Full Blitz, Present and Future — Pikachu and Zekrom-GX and the Sword & Shield Format

By: Stephane Ivanoff · Posted Jan 26, 2020 at 9:54 PM · 0 Comments

[cardimg name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Hello! I want to talk to you about [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]. Let’s start with the obvious disclaimers: I’m hardly the first person to write about this card or this deck and I’m not the most accomplished Pikachu and Zekrom-GX player in the world. I’ve played the deck and did OK with it, but I don’t have any strong bond to it. But that is not the goal of this article.

While this article includes specific Pikachu and Zekrom-GX lists and commentary on them, my focus is to use Pikachu and Zekrom-GX as a starting point to talk about the post-Sword & Shield format.

Post-Sword and Shield

The Sword & Shield set is set to change the metagame as strongly as the yearly rotation. This is due to three factors.

As the first set of the eighth generation, Sword & Shield must set a standard and introduce cards that will define what the whole block is about. Black & White had [card name=”Zekrom” set=”Black and White” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Reshiram” set=”Black and White” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] which set the tone for the high HP Basic Pokemon metagame that carries on to this day. XY had a lot of support for the newly introduced Fairy type and the powerful [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] to make the format more aggressive. Since Sun & Moon‘s box legendaries were Stage-2 Pokemon, the titular set included more support for Evolution Pokemon such as [card name=”Timer Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] and the notable absence of a “discard your hand, draw seven cards” Supporter (now known as Professor’s Research). Some of its new cards, like [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], were played throughout the cards’ Standard legality duration (ongoing, in Lillie’s case). To come back to Sword & Shield, I have no doubt that Quick Ball and Professor’s Research will be some of the most important cards in the format upon their release and until they rotate out, as will Evolution Incense if Evolution Pokemon manage to be a part of the metagame. On the other hand, it’s interesting that Vital Band and Air Balloon are less powerful versions of Muscle Band and [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. This limits the power creep and I would assume that reducing damage boosts at the same time that Pokemon’s HP get higher than ever will lead to a less OHKO-based format. Time will tell if I’m right!

Second, Sword & Shield introduces new mechanics. Calling Pokemon V and VMAX a mechanic is a bit strong in my opinion, since they don’t do anything new (unlike GX attacks which are a very interesting part of the game). However, the mix between Pokemon V and Pokemon-GX has strong implications for the format. For example:

[card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] will eventually get weaker because it doesn’t get more support
[card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] gets very weak because there are many new powerful Pokemon V attackers that ignore its Ability
Other cards like [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Cherish Ball” set=”Unified Minds” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card] become less relevant

These consequences have their own repercussions on the metagame. For example, decks that had issues with Keldeo-GX get better since Keldeo-GX will see less play. It quickly becomes difficult to predict all these repercussions.

Finally, there’s the new rule: The player going first cannot play a Supporter card on their first turn. This unique change is sometimes better (depending on the deck and the matchup) to go second, and going first can actually be very dangerous. This will have immediate effects on Supporter cards and decks will be played. I’ll talk about this rule in detail in a further section.

As you can see, there’s going to be a lot of changes, and one article is far from enough to understand the metagame that will come about. Soon enough, all of our talented writers will be writing about post-Sword & Shield with their own perspective on it. As for me, I’ve chosen to use [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] as a way to explore this new metagame.

Why Pikachu and Zekrom-GX? Because it’s a very strong deck that can be built in several ways. Since it was released, Pikachu and Zekrom-GX and its Lightning friends have adapted to every format and found success:

With or without [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]
With [card name=”Jolteon-GX ” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM173″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] and other techs
Played in a streamlined way with multiple [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]
Disrupting the opponent’s hand on turn 1 with [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Judge” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card], or later in the game with multiple [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card]

In a way, understanding a format is equivalent to understanding how Pikachu and Zekrom-GX is played. For example, the loss of [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] after the 2018 World Championships rotation meant that decks had to rely on [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] as their effect. This meant that Pikachu and Zekrom-GX needed to play heavy counts of [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] and Jirachi to find them as well as [card name=”Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] to get the best of Jirachi. This seems normal now but recall that before rotation, Emery Taylor’s 2nd place list from NAIC played no Jirachi and only one [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] with no Switch, but two [card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] and four Guzma.

Pikachu and Zekrom-GX is about to gain a lot post-Sword & Shield and is a potential BDIF candidate. This can only be done by analyzing what is changing with Sword & Shield‘s release, beyond the obvious.

The Current State of Pikachu and Zekrom-GX

The week before Bochum Regionals, I wrote that [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] was on the rise again and that I expected it to do well. I wasn’t wrong, but it exceeded my expectations as it had by far its best showing at any major event since Cosmic Eclipse‘s release. 11 players made Day 2 with the deck, and eight of them finished in the Top 32. The deck’s best placement was Top 4. Paradoxically, this sudden increase in popularity makes it hard to reach a conclusion about the deck because each player had their own idea of how to play the deck. A mix of cards like [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Eelektross” set=”Unified Minds” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Phione” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Judge” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Rosa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”204″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Electromagnetic Radar” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Tag Switch” set=”Unified Minds” no=”209″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Choice Helmet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lysandre Labs” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] and surprisingly [card name=”Dangerous Drill” set=”Team Up” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] were included in at least one Top 32 player’s deck. I expect that we’ll see a similar disparity at the upcoming Sao Paulo Regionals.

I’m not going to talk about each possible list and their strong and weak points. I’ve already given my opinion on the deck and how to play it in a previous article. However, to give another perspective on the deck, I’d like to feature Bert Wolters’ list:

[premium]

[decklist name=”PikaRom Wolters” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″][pokemon amt=”13″]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”54″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Unified Minds” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Eelektross” set=”Unified Minds” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”81″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Switch” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Tag Switch” set=”Unified Minds” no=”209″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Helmet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]10x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”10″][/card]1x [card name=”Unit Energy LPM” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Bert started the event at 5-0-1 and missed cut due to some unfortunate games. I believe his list has a lot of merit. The main difference between his list and other Pikachu and Zekrom-GX decks is that he includes [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] as his main Supporter. This makes a lot of sense when you consider that an issue with [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] Pikachu and Zekrom-GX is its tendency to run out of cards. You need to discard cards to get the most benefit out of Tag Team Supporter cards. Moreover, [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] requires you to remove a card from your hand though it isn’t discarded. This leads to situations where you can’t achieve what you want — say, a turn 2 Full Blitz — because you have to discard one card too many. Without [card name=”Electromagnetic Radar” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card], we can’t rely on [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] to refill our hand, so Supporter cards are needed. A common choice is [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card], but I think Lillie makes more sense. If you play Lillie on turn 1 then you get two more cards, so you have enough to discard on turn 2 to play Guzma and Hala for instance (which almost guarantees the turn 2 Full Blitz thanks to [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card]). With this setup, you can keep [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] for the midgame to search for a well-timed [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card].

This list uses Great Catcher and no [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card], something which I dislike for reasons that are explained in my earlier article linked above. That said, with the bigger hand size afforded by Lillie, relying on Great Catcher makes a lot more sense than in other lists since you’ll have cards to discard.

If I were to play this list, I would probably change the second [card name=”Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]. Its purpose is to give Tag Call more Pokemon targets, which you can then trade for another Pokemon with Pokemon Communication. However, I think [card name=”Mega Lopunny and Jigglypuff-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] fits this role better. It is a strong attacker against [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] and the mirror match, plus it is immune to [card name=”Fairy Charm L” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card] in [card name=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] decks. I think [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] is a better tech than [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Unified Minds” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] and I’d fit in a fourth [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card], perhaps replacing one [card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card].

The First Turn Rule Change

Before we can get into what [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] can look like after Sword & Shield, we need to talk about the first turn rule change. The player going first can’t play Supporter cards anymore. What does this mean for the game? (Apart from the fact that [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] gets much worse?)

First, it means that decks that rely on specific Supporter cards will take a big hit. This includes [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] decks and [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card] decks, the latter more so. For these decks, going first means basically nothing since they don’t have anything strong to do.

Second, it means that alternative draw engines like [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] are going to become much more desirable. If you need to draw cards on your first turn but can’t play a Supporter, then obviously Dedechange is the next best thing. Most relevant decks I can think of will play four copies of Quick Ball, which will boost Dedenne-GX’s playability. To a lesser extent, [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] will get better since it’s another way to draw cards on your first turn. However, Jirachi is a bit more limited. For example, if you’re looking for an Energy card, Dedenne-GX can find you one but Jirachi can’t, unless your deck includes [card name=”Energy Spinner” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card]. Jirachi is often used to find a Supporter to play, which is now useless on turn 1.

Green’s Exploration decks are the biggest losers in all of this because they can’t use Jirachi or Dedenne-GX. If a [card name=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] deck is unfortunate enough to go first, their first turn will most likely be limited to a turn 1 attachment and a [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] to search for another Basic Pokemon. If they started with no Energy card in hand, then it’s a total waste of time. At first glance, this might not look too bad — sure, it’s a wasted turn, but if you imagine that turn didn’t happen, it’s basically as if you loss the coin toss and your opponent went first with the current rules. Except on that “first” turn, the opponent can attack. Imagine attaching a Fairy Energy to your Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX and passing, and your opponent retaliates with a turn 1 Full Blitz. Or worse, a turn 1 [card name=”Gengar and Mimikyu-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] Horror House GX. You don’t want to be in this position.

Of course, there are other reasons why Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX will go back to the binder soon — reasons such as Zacian V and Metal Saucer. But what I’ve written holds true for other Green’s Exploration decks. Let’s look at another card I’ve come to like, [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card].

The Blacephalon / Green’s Exploration deck I won Bochum Regionals with is dead. Without Welder or Green’s Exploration, you’ll be passing your first turn if you go first. Then you can be donked by so many things. If you go second, things are better but you’ll be unfavored against hard-hitting decks that can go faster than ever. Blacephalon / [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] will clearly be the better variant. However, it too relies on Supporter cards for its setup, namely Professor Elm’s Lecture. If you can’t play it on turn 1, your setup is delayed by a turn. I think the deck is playable, but it’s not looking very appealing.

But that doesn’t mean Blacephalon is dead. The best way to setup is now with alternate draw engines and Item cards to find them. Thanks to Quick Ball, we don’t have to rely on [card name=”Ultra Space” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] which means that big changes are coming for the deck. Forget about Green’s Exploration and Pidgeotto; the new way to play Blacephalon is with Jirachi and Quick Ball (and other Basic Pokemon). This new take on the archetype is helped by some Sword & Shield cards: Lucky Egg and [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card]. I plan on writing more about it soon, but I need more preparation to do so.

The lesson from this Blacephalon detour is that Quick Ball is the best card to help you set up on your first turn. Not only can you get an attacker this way but Jirachi or Dedenne-GX. With that in mind, let’s return to Pikachu and Zekrom-GX.

Pikachu and Zekrom-GX the Potential BDIF

Quick Ball

“Quick Ball is a good card” might be the most uncontroversial statement of all time, but I need to stress how much it helps [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]. It solves several issues the deck had in a way that no other card in the game could. (Except [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card], but Quick Ball is a better Ultra Ball in a pure Basic Pokemon deck and that’s a scary thing to write.)

Quick Ball can search for [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] while discarding a Lightning Energy. Suddenly, Pikachu and Zekrom-GX has a way to look for the best Energy acceleration in the game again like last season. In addition, we have cards that give easy access to [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card] like [card name=”Stadium Nav” set=”Unified Minds” no=”208″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”name”][/card]. Combined, a turn 2 Full Blitz becomes easier than ever and a turn 1 Full Blitz more likely than it used to be. If either Tapu Koko Prism Star or Thunder Mountain Prism Star is Prized, you can rely on the other one to achieve the turn 2 Full Blitz without needing to draw into your Stadium by chance or use the awkward combination of [card name=”Electromagnetic Radar” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] to look for Tapu Koko Prism Star.

Quick Ball can search for [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. The recent [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] variants of Pikachu and Zekrom-GX had issues searching it out since most didn’t include Electromagnetic Radar so they had to rely on Pokemon Communication. With Quick Ball, you can once again rely on Dedenne-GX to refill your hand, making your deck much more consistent.

Quick Ball can search for techs. There are many one Prize Pokemon that one may want to include in a Pikachu and Zekrom-GX list — [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Phione” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] to name a few. However, having to search them with Pokemon Communication was bothersome and often not worth the effort, so you would hope to draw into them. Or you would have to play [card name=”Rosa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”204″ c=”name”][/card] but Rosa is awkward in Pikachu and Zekrom-GX.

If you go first, Quick Ball helps you set up and get a good board position for the turn 2 Full Blitz. If you go second, it gives you the potential to draw many cards looking for a turn 1 Full Blitz. Quick Ball is so versatile. The same card can get your Energy acceleration, your main attacker, your draw power or a tech depending on the situation. There’s one Pokemon that Quick Ball can’t search for: [card name=”Eelektross” set=”Unified Minds” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]. I believe that’s an acceptable tradeoff.

Now, I want to discuss two lists that originate from Japan.

Pikachu and Zekrom-GX List One

[decklist name=”PikaRom Saito” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″][pokemon amt=”14″]3x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”54″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Tapu Koko V (SSH #72)1x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”81″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Oranguru (SSH #148)[/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]3x [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x Professor’s Research (SSH #178)4x [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x Quick Ball (SSH #179)4x [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Switch” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”82″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tag Switch” set=”Unified Minds” no=”209″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Big Charm (SSH #158)1x [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]11x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card]1x [card name=”Unit Energy LPM” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

As you may know, the latest Aichi Champions League in Japan in late December was won by [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]. This is the list used by the winner, Kosei Saito. This deck uses the [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] engine but unlike the lists used in the rest of the world, it doesn’t include any Tag Team Supporter cards apart from [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”name”][/card]. There are better Supporters to use like Professor’s Research, which fills the role of “hand refill” better than either [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card]. Thanks to Quick Ball, the deck can play [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] (to shut down [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card]’s Perfection Ability once you’ve used Full Blitz on it).

There are two Pokemon from Sword & Shield that I haven’t discussed yet. An instant inclusion is Tapu Koko V. Not only can it draw cards and deal damage with its first attack, but it’s a high HP Basic Pokemon that deals 200 damage before [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card] (an amount of damage that usually warrants using Tag Bolt GX without the bonus effect) with a negligible drawback. And it has free retreat, making it an amazing starter. Finally, as a Pokemon V, it can hit through [card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Alolan Ninetales” set=”Team Up” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card]’ Abilities.

The other one is the new Oranguru. It can help dig a little for a card you need but drawing one card isn’t that impactful. However, Oranguru can let you put a card from your hand safely on top of your deck before you discard your hand with [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] or Professor’s Research. This can save a [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card], a necessary inclusion as it can target Pokemon V. You can find both pieces with [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card].

I’ll be honest. I haven’t been extremely impressed by the list. Although, one can easily combine Guzma and Hala and [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] to get a turn 1 Full Blitz, you need to assemble too many components (Energy cards to discard, Energy cards to attach and a way to retreat) for it to happen reliably.

I’ve tried some changes. I’ve added a fourth copy of Jirachi, a fourth Volkner, a fourth copy of Tag Call, cut the Big Charm for an Air Balloon so that Guzma and Hala can search for a way to retreat a two retreat cost Pokemon ([card name=”Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], Zapdos and Oranguru) if you start with one, but the deck didn’t click with me. That doesn’t mean it’s bad. Since I’m focusing on getting a feel for the format, my testing so far is mostly drawing opening hands and goldfishing for a few turns. Therefore, I’m judging the deck by how it performs in the first few turns, such as its strengths and weaknesses that only appear later in the game. This includes its ability to react to various threats thanks to techs like Mimikyu, but you can’t assess this when playing in such a way. I’m sure that players who put more time into it will get better results from this list.

That said, there’s another Pikachu and Zekrom-GX list that I prefer right now.

Pikachu and Zekrom-GX List Two

[decklist name=”PikaRom Kitagawa” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM168″][pokemon amt=”12″]2x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM168″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”54″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Tapu Koko V (SSH #72)3x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Oranguru (SSH #148)[/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]4x [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x Professor’s Research (SSH #178)4x [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x Quick Ball (SSH #179)4x [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Switch” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Electromagnetic Radar” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Stadium Nav” set=”Unified Minds” no=”208″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Wait and See Hammer” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre Labs” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card] [/trainers][energy amt=”11″]11x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

This list comes from the Aichi Champions League too and was played by Shogo Kitagawa, who made Top 4. The deck omits [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Unit Energy LPM” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s a much more streamlined list that looks like an older style of [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] with three [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], but with new cards to support it like four Professor’s Research. We’re back to including [card name=”Stadium Nav” set=”Unified Minds” no=”208″ c=”name”][/card] to search for [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Electromagnetic Radar” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] to support the heavy Dedenne-GX usage.

Unsurprisingly, this list has better results when it comes to achieving a turn 1 Full Blitz. I may have been lucky but I can get a turn 1 Full Blitz about half the time with this list and pretty much on turn 2 otherwise. Since everything in this deck is geared towards a fast, aggressive style of play that’s to be expected. The four [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] are very useful to get three Energy on Pikachu and Zekrom-GX on the first turn, but much less useful later in the game.

If the previous list was geared towards [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], this one focuses more on Dedenne-GX. It only plays two Jirachi and one [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], almost as an afterthought. You can use a Quick Ball to search for Jirachi if it’s your first turn to bring it to the Active spot or if you can’t get a turn 1 Full Blitz but want to use your turn to set up. Most of the time, though, the priority is to draw cards with Dedenne-GX. That said, I’ve found that [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card], not Professor’s Research, was often the better Supporter on the first turn since you can get an Energy and a Quick Ball or Electromagnetic Radar to discard it.

Alternatively, you could search for Tapu Koko V instead and use Spike Draw to draw cards and deal damage. This could be better depending on many factors — whether the opponent can hit you back, whether you’ve used [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card], whether the damage you deal is significant and whether you can spare an Energy card for Tapu Koko V and reliably hit a turn 2 Full Blitz.

Beyond its immediate results, it makes sense to play Pikachu and Zekrom-GX this way. Professor’s Research is a card that has supported a very fast, “play what you can and discard the rest” style ever since its first printing as [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card]. Quick Ball, Electromagnetic Radar and Dedenne-GX are cards that work very well with this engine. Plus, the heavy discarding that is part of this strategy is used to our advantage thanks to [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. The main drawback of this list is that it doesn’t utilize Quick Ball to make techs more accessible. But it’s easy and perfectly fine to include an Absol in this type of list. Don’t add too many techs because you’ll often need two Dedenne-GX on your Bench.

Speaking of techs, you may be surprised to see a [card name=”Wait and See Hammer” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card] in this list. This is a lone tech that’s included for the [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] / Zacian V matchup. By using it, you can delay your opponent’s Altered Creation GX by one turn, which gives you time to deal damage and set up your attackers with Full Blitz. Wait and See Hammer has so far only been played in [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card] decks, but you can search it with Volkner which you often play on turn 1 thanks to Dedenne-GX. When you’re against Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX, you can try to go with Full Blitz on turn 1 and use Wait and See Hammer as a backup plan. Another useful card in this matchup is [card name=”Lysandre Labs” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] because it shuts down Zacian V’s [card name=”Metal Frying Pan” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card], so it acts as an extra Electropower that stays in play. Plus, it’s good against [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] and Big Charm.

Although this list is faster than the previous one, its weaknesses are more pronounced. Because of its higher dependance on Dedenne-GX, it has more trouble with [card name=”Mega Lopunny and Jigglypuff-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] than the first list. That’s why I believe that the deck can be kept in check.

Conclusion

At the beginning of this article, I wrote that understanding the post-Sword & Shield Standard format is equivalent to understanding how [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] is played in it. My approach was to use what we know about the format to understand how Pikachu and Zekrom-GX should be played, but you can use this assertion in the reverse order. By looking at how Pikachu and Zekrom-GX performs, we can understand the format better. If the first type of list of Pikachu and Zekrom-GX with [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”name”][/card] performs better, then the format will probably be somewhat similar to what we’ve seen since the start of the season, although with better cards and decks. If the second type of list with four Professor’s Research and a high count of [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] turns out to be better, then it means that the format will get faster and more aggressive, with turn 1 attacks possibly deciding on the outcome of a game.

Of course, it’s possible that both are good, but perform better or worse depending on what they face since their matchups will be different. If this is the case, it might mean that my theory needs to be perfected!

I tried something a bit different in this article, mixing theory and practical advice, and I hope you enjoyed it! There’s some time before Sword & Shield becomes legal. I can’t say I’ve played the format yet. But I’ve studied it, read about it and thought about it, so I’m starting to get a stronger understanding of it. In the weeks to come, I’ll be sure to share with you my progress in mastering this format, so that when the new cards are finally legal, you’ve learned all about the new decks, how to build and play them, why they work and what are their strengths and weaknesses.

In the meantime, best of luck in all your games. Perhaps this discussion on Pikachu and Zekrom-GX will help you to improve the deck in the pre-Sword and Shield format as well!

–Stéphane

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