Energy in Triple Acceleration Energy — this stands out to me as another instant contender — it’s a better [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] all in one.

Cinccino

As a control deck, Cinccino is overhyped — Zacian V alone is going to complicate things to the point where I don’t think a control deck can function. Now on the other hand, Cinccino is pretty strong and practical as a tech in almost every deck. Make Do is like Trade but can’t be stopped by [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card], nor does it award more than a single Prize upon a Knock Out. This is a simple tech card that can be thrown into virtually anything to gain some [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] defense and early game pop to draw more cards and thin out junk. One deck that will benefit greatly from the inclusion of Cinccino is [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], but there are many more options for it. [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] Toolbox come to mind! Cinccino as a control deck may have some merit in Expanded, using [card name=”Peeking Red Card” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Trick Shovel” set=”Flashfire” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] to establish a hand lock. This is potentially doable where [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] has failed, as Air Mail does not thin your deck and get rid of junk cards that you don’t want. But Zacian V will remain a problem.

Frosmoth

This card might be better than Archie’s Ace in the Hole in Expanded. Devoid of a Water type “Dance” Ability, Frosmoth‘s Ice Dance is going to be great in Standard. As a Stage-1 Pokemon with 90 HP, you could use [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] to find it. Alongside Lapras VMAX, you could use Aqua Patch to recover Energy or use [card name=”Superior Energy Retrieval” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] to get them back. This is a more consistent Blastoise with [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] variant and I peg it as an instant contender. It’s a deck that doesn’t mind going first as long as you can find a Snom to get on your Bench.

Galarian Zigzagoon

I’ve been waiting for a [card name=”Crobat G” set=”Platinum” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] reprint for a long time and with Galarian Zigzagoon we finally have it. This is an immediate buff to [card name=”Garchomp and Giratina-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] decks, allowing you to boost Calamitous Slash to new heights on demand. While it doesn’t have the added benefit of [card name=”Poké Turn” set=”Platinum” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] to reuse, I have a feeling the instant drop of 10 damage will make a big difference for other decks like Zoroark-GX that have been falling behind due to power creep and the increased HP of Pokemon-GX, and now Pokemon VMAX.

Polteageist

With [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] in Expanded, you can reduce Polteageist‘s attack cost. You can use [card name=”Surprise Box” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card] to further augment your damage output and [card name=”Peeking Red Card” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] to make sure there’s enough damage to be done before attacking. A powerful non Pokemon V Stage 1 such as this has the potential to be a pseudo-Night March contender.

Quick Ball

Another card useful when going first is Quick Ball. It’s another out to [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and improves a deck’s consistency by providing a way to search out other Basic Pokemon. This is going to help about any deck, especially decks in Standard that previously relied on using [card name=”Professor Elm’s Lecture” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”188″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card]. Quick Ball is great in place of [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] in Expanded, in almost every case it’s strictly better since it can get a support Pokemon that you must use from hand to reap the on-play benefit.

Other New Item Cards

This card is a better [card name=”Evosoda” set=”XY” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card] for all decks in Expanded and Evolution Incense is good in Standard for more Pokemon search too. Rotom Bike has value in either format as an Item draw card to end your turn when playing first. It has some fringe use outside of that later in the game. Metal Saucer goes hand in hand with Zacian V or Zamazenta V as an attacker, boosting the power level of either of these Pokemon and their respective decks — or honestly both in one deck would not be bad at all! Fine Band is a new damage mod for decks in Standard but it’s outclassed by both [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] in Expanded.

New Supporter Cards

While it does already exist in Expanded as both [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], Professor’s Research is a breath of new life into the consistency of Standard decks. The discard and draw seven Supporter has been a staple in the game’s past ten or so years and seeing it again is going to be a welcome sight. It’s going to let you “play the game” and avoid bricking more often. Bede could be good as a one-of in Expanded to accelerate Energy and [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] can have it on tap for when you want it. I could see this being good in a Turbo Dark as an Energy accelerator or maybe in a [card name=”Reshiram and Zekrom-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card] deck when you don’t want to play a [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] down to attack. Team Yell Grunt is a new control Supporter, working well with control decks in Standard. Putting an Energy in your opponent’s hand is never bad, there you can Reset Stamp it away and more. But it’s outclassed by both [card name=”Plumeria” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] in Expanded. Marnie is a better [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] moving forward. Drawing five cards for yourself isn’t bad as a draw Supporter to begin with, putting an opponent down to four is pretty disruptive as well. Marnie might find its way into a lot of new lists as a staple card similar to [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card].

Aurora Energy

The new Aurora Energy is incredibly powerful! It’s immediately a staple in [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] decks, speeding up the deck by thinning out a card you don’t want from your hand, discarding it and if it’s a Pokemon-EX / Pokemon-GX you can then use its moves with your main attacker!

New Expanded Tier List without Testing

Tier S

Tier A

  • [card name=”Garchomp and Giratina-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Roxie” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”205″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] Toolbox
  • [card name=”Reshiram and Zekrom-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Ho-Oh-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Wall Stall

Tier B

  • Frosmoth / Lapras VMAX
  • [card name=”Rowlet and Alolan Exeggutor-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”1″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Shock Lock
  • [card name=”Ultra Necrozma” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]

Tier C

  • Cinccino Control
  • [card name=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Trevenant and Dusknoir-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM217″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Milotic” set=”Flashfire” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card]

Tier D

Random Expanded Thoughts

Zacian V seems insane with both Metal Saucer and a broken Ability. You can play [card name=”Cobalion-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] to get around Shock Lock and [card name=”Darkrai-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]’s Dead End GX in Turbo Dark. If Fire Weakness becomes a problem, there’s both [card name=”Metal Frying Pan” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] to get around it. [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] on top of all of this should get Zacian V swinging for its full 230 damage (or more with modifiers) as early as your first turn. Healing cards could be played to shake off any damage. The Ability is a great option when playing first to still accomplish something, be it drawing cards, or possibly attaching some Energy.

Turbo Dark should remain strong and define the format, but maybe it needs to start playing [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] or something to get around Special Condition-removers? I like the Garchomp and Giratina-GX / Roxie / Tapu Koko Prism Star deck a whole lot and it should get better with Galarian Zigzagoon as an option! While Mewtwo and Mew-GX can’t use Pokemon V or Pokemon VMAX attacks, Aurora Energy is good in the deck for many reasons. Shock Lock needs to be countered now, we can’t have it keep doing well and in large numbers. Cinccino Control is intriguing to me and I am excited to test it. It’s going to be a happy medium between Zoroark-GX being stopped by [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] not being able to thin the deck and being weak to N. Polteageist figures to be strong in Expanded as a non Pokemon V attacker that can one-shot bigger Pokemon. You have [card name=”Blaine’s Quiz Show” set=”Unified Minds” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Rescue” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Surprise Box” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card] to increase your opponent’s hand size to make Poltergeist deal more damage. Perhaps I’m overestimating the practicality of this archetype, but there’s some potential there worth testing.

Conclusion

And with this, I will take my leave. Expanded is going to be on pause for over a month now and it’s time to get working on Standard with Sword and Shield. I’ll be in attendance at the Costa Rica Special Event, Oceania International Championships in Melbourne, and all North American events up until the Europe International Championships in Berlin. Hit me up in the Subscribers’ Hideout with any questions pertaining to this piece and until next time, take care!

Peace,

–Caleb

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