The Optimal Deck? — ADP / Zacian V and Other Preliminary Frontrunners

Hello everyone! This is Grant here with another article. I am a bit early in my testing with Sword & Shield, but I’ve been able to formulate some thoughts on most of the decks. I leave for Australia in a week and I’m excited to play this new format on the International scale. I think [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] is broken, as does everyone else. I’ve been working on a list and the deck has already undergone several revisions. I want to maximize speed and consistency. If the deck is able to set up perfectly every game, it is able to win the Prize trade against everything. For the most part, techs and any non-consistency cards aren’t needed.

I’ll be going over my list and offer some thoughts on the other decks that are shaping up. I’ve got some ideas on the winners and losers out of the currently hyped archetypes, but the format is brand new so there will inevitably be unexpected decks that pop up.

Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / Zacian V

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[decklist name=”ADP / Zacian” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Phione” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”57″][pokemon amt=”9″]2x [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Phione” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”38″]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Metal Saucer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”170″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Vitality Band” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Cherish Ball” set=”Unified Minds” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Big Charm” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”158″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”13″]4x [card name=”Aurora Energy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]9x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”XY” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

I expect Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / Zacian V to quickly become the king of the new format. This deck is extremely fast, consistent , and powerful. It’s a bulky deck thanks to Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX’s and Zacian V’s high HP. This deck incorporates many of Sword & Shield‘s excellent new Trainer cards as well as two of the set’s best Pokemon. Zacian V is one of the most ridiculous Pokemon ever printed. It has tons of HP, deals unreal damage, has an amazing Ability and gets pushed over the top with access to [card name=”Metal Saucer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card]. Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX has a fantastic attack in Altered Creation GX, a crazy setup move in Ultimate Ray and has loads of HP. Combining two of the best Pokemon in the game is common sense and they so happen to work great together.

This list is a bit different compared to others I’ve seen. I’ve omitted cards such as [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card]. I don’t play any Stadium cards like [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ve attempted to minimize tech cards, so no [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] or single Prize attacking Pokemon. This list is meant to go for pure speed and consistency. The Supporter cards, [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] power through the deck to achieve a turn 1 Altered Creation GX when going second. If your opponent has no benched Pokemon, you can somewhat easily get a turn 1 Brave Blade donk. When you go first, you can attach to Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX and use Zacian V’s Intrepid Sword. Choosing to go first is usually better. However, in some matchups (such as [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card]) you want to go second.

While Jirachi theoretically does add consistency and reach, it’s only useful if you start with it and the whole package is a space commitment. I would have to replace [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] and up the [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] count as a result. I’d have to add three or four Jirachi, likely over Acro Bike. In my opinion, Jirachi isn’t good enough to justify that. This would make the deck weaker against Absol. While Jirachi would be a bit better against Reset Stamp, this deck thins very well, has [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card], plays [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] and rarely (if ever) goes down to one Prize. All of these combined provide enough defense against Reset Stamp more often than not.

In short, the deck’s general strategy is to use Altered Creation GX on your first attacking turn, and follow up with Ultimate Ray to set up a Zacian V. Transition into attacking with Zacian V whenever it’s convenient (or when Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX goes down) and build a second Zacian V. There aren’t any other attackers, so this needs to work out or you’ll be in trouble. Fortunately, the deck is consistent and can pull off this linear game plan almost every time.

Two Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX

Few games demand two copies of [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card], as you (usually) only need one to set up. Altered Creation GX is mandatory in every matchup. Against some Tag Team Pokemon-GX decks, you only need it for the first effect of adding damage. In fact, if your game plan in a particular matchup (looking at [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] and potentially [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]) is to only take out two Tag Team Pokemon-GX, it’s actually better to forego the extra Prize effect so an opposing Reset Stamp is less harmful. You should go for the extra Prize effect most of the time, as it’s usually easier to win in a way other than taking out two Tag Team Pokemon-GX. If you whiff the [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] Altered Creation combo against a Tag Team Pokemon-GX deck, keep in mind that it may be ok to go for the basic Altered Creation GX anyway.

If your Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX lives long enough to pull off Ultimate Ray, you definitely want to try and KO something while charging up Zacian V if it means using a pair of Custom Catcher. Hitting for 180 damage into a Tag Team Pokemon-GX has little value unless it’s one that Zacian V can’t already OHKO (such as another Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX or a [card name=”Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]).

Three Zacian V

The plan is to attack with two [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] during a game so the minimum amount you can run is three. You want at least one on the Bench as soon as possible. Going first, the plan is to use its Intrepid Sword Ability. Going second, you need it as the deck’s only Metal Saucer target to facilitate the turn 1 Altered Creation GX. It wins games by attacking for a ton of damage, crazy stuff I know.

Two Dedenne-GX

Dedenne-GX is our pseudo-replacement for Jirachi. It provides extra reach to not only make our turn 1 Altered Creation GX combo, but at any point throughout the game to find specific cards we need on a given turn. There’s a strong argument to be made for a third Dedenne-GX, especially without Jirachi, but two has been fine so far.

One Oranguru

Because of all the situation-specific Item cards (namely Custom Catcher), [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] is particularly useful in this deck so you don’t throw away those Item cards when digging through your deck. It works great because if you only have one Custom Catcher in hand, you can use Primate Wisdom followed by something like Dedenne-GX’s Dedechange Ability or [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card]. Rinse and repeat until you find a pair; it’s not as difficult as it sounds. To a lesser extent, the same goes for cards like Energy Switch, Metal Saucer, or anything else you don’t want to throw away. If you have any spare [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] at the beginning of the game, grab Oranguru as soon as possible. If you want to discard a card out of your hand (like a Metal Energy), you could combo the Ability with Acro Bike, but that reduces your overall reach for the turn.

One Phione

This card’s Ability is useful and [card name=”Phione” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] doubles as a tech for [card name=”Galarian Obstagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card]. While Phione doesn’t auto-win the matchup against Galarian Obstagoon, it does help. Its Ability functions similarly to Custom Catcher on occasion, as you can use it to snipe something on  your opponent’s Bench especially if your opponent is low on disposable Bench sitters. It’s amazing against [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] as long as your opponent doesn’t have another one on the Bench.

Four Cynthia and Four Professor’s Research

These two cards are the best two draw Supporter cards in the format, hands down. You want to be using one every turn and they help power through your deck to find what you want. Ideally, [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] can preserve many important cards and bail you out of clunky hands. Professor’s Research is more powerful and risky, though it’s usually the better option. You’ll take what you can get and either of these Supporter cards are great to use in most situations. I am not a huge fan of [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card]. Sure, it’s disruptive and only gets one less card than Cynthia, but Cynthia already gets one less card than Professor’s Research and I don’t want to be trading my hand for a measly five cards.

Four Custom Catcher

[cardimg name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This card is a crucial part of this deck’s strategy. If your opponent has something that’s out of range or won’t yield a Prize such as an opposing Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX, a defensively buffed [card name=”Lucario and Melmetal-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card], Lillie’s Poke Doll, or Galarian Obstagoon, you’re going to need [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] to get around it. Additionally, your opponent will strategically feed you attackers that make your Prize taking math unfavorable. For example, an opponent may try to force you into taking out a two-Prize attacker and a one Prize attacker, totaling up to five Prize cards after Altered Creation GX. Not only does this waste one of your attacking turns, but it leaves you vulnerable to a Reset Stamp, leaving you with a one card hand. Custom Catcher mitigates these types of situations. You ideally take a clean six Prize cards using Custom Catcher in the most efficient and optimal way as part of the strategy.

Four Energy Switch and Four Metal Saucer

On its own, [card name=”Metal Saucer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card] is overpowered not only for turbo charging Zacian V but to enable a turn 1 Altered Creation GX when combined with [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card]. You can use Energy Switch to transition from a damaged Zacian V into a clean one, potentially getting use out of the third copy. It can be used to go directly from [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] to Zacian V–skipping Ultimate Ray entirely, though this is usually suboptimal. The use for the four copies of Energy Switch is to make the turn 1 Altered Creation GX as consistent as possible, but it does have other uses from time to time.

Four Quick Ball and One Cherish Ball

Running four copies of [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] is a no-brainer. I think Quick Ball is the best card in the format and it is perfect for this deck. It’s an avenue for discarding Metal Energy and grabs any Pokemon in the deck. [card name=”Cherish Ball” set=”Unified Minds” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card] is a small boost in consistency. It helps find that turn 1 Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX and find [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] for Dedechange to draw more cards.

Four Acro Bike

Using [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] is a bit risky with cards like Metal Saucer and Custom Catcher, but it dramatically improves overall consistency and speed. Acro Bike thins the deck incredibly well to defend against [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] and Marnie, and four copies make the turn 1 Altered Creation GX as consistent as possible by helping to find combo pieces.

Three Switch and Two Air Balloon

In a vacuum, [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] is better than [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] because it’s more flexible. You can use Air Balloon before something like a Supporter or Dedenne-GX’s Dedechange Ability if you don’t already have your desired Active Pokemon in play, whereas Switch requires that you do already have it in play. However, Air Balloon doesn’t allow for another Tool to be attached and it’s very bad against [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] (or Paralysis / Sleep Special Conditions in general). Switch is more powerful, but both have their pros and cons. I think that this is the correct split, but I could potentially remove an Air Balloon for another Switch.

It’s important to have many switching options for two main reasons. First, we want Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX to become Active as soon as possible, especially if we are going second and reaching for the turn 1 Altered Creation GX. Second, most of the Pokemon have high Retreat Costs, making Switch more valuable because manually retreating is undesirable.

Two Vitality Band

With [card name=”Vitality Band” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card], Zacian V hits for 270 damage. This OHKO’s [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Garchomp and Giratina-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card], and other Tag Team Pokemon-GX.

One Great Catcher

Another strong, alternative gust option is [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card], though it’s a bit dependent on the matchup and the situation. It’s nice to not rely on Custom Catcher for everything. Most notably, Great Catcher can be used to pick off a Tag Team Pokemon-GX for four Prizes or a Dedenne-GX for three Prizes.

One Big Charm

This is honestly the one slot that I don’t know what to do with. You could play another Cherish Ball, a [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card], a [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card], a fourth Zacian V, a [card name=”Choice Helmet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card], another Switch, a tech attacker, etc. I’m currently on [card name=”Big Charm” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] because it allows Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX to survive [card name=”Charizard-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM211″ c=”name”][/card]’s Flare Blitz GX from Mewtwo and Mew-GX. This is an issue if they KO Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX before we use Ultimate Ray. Although the turn 2 Flare Blitz GX is slightly less likely thanks to the new Supporter rule, it’s going to happen more often than not. Although we won’t always find the Big Charm in time, this deck thins enough to where we have reasonable odds. It’s currently favored over Choice Helmet because it requires [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] to discard seven Energy cards instead of six to OHKO Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX.

Four Aurora Energy

By comparison, [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] is significantly worse than [card name=”Aurora Energy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] because of the damage counter that gets placed on whoever it gets attached to. The damage counter can be devastating in the mirror match because it allows an opposing Zacian V with the Altered Creation boost to OHKO our Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX. Rainbow Energy would invalidate Big Charm too. Aurora Energy can serve as an outlet to discard Metal Energy for Metal Saucer, which can be useful.

Nine Metal Energy

This deck needs a high count of Metal Energy. You want to discard a few as soon as the game begins; you usually need two Energy attached to Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX and you need three on two Zacian V apiece. More copies of Metal Energy makes Zacian V’s Intrepid Sword more effective.

Other Decks

Right now, I see [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] as far and away the best deck. I like it a lot. With the new set and the rule change, there are lots of other decks being played, hyped and talked about, so I want to address a few of those.

Oranguru / Cinccino / Mill – Tier 1 or Tier S

[cardimg name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This new mill deck is already being hailed by some as the new BDIF. This deck aims to set up multiple [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] to power through the deck. It abuses both [card name=”Lt. Surge’s Strategy” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] to discard loads of cards from the opponent’s deck with the eventual goal of decking them out. [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] recycles cards such as [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card], while [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] stalls for time as they tear through the opponent’s deck. [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] copies [card name=”Magcargo-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card]’s Burning Magma GX to end the game in grand fashion, combining with Bellelba and Brycen-Man and Lt. Surge’s Strategy to mill 11 cards at once.

This deck is extremely strong and difficult to counter. I think the only thing standing in the way of this deck being extremely popular is people’s general tendency to prefer attacking decks. Mill and disruption archetypes are never the most popular decks in the room. Not many decks can deal with Lillie’s Poke Doll while their deck is being mercilessly torn apart. I think my Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX list is a perfect foil for this deck though. It’s fast, takes two Prizes per KO, and plays [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Phione” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] to get around Lillie’s Poke Doll. Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / Zacian V will end the game before decking out because it only takes four attacks. Things get dicey if they manage to hit the Phione and a Custom Catcher early or if some devastating combination of cards is Prized. Oranguru provides a bit of defense against Bellelba and Brycen-Man by controlling one card thats get discarded every turn.

Galarian Obstagoon – Tier 1 or Tier 2

The most popular version of [card name=”Galarian Obstagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] currently seems to be paired with [card name=”Sableye V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] and Lillie’s Poke Doll. The Lillie’s Poke Doll makes an excellent partner for Galarian Obstagoon, as it allows the player to set up the slow Stage-2 behind the Lillie’s Poke Doll. The Lillie’s Poke Doll can be put back into the deck if you need a situation where a lone Galarian Obstagoon would checkmate the opponent, as Obstruct does auto-win a good portion of the format. However, Sableye V is not the way to go. Sableye V requires two attachments to set up and is not worth the trouble. It would mainly be used to nuke high HP Pokemon after pinging some damage onto them, but the high HP Pokemon are the ones that Galarian Obstagoon walls anyway. [card name=”Yveltal-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] provides a sufficient kill-button option should you need one and it only requires one Energy attachment.

Galarian Obstagoon is good both as a card and as an archetype. People are working out the lists as opposed to Cinccino mill which already seems to be optimized. I think [card name=”Tyrogue” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] is incredible in Galarian Obstagoon and this card is slowly but surely starting to catch on. It provides a source of damage while setting up behind Lillie’s Poke Doll. This deck is a bit slow and can be difficult to play but I expect to see Galarian Obstagoon do great things in the future because the deck works well and many decks cannot deal with it.

Mewtwo & Mew – Tier 1 or Tier 2

Now we’re starting look at some traditional attacking decks. I don’t have much to say about [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] because I have not played with it yet. Mewtwo and Mew-GX is good, it will be played with [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] and I’m sure it will show up in Australia. It does not seem to have much hype around it right now and there doesn’t seem to be a consensus list or anything for it yet. Mewtwo and Mew-GX doesn’t lose anything and its versatility allows it to include answers to almost any matchup and situation. I don’t see any reason for Mewtwo and Mew-GX to fade out of existence.

Pikachu & Zekrom-GX – Tier 2

While I’ve never been a huge fan of [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] this season, it is gathering some hype partially due to the new [card name=”Tapu Koko V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card]. I think Tapu Koko V is an excellent card for Pikachu and Zekrom-GX, though I don’t think you need more than one. Pikachu and Zekrom-GX has been a solid, generic, middle-of-the-road attacking deck. I would not personally play this deck over any of the other decks mentioned so far, but it’s undeniably strong and will retain some popularity.

Frosmoth – BAD

The new [card name=”Frosmoth” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] deck is not good. Its potential Water-type partners aren’t terrible but the deck is too high-maintenance and provides too little of a return. It’s extremely linear and is overall lackluster. [card name=”Lapras VMAX” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] looks appealing because of its monstrous HP and attack power. That enticed me at first, but the deck is underwhelming in practice. Other Water types are a bit too weak on their own, but Lapras VMAX is too demanding on resources. I do not think that Frosmoth is the worst archetype in the game, but I don’t think there’s any reason to play it over anything else. It’s very early into this format though, so there could be something I’m missing. I have played a few games with and against various variants of Frosmoth, but besides that I haven’t exactly invested a ton of time or thought into trying to make it work.

Conclusion

I will continue working on [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] as I believe it’s the best right now. It has so much going for it, it’s well-rounded and it makes use of some of the game’s absolute strongest cards. I am very interested in [card name=”Galarian Obstagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] as well, and it’s a card that I’ve been going back and forth on as of late. The [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] mill deck is extremely strong but I do not know if I want to deal with mirror matches or the massive target that it has already painted on itself. I am very interested to see what new decks people come up with and I’ll be trying to come up with some broken new deck myself. Thank you all for reading!

–Grant

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