This Time in Single Prizers — Falinks and Lost March

Hey everyone! Although we are now well into the era of Pokemon VMAX, today I want to focus on a good old low-HP, single-Prize-attacker deck: [card name=”Falinks” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]. Remember those [card name=”Passimian” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] decks from a couple seasons back? Falinks plays similarly, but with the tools available to it in the current format, I believe it has a chance to be even better than Passimian was.

The main difference between Falinks and Passimian is the existence of [card name=”Falinks V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card]. It counts as a “Falinks” for the purposes of Falinks’s Team Attack attack, so with a Bench of five in combination of Falinks and Falinks V, you can do as much as 150 damage before any other modifiers. The other important aspect of Falinks V is its Ability: Iron Defense Formation. This makes it harder for some attacks to Knock Out even the feeble 90 HP Falinks. The concept has the potential to be an aggressive single-Prize archetype, something I’ve sorely missed for a while. There have been single-Prize decks in recent years, but not one like this that can pop off and operate at full efficiency on the first turn of the game. A single-Prize deck that can ramp up to big numbers quickly has a place in the metagame, even if it’s not the BDIF.

[cardimg name=”Twin Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”174″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

One other single-Prize deck that has seen some hype with the release of [card name=”Twin Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”174″ c=”name”][/card] is Lost March. The trade-off between Lost March and Falinks is that the former can do more damage while the latter is faster and more consistent to set up (since it does not involve Evolution). In this article, I’ll be profiling both of these decks, as I think single-Prize decks are worth examining in any format because they will always be a threat to decks that do not trade favorably with them—namely, decks that revolve around Pokemon-GX or Pokemon V. The release of [card name=”Twin Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”174″ c=”name”][/card] has been a valuable change to make these types of decks viable once again.

An aside on Twin Energy: it is far more “fair” than its predecessor, [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card], and I think it strikes the right balance between allowing fast, consistent single-Prize decks to flourish while not lending undue strength to two-Prize or three-Prize archetypes. My hope is that Twin Energy, in combination with more diverse single-Prize attackers in future sets, will help lead to a diverse metagame for the rest of this season and into 2021.

Anyway, let’s kick things off with my Lost March list!

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Lost March

[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Cottonee” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”147″][pokemon amt=”28″]4x [card name=”Trumbeak” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Hoppip” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”12″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Skiploom” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”13″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Jumpluff” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”14″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Emolga” set=”Team Up” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Natu” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”87″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cottonee” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Phione” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oricorio-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Eldegoss V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”19″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”25″]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lost Blender” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”181″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Net Ball” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”187″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]4x [card name=”Twin Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”174″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Card Explanations

Four Emolga and Four Pokemon Communication

I played some games without [card name=”Emolga” set=”Team Up” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] and they went much worse than expected. Lost March can be clunky without Nuzzly Gathering to help set up plays with Pokemon Communication to find your Evolution lines. Emolga’s free Retreat Cost is an added bonus, giving you a “pivot” Pokemon after Knock Outs.

Two Natu and Two Cottonee

These two attackers are used to hit Weakness in certain matchups. [card name=”Cottonee” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] is for [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]; [card name=”Natu” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”87″ c=”name”][/card] is for [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ve found this count of four attackers that use [card name=”Twin Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”174″ c=”name”][/card] to be optimal. Adding any more Pokemon into the list starts to produce far too many unplayable hands for the deck to be viable.

One Phione

While in the late game you might be able to one-shot most Pokemon; the early game is a lot tougher to get through. [card name=”Phione” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]’s Whirlpool Suction Ability keeps your opponent on their toes and helps you score cheap Knock Outs on the “sacrificial” Pokemon you’ll often force them to promote. Phione is also nice to have when facing a deck that uses [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card].

One Oricorio-GX, One Oranguru, and One Eldegoss V

These are my support Pokemon of choice. [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is a close second to [card name=”Oricorio-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card]; I’ve only been playing Oricorio-GX because you can use it multiple times and adding to your hand (rather than discarding it all) has proven to be incredibly good with this deck. [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] lets you avoid bad discards when you are forced to make them, and the extra card draw is a nice bonus when you’re in a pickle, since sometimes one live card off the top of the deck can make or break a hand with this deck. [card name=”Eldegoss V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”19″ c=”name”][/card] is amazing consistency in a deck that already plays [card name=”Net Ball” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card], so I would not cut it.

[cardimg name=”Eldegoss V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”19″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Four Lost Blender

It’s a shame I’ve seen some lists play less than the maximum four [card name=”Lost Blender” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”181″ c=”name”][/card]–those lists will not be very consistent and won’t hit for the big early-game numbers this list can pump out. It’s a slight consistency boost as well, so having it for that purpose never hurts either.

Four Evolution Incense

I play [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] instead of [card name=”Great Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] because Great Ball doesn’t always find what you need. In the early game, when your deck is the least thin, you are most concerned with finding [card name=”Skiploom” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card] and putting Pokemon into the Lost Zone. Evolution Incense accomplishes both of these (the latter by searching out [card name=”Trumbeak” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card].) It’s a great consistency card and I’ve found its inability to search out Basic Pokemon is compensated for by the high count of Pokemon Communication and Net Ball.

One Ordinary Rod, Four Twin Energy, and Three Grass Energy

This has been a nice Energy/recovery line. [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] is like a “fourth” Grass Energy, and four of each Energy has been enough by my standards. I could see cutting down to two Grass Energy if you’re desperate for some additional space. Six Energy is the lowest I would go, as that translates to six attacks (six KOs, six Prizes).

Other options

Dedenne-GX

This is harder draw–if you’re feeling risky or like the little extra pop that Dedechange provides, you might prefer this instead of, or in addition to, Oricorio-GX. I don’t think think running more than two two-Prize Pokemon is advisable since the difference between your opponent needing to take three versus four KOs can be game-changing. I’m sticking with just Oricorio-GX and Eldegoss V.

Whimsicott and Diantha

[card name=”Whimsicott” set=”Unified Minds” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] lets you evolve your Cottonee and get a bit more HP, and also gives you some more Lost Blender fodder. If you’re all in on this Fairy-centered build of the deck, you might also want to add [card name=”Diantha” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] for some extra recovery, flexibility, and the surprise factor. I think this package is too slow and inconsistent, so I’d avoid it, but it’s still an option to keep in mind.

Great Ball, Quick Ball, and Turffield Stadium

I think the Item consistency engine in my list above is perfectly fine without any of these cards. that I’m playing beat it out for me. I’d only play Great Ball if I were to forego the Emolga engine. [card name=”Turffield Stadium” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card] is a nice additional out to Skiploom, but my playset of Evolution Incense has been fine for that; honestly, the better use of Turffield Stadium is just to bump opposing Stadiums. (It’s never bad to get rid of [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card], for instance.) Being able to get Trumbeak with Evolution Incense is more valuable than playing Turffield Stadium just for Skiploom, so I think I’d skip this card. I have been messing around with a split of two Evolution Incense and two [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] but it has not been spectacular.

Professor Elm’s Lecture

Another way you can play Lost March is with a slower [card name=”Professor Elm’s Lecture” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”188″ c=”name”][/card] engine. I don’t think this build makes the deck competitive enough to keep up with the rest of the format. The current format is centered around Item consistency and fast, discard-based draw, and I don’t think Lost March should be seen any differently.

Tool Scrapper

[card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”168″ c=”name”][/card] is the only real out to [card name=”Big Charm” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Metal Frying Pan” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card], both of which can sometimes be a pain.

Playing the Deck

If there’s any specific advice to be given regarding playing this deck, it’s this: don’t be afraid of spending a lot of resources to set up aggressively. You can’t afford to fall too far behind, and at some point in most matchups you will probably have to stretch for an OHKO. To OHKO a Pokemon VMAX, you might need something like 16 Pokemon in the Lost Zone, and that’s not going to happen unless you’ve been working at it throughout the whole game. That’s a lot to ask for!

Prioritize finding [card name=”Hoppip” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] early. Your beginning damage output can be lackluster, so fine-tuning your play to look for as many Lost Zone targets as possible is essential. Try to map your Prizes to make taking KOs easier, as sometimes Knocking Out one three-Prize, one two-Prize, and one one-Prize Pokemon can be easier than Knocking Out two three-Prize Pokemon.

Falinks

[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″][pokemon amt=”9″]4x [card name=”Falinks V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Falinks” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”39″]4x [card name=”Sonia” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”167″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Team Yell Grunt” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”184″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”159″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Karate Belt” set=”Unified Minds” no=”201″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Gain” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”170″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Martial Arts Dojo” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]5x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”5″][/card]4x [card name=”Twin Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”174″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Card Explanations

One Diancie Prism Star

[card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] is kind of like a “ninth [card name=”Falinks” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]”. While not quite as good as an actual Falinks or [card name=”Falinks V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], it is another out in the deck that can be grabbed with Quick Ball to boost your damage a bit.

Four Sonia

I didn’t think [card name=”Sonia” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card] would find a home, but Falinks seems to be the perfect deck for it. Being able to grab two Falinks and some Energy is sometimes all you need to get rolling. Since this list runs [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], it’s okay to use these slower Supporters since you have a bit of Item-based draw and the deck’s setup is so simple.

Two Team Yell Grunt and Four Crushing Hammer

[cardimg name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This has felt like a fine split, though I could see playing as many as four [card name=”Team Yell Grunt” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”184″ c=”name”][/card]. I wouldn’t go below four [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] though. The main idea behind these Energy denial cards is to give yourself a shot against [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] lists that aren’t playing [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] or other forms of Energy acceleration, but they are useful in a variety of matchups. Energy denial can often be an alternate win condition in Pokemon, especially against players who have not played optimally.

Two Air Balloon

At first I had a couple of [card name=”Switch” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] in here, but [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] is better. Not every Falinks or Falinks V will need a [card name=”Counter Gain” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Karate Belt” set=”Unified Minds” no=”201″ c=”name”][/card] on it, so throwing an Air Balloon on one to serve as a pivot is easy to do. Two copies is fine.

One Karate Belt and One Counter Gain

As a deck that tries to grind out games with consistency rather than hitting big damage, Falinks will often fall behind early, which activates Counter Gain and Karate Belt. Both of these actually increase the consistency of the deck by allowing you to attack easier at certain stages of the game, and they also increase the flexibility of the deck in terms of the attacks you have available.

Three Martial Arts Dojo

More damage is always nice. Three [card name=”Martial Arts Dojo” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] has felt like a good number. And can boost a full-Bench Team Attack to 160 or 190 damage, which can be crucial for two-shotting Pokemon VMAX. 190 is also enough to KO most support Pokemon in the format.

Five Fighting Energy, Four Twin Energy, and Three Capture Energy

This has been a great Energy lineup. I love that [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] has great utility in this deck: it provides the consistency of [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] but it can also power your attack for the turn in combination with Counter Gain or Karate Belt. Four [card name=”Twin Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”174″ c=”name”][/card] is a must, since you want to use Team Attack as often as possible in most matchups. I think running Fighting Energy is necessary because attacking with Falinks V is very important in certain matchups.

Other Options

Weezing and Roxie

This is an interesting damage supplement and draw package, all in one. I like that [card name=”Roxie” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”205″ c=”name”][/card] lets you build up your hand rather than discard it with [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Weezing” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]’s Blow-Away Bomb Ability can help build up to a big one-hit Knock Out, but crucially, it won’t be too helpful against Pokemon VMAX. This is why I’ve stayed away from this package in my list.

Cynthia

Just another draw Supporter option, but I don’t think [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] is better than Sonia. I’d rather guarantee my damage output/setup with a slower Supporter than wing it with a shuffle-draw Supporter and hope to hit what I could otherwise ensure. As a single-Prize deck, you can afford to play a little slower with Supporters.

Reset Stamp

This could be cool as additional disruption on top of the Energy denial. Using [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] to put their hand to one card can often come up since you are playing a single-Prize deck.

Tool Scrapper

This has the same merit in this deck as it does in Lost March, just a nice answer to [card name=”Metal Frying Pan” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Big Charm” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card].

Vitality Band

[card name=”Vitality Band” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] can provide even more damage, but it doesn’t really do anything [card name=”Martial Arts Dojo” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] can’t, and since I already have three other important Pokemon Tools in the deck, I wouldn’t add this one.

Playing the Deck

[card name=”Falinks” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] is as simple as it gets. The setup is very straightforward: search out your Falinks and Falinks V, fill your Bench, and find some combination of Energy and Tools that allows you to attack. The Energy denial package is a huge part of why this deck can be successful. While its simple setup and consistent (but low) damage output alone might not make it top-tier, the fact that you can combine these traits with a lot of disruptive cards without losing too much consistency is good.

Conclusion

The biggest problem the two decks in this article have right now is the top-tier status of [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. Energy denial in Falinks is a good answer to it, but if more Dragapult VMAX players start including Malamar or [card name=”Bede” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card], even Energy denial won’t be a satisfying answer. Lost March might just remain a gimmick if it can’t beat Dragapult VMAX or if nothing else arises to counter Dragapult VMAX; there is no effective way to beat damage counter spread without hurting the deck’s consistency.

In either case, though, it’s great to see “[card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card]” back in the game in a more balanced form! Twin Energy is an exciting newcomer and I’m looking forward to playing more Falinks, my favorite of these two archetypes. As always, hit me up in the Subscribers’ Hideout if you’d like to chat about this article or anything else Pokemon. Take care!

–Caleb

Follow me on Twitter @shredemerptcg.

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