The TCG Lives On! — PTCGO Tournaments and Breaking Standard
[cardimg name=”Florges” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”86″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Hello everyone! This is Grant Manley, and it feels like forever since I’ve last written an article. My last article was about Expanded [card name=”Florges” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] following Collinsville Regionals, and my, a lot has changed in our world since then. Although the competitive circuit has been cancelled due to the worldwide pandemic, the Pokemon Trading Card Game lives on! In fact, PTCGO has been the focus of many players’ attention, as it offers the best alternative to playing the card game in person.
For those who aren’t taking a break from the game, you likely know that there is a a large PTCGO tournament that took place this past weekend. As far as I know, this was the largest online tournament to ever take place. Over 1,000 players entered. In case you missed it, there will be three more, and all are free to play. This tournament played similarly to a Regional, and it used the Standard format. There have also been a plethora of other online events such as the Faded Town Invitational, which featured 16 of the world’s best duke it out in a double-elimination bracket (won by yours truly), and there is another series that hosted on another platform. Most of these tournaments offer cash prizing! There’s still lots of Pokemon to be played despite in-person tournaments being on hiatus. Today I’m going to be looking at the current state of Standard and the results of the most recent one that took place.
If you’re trying to play some online tournaments, you’re in the right place!
PTCGO Tournament Results
The recent PTCGO tournament featured over 1,000 players, including dozens of pro players. It’s comparable to a large Regional, and serves as a solid indicator for the meta as a whole. For reference, the format (Ultra Prism-Sword & Shield) is the same as the Australian International two months ago. After 20 best-of-one Swiss rounds in both Day 1 and Day 2, those with a 16-4 record earned their spot in Top 8. Let’s take a look: 1.
- [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]
- [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] Mill
- Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / [card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card]
- Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / Zacian V
- [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] Mill
- Magcargo Mill
- [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Team Up” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] Box
- Cinccino Mill
Unfortunately, Mill decks comprised of half of the Top 8. Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX variants took three of the Top 4 spots and ended up winning the entire event. Ross Cawthon brought a unique and incredible Spiritomb deck that uses Altered Creation GX to buff Spiritomb instead of Zacian V. A Welder Box deck (aka Ability [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]) also managed to sneak into Top 8. This Top 8 is largely indicative of the meta as a whole. The tournament was overrun by Mill and Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX. This means that if your deck could handle both of those, you were in good shape. This is why Ross was able to do so well with his rogue deck. [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] variants were also highly popular, with each having at least 20 representatives in the 170-person day two, though none were able to convert to Top 8. [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM168″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] / Welder did not perform very well.
Beheeyem
[premium]
As for me, I played [card name=”Beheeyem” set=”Unified Minds” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Roxie” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”205″ c=”name”][/card]. I advanced to Day 2 but ended with a poor record of 12-8. I tested this deck quite a bit with my friend, Chip, and it worked incredibly well in testing. Unfortunately, I drew horribly throughout the tournament despite hitting good matchups. I played against nine Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX and only one Mill. One of this deck’s weaknesses is the Mill matchup. Although it’s far from an auto-loss, it’s certainly not favorable. Beheeyem also loses to [card name=”Lucario and Melmetal-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card], but that deck isn’t too popular.
Every other matchup is solidly favorable for Beheeyem, which made it seem like a strong play. I actually beat the Mill I played against, but only went 5-4 against Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX. If you had told me before the tournament that I’d go 5-4 against Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX, I’d have sooner believed that a theme deck would win the event. I thought Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX was basically an auto-win. Now I think it’s at least a 60-40, but possibly better depending on the Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX list. I was also able to win against a version with four [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card]. I still think Beheeyem is solid. Here’s the list I played for the event. I wouldn’t recommend changing anything, besides possible adding in one [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] (which has its downsides):
[decklist name=”Toxic Invaders (lol)” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Beheeyem” set=”Unified Minds” no=”91″][pokemon amt=”22″]4x [card name=”Beheeyem” set=”Unified Minds” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Elgyem” set=”Unified Minds” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Weezing” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Koffing” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oricorio-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]1x [card name=”Tate and Liza” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Roxie” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”205″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Triple Acceleration Energy” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”190″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Aside from a lot of complex sequencing, this deck is rather straightforward. You want to use Beheeyem’s Mysterious Noise, use [card name=”Roxie” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”205″ c=”name”][/card] as often as possible, and keep [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] in play against most decks. I considered playing [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Bewear” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card] to allow [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] to retreat against [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]. This could be a valuable tech, as Absol is a popular card, and constant access to Jirachi helps recover from an opposing Marnie. However, the Bewear package is demanding on deck space and difficult to set up. Another consideration was [card name=”Mr. Mime-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] to deal with [card name=”Lucario and Melmetal-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] with Zacian V. I ultimately determined that it wasn’t worthwhile. [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] is here for [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], as that deck’s natural speed combined with Tag Bolt GX proved quite troublesome in testing. [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] handles [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] well, as those variants have lots of tricks including, but not limited to, sniping and hand disruption. Without Mimikyu, things could get dicey. Avoid playing down Mimikyu unless necessary, as it also turns off your own [card name=”Oricorio-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card].
Magcargo Mill
[card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] Mill had solid results at the PTCGO Tournament Series Invitational. While it was significantly less popular than [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] Mill, it still had two spots in Top 8. Although Magcargo Mill has a contentious matchup against Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX, especially if it’s is packing [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card], it’s strong against the rest of the format, including other Mill decks. The thing that sets this variant apart is its utilization of [card name=”Mareep” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Slumbering Forest” set=”Unified Minds” no=”207″ c=”name”][/card]. Although this combination adds some luck into the game by forcing opponents to flip two heads awaken from being Asleep, it is effective at buying time for [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] to ravage the opponent’s deck.
[decklist name=”sleep mill” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″][pokemon amt=”19″]2x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Mareep” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Magcargo-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”44″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Slugma” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”23″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Girafarig” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”38″]1x [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tate and Liza” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lt. Surge’s Strategy” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ 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=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Great Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Slumbering Forest” set=”Unified Minds” no=”207″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”3″]1x [card name=”Recycle Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”212″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”XY” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Credit where credit is due. This list is almost the same as the one used by Zachary Cooper and Sam Epstein to make Top 8. They had two copies of [card name=”Team Yell Grunt” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”184″ c=”name”][/card], which they stated were useless, so I’ve cut them for [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] and an additional [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card]. I would also consider another copy of Reset Stamp, as it can strand your opponent with a hand devoid of resources. Although Reset Stamp won’t permanently lock an opponent, it can buy time for Bellelba and Brycen-Man, which is what the deck is all about. Another consideration would be something like [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] to deal with an opposing tech [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card].
This deck is possibly the best deck in the game at the moment. It has answers to everything an opponent can have, it can access any card on demand, and it has infinite resources. Mill gets a lot of hate, and this version is even more annoying to deal with because of Mareep. However, the deck is strong and is a huge part of the current Standard format whether you like it or not. I think this deck is better than Cinccino Mill. In any case, if you’re trying to win games, you’ve got to be prepared to either play or beat Mill.
Cinccino Control
[cardimg name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I’ve been working with Mill variants for over a month now. If there wasn’t a pandemic threatening Toronto Regionals last month, I was going to play [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] Mill with four Team Yell Grunt. When testing for Australia, Cinccino Mill seemed like it obliterated everything besides [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]. If there was a way to get it to consistently beat Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX, it would become the best deck in the format. Before Toronto, JW Kriewall posted a Cinccino list on Twitter that had four Team Yell Grunt. I started testing and refining the deck concept, and I eventually decided to bring it to Toronto. The playset of Team Yell Grunt was Mill’s answer to Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX. Recently, I’ve been working with this deck some more.
With the exception of the PTCGO Tournament Series, many current online tournaments do not enforce a strict time limit. In fact, PTCGO matches (aside from the ladder) have no in-game time limit. This means that if you can completely lock your opponent out of the game, it does not matter how long it takes to actually win. There is no need to burn through your opponent’s deck with [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card]. That said, this deck is still playable on PTCGO ladder, as the time limit there is rather lax.
I’ve built a deck that does not actively mill, but is solely focused on control. It turns out that a lot of deck space opens up when there’s no longer Bellelba and Brycen-Man, [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Magcargo-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card]. I used to play a lot of [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] Control, a deck that aimed to lock an opponent’s hand with Reset Stamp and [card name=”Chip-Chip Ice Axe” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card]. I don’t think such a strategy is viable anymore, so I’ve taken a different approach. Not only does the hand lock strategy not work against Mill decks, which are quite popular, but it’s also invalidated by the omnipresence of [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card]. With my current build of Cinccino Control, I’ve opted to go with classic Energy denial. Even decks that are usually good against Energy denial can be defeated with [card name=”Girafarig” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card]. Here’s the list:
optimal control
Total Cards:
That’s great and all, but why play this over the Mill decks? When I was playing Mill, I did not have the deck space that I needed. I want to be able to include the right cards to beat everything. I’m greedy and I want to beat every matchup and get as much consistency as possible. If you’re committing seven or so cards to the mill package, you’re leaving yourself open to something.
When working with [card name=”Team Yell Grunt” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”184″ c=”name”][/card], one of the first things I noticed is how important it is to keep Energy off [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]. With only four Team Yell Grunt and four [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card], this deck was under a lot of pressure when going second. When this was still a Mill deck, I immediately added in copies of [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card] and one [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], inclusions that no other lists used. These additions dramatically improved consistency and made it incredibly easy to start removing Energy on the first turn, which is required against Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX. The previous version could always use [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] to remove the Dedenne-GX from play. This list now runs Lightning Energy to accomplish the same thing via Tingly Return GX.
As said earlier, the overall goal is to run the opponent completely out of Energy. Once you’ve slowly drained their resources, they will inevitably deck out. Against decks that can recover Energy, Girafarig provides a win condition. Allow me to explain some of the card choices. The consistency engine is basically the same established one that regular Mill decks use, with the exception of Pokegear 3.0 over Tag Call, so I won’t be explaining every single card.
Considerations
One Ditto Prism Star
The inclusion of [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] without any tech Stage-1 Pokemon is an odd one. It’s merely a fifth [card name=”Minccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] to improve early-game consistency. It also makes [card name=”Great Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] more likely to find a Minccino (including Ditto Prism Star). This substantially improves the process of getting multiple [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] into play quickly. The Ditto Prism Star may also scare opponents into thinking there’s something like [card name=”Persian” set=”Team Up” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Magneton” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] coming. The only tech Stage-1 I would consider would be [card name=”Slowking” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], which would also require playing Water Energy over Lightning.
[cardimg name=”Girafarig” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”94″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
One Girafarig LOT
[card name=”Girafarig” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] is so strong in this deck that I’d consider running two. By cutting the Mill package, we’ve admittedly made the [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] matchup a bit worse. However, Girafarig makes up for that, as it is crucial in many matchups. It’s sometimes useful against Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX with Oranguru, as it can send cards such as Energy, [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card], and anything else to the Lost Zone. Girafarig is absolutely needed against Mill decks to get rid of their Energy, which would otherwise be infinite. The same goes for Malamar. Furthermore, Girafarig can cripple [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card]. Aside from exiling Energy, it can also deprive Mewtwo and Mew-GX of its troublesome attackers such as [card name=”Alolan Raticate-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”160″ c=”from”][/card], [card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”56″ c=”from”][/card], and [card name=”Trevenant and Dusknoir-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM217″ c=”name”][/card].
One Wobbuffet LOT
The [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is already included in some Mill lists. It stops [card name=”Victini Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card], which is otherwise extremely problematic. Get Lost only gets rid of two Energy at a time, which is too slow against the likes of [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] Box that plays up to 18 Energy. Additionally, Wobbuffet stops opposing Ditto Prism Star, which some decks may use to transform into Naganadel-GX. This also works against Mill decks that may use Ditto to evolve into [card name=”Magneton” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card]. Finally, it slows down [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM168″ c=”name”][/card] by shutting off [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. This, in itself, is a form of Energy control.
Articuno-GX
[card name=”Articuno-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] is not currently in the list but it is the next thing that I want to try out. I haven’t got around to it yet, but it seems like it could be useful. It would require running Water Energy instead of Lightning Energy, but that is fine. I would try cutting a [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] for it.
One Tate and Liza
[card name=”Tate and Liza” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] is a great inclusion in decks like this because it provides an easily-reusable switch effect. If one [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] is in play and the other is prized, you’ll probably end up needing to use Tate and Liza at some point. It’s better than a third Air Balloon for a few reasons. It has synergy with [card name=”Lt. Surge’s Strategy” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s more versatile, and it doesn’t stay in play. Also, the draw effect isn’t bad if you’re forced to use it.
One Faba
[card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] is in the deck to remove the [card name=”Recycle Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”212″ c=”name”][/card] of opposing mill decks. It is also useful against pesky Stadiums such as [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card], as well as Tools such as [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s also another denial option against [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] if they are playing the Special Energy version.
Two Lt. Surge’s Strategy
Mill’s double [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] play is replaced in this deck by the double [card name=”Team Yell Grunt” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”184″ c=”name”][/card], which is a powerful control play. Lt. Surge’s Strategy is needed to facilitate the double Yell Grunt play. Although Lt. Surge’s Strategy is flexible in that it combos with other Supporters, it wouldn’t be in the deck if double Team Yell Grunt wasn’t such a crucial part.
Three Cynthia and Caitlin
Even without [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] is still the preferred draw Supporter. It doesn’t force us to exchange our hand, as we are trying to build a large hand by straight drawing through the deck. It also recovers useful Supporters while drawing cards, so there isn’t much more we can ask for.
Four Lillie’s Poke Doll
In this deck, [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t buying time for double Bellelba and Brycen-Man plays. Instead, it’s serving as fodder while we build our hand to reach our optimal game state. It also is useful to buy time to recover from [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card], or as a pivot out of Tingly Return GX. Lillie’s Poke Doll are slightly weaker in this deck than in Mill, but they’re still worth using.
One Stealthy Hood
[card name=”Stealthy Hood” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] is a tech against [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] Box. It prevents [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Team Up” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] from gusting up [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], which keeps [card name=”Victini Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] from attacking. The combination of Wobbuffet and Stealthy Hood beats Welder Box.
Matchups
Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX – Favorable
[cardimg name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX is one of this deck’s best matchups. Even now that some lists are playing [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card], the matchup is still fine. It’s incredibly hard for them to pull off an Altered Creation GX, and even harder to follow up with an Ultimate Ray. If they’re able to do both of those, then things start to get a little dicey. The max counts of Team Yell Grunts and [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] are effective at preventing that deck from attacking. If they play Oranguru and start using Resource Management, you’re going to want to 3HKO it with [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card]’s Energy Assist. You may have to transition into your own Resource Management in between attacks though to make sure Energy is kept off of their attackers. Energy Switch is good against this control deck, but it isn’t a huge issue overall. The Energy denial strategy works more often than not.
Mill – Depends
The Mill matchup can range from highly favorable to slightly unfavorable. It depends on the opponent’s list and their approach to the matchup. They will likely be drawing through their deck and using Bellelba and Brycen-Man. Eventually, they’ll be forced to use Resource Management. When that happens, you want to have Crushing Hammer ready to use them and [card name=”Girafarig” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]’s Get Lost in the same turn. This combo will allow you to permanently get rid of the opponent’s Basic Energy. [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] is for their [card name=”Recycle Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”212″ c=”name”][/card], like I said earlier. However, if the opponent also runs Faba and Girafarig, they can do the same to you. The worst case scenario is the opponent hitting Energy off Bellelba and Brycen-Man and being prepared to use Girafarig on the same turn. You want to play slightly more conservatively than your opponent so that they will be forced to attach Energy first. If the opponent plays correctly and has the right techs, then it comes down to luck. Playing more Basic Energy would be a solid way to beat Mill, but there isn’t much space to allow for that.
Other – Favorable
There are tons of other mid-tier decks in the current format, and most of them are susceptible to Energy denial. Girafarig and Faba deal with decks that would normally be able to recover resources, such as [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. Wobbuffet takes care of Victini Prism Star. An onslaught of Crushing Hammer and [card name=”Team Yell Grunt” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”184″ c=”name”][/card] should be able to beat everything else normally.
Conclusion
Keep playing Pokemon! Sure, it stinks that in-person events are no longer being held, and a lot of people don’t like Mill, but the game is still fun. There are plenty of online tournaments, both for fun and for prizes, and there’s a new set that’s about to come out. If you’re trying to win or just like control decks, try out my take on [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] Control! If you’re looking for something new, fun, and pretty strong, give [card name=”Beheeyem” set=”Unified Minds” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] a go.
Thanks for reading! I hope this article was helpful. All of the decks I’ve talked about are incredibly strong, if a bit degenerate. Stay safe everyone!
–Grant
[/premium]