A Controlling Rat and Other Expanded Thoughts

By: Jimmy Pendarvis · Posted Posted onMar 28, 2020 at 11:45 PM · 0 Comments

[cardimg name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Hello and welcome back to another Pokebeach article! I am back again with plenty more to talk about. If you haven’t read my last article on the Standard format, I recommend giving that a read. It was all about [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], along with my thoughts on the Standard format as a whole.

In this article we will be shifting gears to the Expanded format, but I hope you like Zacian V, because an Expanded take on the doggo is included down below. I will be going over a personal favorite too, [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] Control. It is not quite as strong as Zacian V but I enjoy playing with this deck. At the end of the article, I will go over my opinion on the current Expanded format, then wrap things up with some fun tips on how to enjoy the Pokemon TCG with no tournaments going on right now. It is the quite the spread of information, I truly believe there is something for everyone who reads this! Without further ado, lets kick things off with a look at Zacian V.

Zacian V Deck

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[decklist name=”Zacian” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″][pokemon amt=”12″]3x [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Dhelmise” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”59″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dialga-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”82″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cobalion-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ 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]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Scramble Switch” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Stealthy Hood” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]12x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”12″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Card Choices

Two Dhelmise

Despite being able to hit for 260 damage with a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and having a base damage of 230, Zacian V doesn’t go the distance without the damage boost from [card name=”Dhelmise” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card]. You need to deal 270 or 280 damage to beefy Tag Team Pokemon-GX such as [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Garchomp and Giratina-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card]. Playing two allows us to hit that sweet spot of 280 damage if we need to and helps maneuver situations where your only Dhelmise gets targeted or ends up among the Prize cards.

One Aegislash-EX

You might look at this card and think it is an underwhelming attacker, and you are right about that. However, [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card]’s Ability is strong against a few decks right now. Against [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”custom”]Night March[/card] and [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] decks, they lose if they don’t have a counter to Aegislash-EX. Against Giratina and Garchomp-GX, you can put it on the Active spot at the beginning of the game if you are unable to attack with a Zacian V, and the only real way around it for them is to use GG End GX. This gives you time to advance your board state and get ahead in the Prize race. Last but not least, Aegislash-EX is a strong tech against Mewtwo and Mew-GX because it will eventually make them break their cycle of copying [card name=”Altaria-GX” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] in order to deal with the Aegislash-EX.

One Cobalion-GX

[cardimg name=”Cobalion-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”106″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This card is strong for a couple of reasons. While [card name=”Cobalion-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card]’s regular attack is not impressing anyone, its Ability and GX attack are strong in certain situations. Its Ability prevents Special Conditions, which means you have an answer to Shock Lock’s [card name=”Raichu” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] and you are immune to [card name=”Darkrai-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]’s Dead End GX, both of which have merit heading into any given Expanded event. Iron Rule GX is key against [card name=”Trevenant and Dusknoir-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM217″ c=”name”][/card] in the early game and has viability against Mewtwo and Mew-GX. Against Trevenant and Dusknoir-GX, you can use Iron Rule GX attack to stop yourself from getting locked for an extra turn. Either use Iron Rule-GX before they use [card name=”Gengar and Mimikyu-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]’s Horror House GX or in response to them using Horror House GX. Both of which give you an extra turn to develop a stronger board state.

One Dialga-GX and One Scramble Switch

This card is versatile and provides an answer to a couple of problems. For starters, you’re using [card name=”Dialga-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card] for Timeless GX. It is an incredibly strong attack and usually means you are winning the game with it. When combined with [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Metal Saucer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Scramble Switch” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card], this attack is easy to pull off. Scramble Switch can help you move Energy cards between damaged attacks or switch out of the Active Spot to reset [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card]’s attack. Dialga-GX’s Shred is strong against stuff like [card name=”Pyroar” set=”Flashfire” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] (as long as it is not attacking you) and [card name=”Latias-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card].

One Stealthy Hood

This is another inclusion in the deck that has a few uses, In the average game, [card name=”Stealthy Hood” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] will be used one way or no way at all. It is strong against [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] and [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]. Against Rowlet and Alolan Exeggutor-GX, you need a way to be able to attack [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”6″ c=”name”][/card], and Stealthy Hood gives you a way of doing so. Alolan Muk is used in a few decks but the ones where Stealthy Hood comes into play is against Trevenant and Dusknoir-GX and Shock Lock. Against Trevenant and Dusknoir-GX, you have multiple targets where Stealthy Hood can make a difference. You can Stealthy Hood your Zacian V in order to draw cards under Alolan Muk, or you could use Stealthy Hood on your Dhelmise in order to hit that crucial 270 damage mark and OHKO a Trevenant and Dusknoir-GX. Against Shock Lock, you can break the lock with Stealthy Hood by putting it on your Cobalion-GX, which heals your Active Pokemon from being Paralyzed. The opponent will need to have another [card name=”Stoutland” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] ready, a way to remove the Stealthy Hood and a way to keep the lock going. Even then, you can break the lock with Scramble Switch and use Dialga-GX’s Timeless GX to removal two crucial Pokemon from their board.

Potential Inclusions

A stall tech in here would be nice, but there isn’t anything that I have found to consistently beat [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”custom”]Doll[/card] stall. Cards like [card name=”Registeel-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] both have their issues and usually don’t result in a win. Registeel-EX can be maneuvered around by having an [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] in play with the Lillie’s Poke Doll and being careful with resources. Seismitoad-EX is ineffective to KO an Oranguru and the inclusion of [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] and Energy removal options makes my favorite toad a poor choice.

Chaotic Swell

This was in the original list, but [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card] didn’t end up making the cut. In most matchups, you don’t care if the opponent has a Stadium in play. The only cases where this proves to be incorrect is against [card name=”Ultra Necrozma” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Snorlax V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card]. Against Ultra Necrozma, you don’t have much of a shot even with Chaotic Swell in play. The main issue with that matchup is [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card], as Watch and Learn is efficient against our sword doggo. Against Snorlax V, Chaotic Swell can slow down the opponent for a crucial turn or two, but you are already going to win the Prize race. The high [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card] count, Sudowoodo, and Dialga-GX all play a key role in that matchup. To review, Chaotic Swell is usually not enough to beat Ultra Necrozma and is usually a “win more” card against Snorlax V.

Expanded Cinccino Deck

[decklist name=”Cinccino” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″][pokemon amt=”15″]4x [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Minccino” set=”Next Destinies” no=”84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Girafarig” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”42″]1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lana’s Fishing Rod” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”195″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”3″]3x [card name=”Recycle Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”212″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

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

Deck Analysis / Strategy

This deck might look odd, but the goal is simple. You want to use [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] to handle early pressure. You will then put [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] on [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] and begin to use Resource Management all the Lillie’s Poke Doll  and Robo Substitute back in. The only way your opponent can take a Prize when a Lillie’s Poke Doll is active is to use [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]; and the only way they get past Life Dew is with Guzma or [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]. Some decks will get a cheap Prize with a Field Blower while others won’t. Regardless, a cheap Prize does not have a huge impact on the game. Your goal is to get them to use their Guzma so that you can use [card name=”Girafarig” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]’s Get Lost on it, then infinitely loop an Oranguru with a Life Dew attached. If the opponent uses a [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to bring it back to their hand, you can use [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] to shuffle it back into their deck. They have to find Guzma again and additional VS Seeker. Otherwise, they will eventually have their Guzma discarded and sent to the Lost Zone. This deck is something that I have been working on since Dallas, which I did not get to use in the tournament due to its poor Turbo Dark matchup. The deck is definitely not the best, but I find it fun and mind stimulating. The deck is not fun to play against and I’d even argue that a lot of people would probably find it boring to play.

Card Choices

Two Girafarig

I don’t know if I have ever seen two of these in a deck before, but there is a first time for everything. The reasoning for this inclusion is because of how crucial Girafarig is to the strategy of the deck. You are aiming to use Get Lost on their Guzma, which you can’t do if your only Girafarig is in the discard pile or Prized. You have recovery cards and [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card], but you won’t always be able to access those cards quick enough. Having two copies of crucial cards such as this one makes it easier to navigate your Gladion for the game.

One Zacian V

This card is a strong on its own, but [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] is actually one of the cards I am unsure of in this decklist. It is beneficial for early game draw, crucial in a deck like this one. You are aiming to burn through your deck, amass a huge hand filled with all of the defensive options this deck has to offer, and execute your game plan. However, the downside to this card is that it gives up two Prize cards. This makes it easier for your opponent to take all six of their Prize cards before you leave them with no way to do so. Due to the nature of the situation, it will be the first thing they target down, which limits the effectiveness of the card. However, they have to hit for 220 damage and need to use VS Seeker on their Guzma back the same turn they use it. If they don’t bring back the Guzma, then this Zacian V sets you up for a game winning Get Lost.

One Gladion

This card is absolutely crucial in this deck, do not remove it and do not underestimate it. In fact, I have had two copies of this card in the deck at certain stages of its lifetime. I would not rule that out from happening again either, the card is that important. The only reason that this is not already included is because I have managed to buff up a majority of the card counts in the deck, which means that one Gladion per game is enough to get the job done. You can still have games where you Prize Gladion and Life Dew, which is pretty much the only Prize combination that cripples you and it should only happen about one percent of the time.

One Teammates

This is a luxury card and could be removed if space is tight. However, [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] is a strong inclusion. The opponent is spending a majority of the game taking a KO on multiple Lillie’s Poke Doll for no Prize cards but that still activates Teammates, which can set you up for a big play or strengthen your hand for future turns. Teammates is especially strong against decks that pressure you early because you can easily search out more Lillie’s Poke Doll or Life Dew to slow down the game and take over. Teammates is a nice protection against N and you can function off of a VS Seeker in most cases.

One Team Rocket’s Handiwork and One Bellelba and Brycen-Man

Two different mill cards, both of which are better in certain situations. [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] is best when you have cards left in your deck, while [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] is better in the late stages of the game when you have no deck and about to use Oranguru’s Resource Management. This makes it so that you can mill three cards guarantee, as opposed to having to flip some coins. Additionally, Bellelba and Brycen-Man can allow you to manipulate the Bench of both players, which has merit sometimes.

One Faba

Despite not playing any other Energy removal options, [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] still has a place in this deck because it is more than Energy removal. It deals with pesky Stadium cards, destroys decks that only play four [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] Energy, and deals with [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]’s Garbotoxin Ability.

Four Ultra Ball, four Quick Ball and Two Nest Ball

Having a large amount of ball cards like [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”custom”]Your custom text[/card], [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”custom”]Your custom text[/card], and [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”custom”]Your custom text[/card] increases your early game consistency, especially with the new turn 1 rules along with the inclusion of Zacian V. This deck needs to find a lot of Pokemon early so that it can begin setting up and drawing cards.

Four Battle Compressor and Four Trainers’ Mail

This is a part of the turbo engine to consistently setup and burn through the deck. It ensures you have a lot of options early game and power through throughout the match. These cards are crucial on turn 1 as they help find more turbo cards. [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] thins out your deck and makes all of your search cards free thanks to [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card]. It has good synergy with VS Seeker too. [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] gives you extra reach to search ball cards and other sought after Trainer cards.

Two Lana’s Fishing Rod and One Life Dew

This package is the whole point of the deck. You will not only use these cards at the end of the game, but this combination in conjunction with [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Recycle Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”212″ c=”name”][/card] is an infinite loop. You get to infinitely recover Oranguru and Life Dew, meaning your opponent can never take a Prize and eventually decks out.

One Power Plant

This deck honestly doesn’t absolutely need a Stadium, but it felt weird not having an answer to [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card]. Field Blower has potential to be better, but outside of removing a Tool from Garbodor, a Stadium is going to be better. Garbodor has seen some play recently, so I think I will take this change into consideration. [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] is my stadium of choice because it can disrupt the opponent in both the early and late game, which seemed more valuable then any other Stadium I came across. I didn’t want to include [card name=”Tropical Beach” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW28″ c=”name”][/card] because it could help my opponent passively dig for Guzma and other crucial cards.

Potential Inclusions

This deck can be customized to your liking, which means you have plenty of room to address your predicted meta. Some decks are going to take more space than others to beat, while others require a large commitment to win and are potentially not worth challenging. However, a lot of decks can be handled by simple changes.

Basic Energy and Energy Disruption

This would require a few slots in the deck, so I consider this an example of a situation that takes a rather large commitment to win. These changes would be to beat [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”custom”]Doll[/card] stall decks, as having more Energy than them and more draw power should lead to a favorable matchup. The first person to run out of Energy will no longer be able to use Resource Management, which means they will deck out first. Key cards in the matchup are: [card name=”Girafarig” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], Oranguru, Recycle Energy, and Energy disruption cards because the matchup comes down to Energy cards at the end of the day.

Thoughts on Expanded

[cardimg name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

I liked this format prior to the bans. Currrently it is focused on decks that don’t allow the opponent to play the game, in a manner where you don’t have room to outplay their strategy.

  • One of the best decks I have seen in a while is [card name=”Trevenant and Dusknoir-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM217″ c=”name”][/card] and I think it is potent enough to deserve a nerf.
  • Doll Stall decks create an unenjoyable and difficult to maneuver environment, this is another deck that I think deserves a nerf.
  • Trevenant and Dusknoir-GX, [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], [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card], and Doll stall decks are the best decks in the Expanded format.
  • Zacian V is the best “classic” attacking deck but it loses to Doll Stall decks. I am not sure there is a way to fix this without going to ridiculous lengths, techs like Registeel-EX do not work.

Pokemon During This Break

This is going to be a more relaxed section where I discuss ways to get value out of the Pokemon TCG during this off period! This could mean bettering yourself as a player or simply getting enjoyment out of the game.

  • Play with decks you don’t feel comfortable with, you have a large period of time here to become a more versatile player.
  • Try building creative decks and playing them against normal stuff, this could help you be a better deck builder. It can be fun to try some interesting stuff out!
  • Get a head start on Rebel Clash! Print proxies out and grind games or starting theorying.
  • If you’re less interested in grinding competitive games, you could play the more casual versions of the Pokemon TCG. Old formats and cubing are two of my favorite ways to enjoy the game.

Well folks, that snippet wraps things up for today. This article was certainly packed with a lot of different information, hopefully there was something for everyone! We are at an interesting point in the Pokemon TCG right now, no tournaments going on is something that I have not experienced in my 15 years in the game. Whether you are enjoying the time off, trying to improve your game or exploring more obscure Pokemon TCG formats, I wish you a good time in doing so. Personally, I am enjoying the time off and playing when I feel like it. I look forward to the day where these times are past us and the Pokemon TCG is back in full swing. In the meantime, I will be back next month with some more content for you all! Until then, peace.

–Jimmy

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