Not the Toxin You’re Expecting — Toxtricity VMAX

By: Caleb Gedemer · Posted Posted onMay 6, 2020 at 1:49 PM · 0 Comments

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

With Rebel Clash finally dropping on PTCGO, [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is all the rage online now. Will it be the only successful Pokemon VMAX? Another promising card to come from the set is [card name=”Toxtricity VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card]! The same 320 HP is a huge plus, as is Toxtricity VMAX’s hard-hitting attack. G-Max Riot’s Two Lightning and one Colorless Energy is a big ask, but keep in mind that Lightning-type Pokemon have some of the best Energy acceleration the Standard format has to offer. This deck is a little higher maintenance than Dragapult VMAX, but its upside is a nearly unlimited damage output. G-Max Riot starts off at 240 damage, add 10 more to that from Poison damage, then more as needed with [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] was practically made for this deck, it works as a damage modifier and the “unlocking key” for G-Max Riot. A little-known promo, there’s actually another [card name=”Toxtricity V” set=”Sword and Shield Black Star Promos” no=”SWSH017″ c=”name”][/card] with a different moveset for your attacking needs. This deck gets the support of other Lightning Pokemon like [card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] for free Retreat Cost and benefits from [card name=”Speed L Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card], literally speeding you up while counting as your Energy attachment for turn.

So why is another “Stage-1″ Pokemon with a bulky attack cost good? The damage output is astounding and should be enough to overwhelm a variety of metagame decks, such as but not limited to [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]. When exploring archetypes from a new set, it’s a good idea to start by practicing against the best deck from the last format; this deck holds up to it if you set up well and avoid putting down your two-Prize Pokemon. Playing those down creates an out for your opponent, because 320 HP is far too much for the average list to handle. In any case, against other stuff like [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card], you’re a better version of their deck: you swing for more and have more HP.

The key to making this Pokemon VMAX competitive is to focus on consistency. If you lack in that department, you’ll be missing attachments, missing evolutionary plays and falling behind. Speed L Energy helps out a lot in that department, as does the inclusion of [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card]. You’re able to set up while keeping your two-Prize Pokemon off the field in games where they are liabilities. Here’s my current list for starters:

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Toxtricity VMAX Deck List

[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Eldegoss V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”19″][pokemon amt=”17″]3x [card name=”Toxtricity V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Toxtricity V” set=”Sword and Shield Black Star Promos” no=”SWSH017″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Toxtricity VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Eldegoss V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”19″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”31″]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]2x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ 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=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]8x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]4x [card name=”Speed L Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Three Toxtricity V, One Toxtricity V (SWSH017), and Three Toxtricity VMAX

I like the [card name=”Toxtricity V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] split for a few reasons. The three-of have a single Lighting Energy attack that inflicts Poison, sometimes nice for chip damage. While underpowered at 20 damage, you can ramp this up with Electropower. This can be useful on the first turn if you deem it wise to go for the turn 1 attack. You can one-shot a [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] with two Electropower, or get it Knocked Out by Poison damage after two in-between turns phases with one Electropower. Electric Riot is a solid attack, 180 damage if your opponent’s Active Pokemon is Poisoned is nothing to scoff at. The slightly unorthodox call here is the one-of [card name=”Toxtricity V” set=”Sword and Shield Black Star Promos” no=”SWSH017″ c=”name”][/card]. If you’re in a pinch, Energize is very good for setting up a three Energy attack. You can pick and choose which one to use depending on the situation. I’d usually start by searching out the three-ofs, opting to save the one-of for later if you need to take the slower route to powering up another Toxtricity VMAX. Three Toxtricity VMAX is pretty consistent and you’d usually like to play another Item search card before playing the fourth. There’s some argument to play a fourth copy to bolster the expected value of your [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] set, but for now three has been fine. You’re never going to use more than two in a game, you literally can’t without some [card name=”Shedinja” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] shenanigans or something, so three is just right.

Three Trubbish and Two Garbodor

I need to test it more, but one of the ways to hinder this deck is by using [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] to drag up [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card]. When this happens under ideal circumstances for your opponent, they may be able to get ahead on Prizes. The way this works is if they have something that you can’t Knock Out in return after Garbodor is down and then you have to two-shot their Active Pokemon. Having three [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] lets you put two into play at a time and have one for later if your Garbodor goes down. Not only is this a necessary safeguard to a very important piece of your deck, but it’s another out to finding Trubbish—I never hate more consistency! Furthermore, the more Pokemon you play the better your Pokemon Communication plays become.

Two Dedenne-GX and One Eldegoss V

I like these three as the go-to support Pokemon package for almost every deck. [card name=”Eldegoss V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”19″ c=”name”][/card] is very good, a searchable Boss’s Orders is fantastic (provided you have one in the discard pile). It gives a little wiggle room to discard Supporter cards. [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is good for a deck like this that wants to get Lightning Energy into the discard pile to accelerate with [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]’s Dance of the Ancients Ability. I could see going down to one Dedenne-GX potentially, but that would only be a desperate space-saving measure or if you were running into annoying spots where you lost because you had too many two-Prize Pokemon in play.

One Zeraora-GX, Two Switch, and Two Air Balloon

Lots of switching cards is a good idea for these bulky Pokemon VMAX decks. When you’re relying on tanking out, why not make it harder for your opponent to finish the job? Moving around to a full HP Toxtricity VMAX is a defensive move that will win you games. Not only that, but there are a few undesirable Pokemon you won’t want it the Active in this deck like Garbodor. That’s where [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]’s Thunderclap Zone Ability helps. Zeraora-GX doubles as a decent attacker, especially for its Full Voltage GX attack to build up more Toxtricity VMAX.

Four Quick Ball and Four Pokemon Communication

Maxing [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] is a must in nearly every Standard deck and many Expanded decks. Pokemon Communication is iffier though, the second best option is [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card], but that’s sketchy as well. While Pokemon Communication doesn’t have a whole lot of Pokemon to work with in this specific list (17 total), it’s better than Evolution Incense. It can get Basic Pokemon and finding a first turn Toxtricity V is extremely important as you need to get ready to attack as soon as possible. Unfortunately there’s nothing better right now and unless I get extremely frustrated with Pokemon Communication, it is optimal.

Eight Lightning Energy and Four Speed L Energy

Playing a moderate number of Lightning Energy to get them into the discard pile off Acro Bike or off a Quick Ball is a must with a Tapu Koko Prism Star-centric deck. [card name=”Speed L Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] is a consistency card as far as any yellow deck is concerned, so maxing those out is a given. You could maybe go as low as six Lightning Energy, but I’ve opted for more—the more you have the more consistent you’ll be.

Other Deck Options

Boltund V and / or Tapu Koko V

[cardimg name=”Boltund V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”67″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

A secondary attacker is an option for a deck like this, Lightning-type is versatile in structure because Tapu Koko Prism Star can snowball out any like-colored attacker. Both [card name=”Boltund V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Tapu Koko V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card] seem to be the best second-in-command choices, however I don’t think Toxtricity VMAX needs a running mate to begin with. The only logic that makes sense to play one of these would be if you wanted a two Prize Pokemon to send in between two Toxtricity VMAX, but in that case you could use a Toxtricity V itself. I’d like to briefly mention the potential for a completely different Toxtricity VMAX build, one playing [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]. I have no idea how this would work and it might be too clunky, but the general idea would be to get a Full Blitz as soon as you can, then shift to Toxtricity VMAX. A streamlined approach is more consistent if nothing else, but the merit to a hybrid build is there—it’s something worth trying out.

Dust Island, Galar Mine and / or Viridan Forest

Each of these has a unique argument for it to be played in this deck. [card name=”Dust Island” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”168″ c=”name”][/card] is the worst, you don’t care if something that is afflicted with Poison switches out other than the single damage counter in-between turns. You can use Garbodor’s Poisonous Puddle Ability on your opponent’s new Active Pokemon. While there could be some relevant fringe math here, it’s unlikely and I don’t think it’s worth the space. [card name=”Galar Mine” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] is more interesting to me. Since you have Zeraora-GX to freely retreat your Pokemon with Lightning Energy attached, Galar Mine could create awkward situations for your opponent. However, I don’t see this mattering much. The one big thing is [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], but most decks play Stadium bumps to the point where so early in the game with few if any Stadium cards discarded, this card would turn out to be dead most of the time. The best of these is [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]. It grants you another way to get Lightning Energy in hand and into your discard pile for Dance of the Ancients. This would be the next consistency card I would look to add if I wanted more.

Great Catcher

Never a bad card if you’re looking for more pop in your deck. I think Boss’s Orders outclasses it and [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card] is only if you’re looking for a Dedenne-GX snatcher.

Reset Stamp

I could see this being powerful in this deck since you do play a three-Prize Pokemon main attacker and plenty of two-Prize Pokemon. After giving up one of each, you can [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] an opponent down to one hand card. This reminds me of early [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] lists without Reset Stamp and how they eventually shifted to playing it. I could see something similar happening with Toxtricity VMAX, but for now I have skipped it in favor of more proactive cards as Reset Stamp is reactive.

Stadium Nav

It’s an extra out to finding [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card]. I’d only play one [card name=”Stadium Nav” set=”Unified Minds” no=”208″ c=”name”][/card], but you’d double your chances of finding your all-important Stadium.

Tool Scrapper

A consideration in any Standard format deck. Two-for-one card, great against almost everything. [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”168″ c=”name”][/card] gets rid of [card name=”Giant Bomb” set=”Unified Minds” no=”196″ c=”name”][/card] against [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. Might be worth playing.

Capture Energy

This is a cute idea I had when I was first building this deck, but I never tried it out. Since you have a Colorless Energy in G-Max Riot, you can afford to attach a non-Lightning Energy. On the first turn especially, [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] would be amazing to have in the deck. It becomes a “free” Quick Ball, and more outs to [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] or another [card name=”Toxtricity V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card]. The only problem is that it’s not a Basic Lightning Energy and thus Tapu Koko Prism Star doesn’t like it very much. Speed L Energy can arguably be a better attachment on the first turn if you have the choice, drawing two cards could net you the Basic Pokemon you want. Capture Energy might be worth checking out, maybe as a two-of so you can play at least six Lightning Energy?

Playing the Deck

This deck is functionally similar to Dragapult VMAX, at least in the setup sense. You can’t afford to miss Energy attachments, there’s twelve Energy in the deck to see to that. The thing I’ve found the most daunting is the early game; with a Pokemon VMAX you have a bit of a lull before you start doing anything significant. So like any slower deck, you need to keep your opening turns consistent with a goal in mind. First things first, getting a Toxtricity V into play should be your first step.

  • Find a Toxtricity V
  • Find a Lightning Energy
    • There is a small window to miss, if you get extremely lucky you can use [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]’s Dance of the Ancients, attach for turn, and drop Thunder Mountain Prism Star to power up G-Max Riot in one turn
  • Find a Trubbish

From there the rest is simple. Evolve where necessary and pick what you’re going to Knock Out to win the game. These Pokemon VMAX decks lose their edge when you don’t get the the Evolution Pokemon up turn 2. That edge falls off further when you miss an Energy attachment, but unlike Dragapult VMAX, you have the possibility to make up for that with your Energy acceleration. [card name=”Team Yell Grunt” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”184″ c=”name”][/card] would add some value in this deck, but since you do have a combo in your deck to build an attack all in one turn it doesn’t make sense to play such a slow Supporter.

There’s some new calculations with [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card]. Big numbers to remember are (you have a base 250 damage after Poison): a single Electropower to Knock Out an [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] or a whopping three to take down a 320 HP Pokemon VMAX. With two against a 320 HP Pokemon, you could play [card name=”Vitality Band” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] and/or [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] to supplement your damage and complete the job at a cheaper cost. However, with two Electropower played you’ll force them to switch out their Active Pokemon or it will be Knocked Out from Poison going into your turn. Most common Basic Pokemon of lower HP like the 220 HP [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] or the 190 HP [card name=”Heatran-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] can be taken down without any Electropower. Electropower is almost completely reserved for Tag Team Pokemon-GX or Pokemon VMAX. Remember, you don’t actually need to Poison something to deal significant damage. You can do 160 damage without [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] to assist in your quest for Prizes. Two Electropower with your true base damage is 220, enough to fell a Zacian V. Long story short, this deck is a powerhouse that will rival any other offensive threat. Its biggest weakness is getting to attack in the first place with the relatively high cost, but [card name=”Speed L Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] assist in moving things along and seeing you more cards.

A few other janky ideas you could try out are [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card], serving as another way to get additional Energy into play. The biggest thing this deck has going for it is the ability to trade favorably with Dragapult VMAX, you deal more damage and they can’t compete without running Giant Bomb. We’ll see how that inclusion pans out, I think it’s great, but I’ve seen a lot of lists neglecting it. On those turns you can of course use [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”168″ c=”name”][/card] (if you play it) to get around it altogether. Single Prize Pokemon decks will be rough matchups because of your high cost to attack and no advantage gained other than big Knock Outs. Dragapult VMAX is a little different with the spread damage, you can get ahead on Prizes by Knocking Out multiple little Pokemon at once.

Conclusion

It looks like [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Toxtricity VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] were destined to rival each other in Rebel Clash. These two juggernaut Pokemon VMAX look to be defining forces in the new Standard format and I can’t wait to keep playing them and making edits. I don’t think Toxtricity V MAX can do well in Expanded, although you do have [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] to save space by cutting Garbodor. [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] boosts your damage output further, but the clunkiness in comparison to turbo decks seems like a huge downside that will lose you games. You can [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] to set up other attackers, so there is some potential. It might be worth testing out, if not, this deck does look good for Standard at the very least! Hit me up in the Subscribers’ Hideout if you want to talk about this deck or anything else, I’m always happy to help. Thanks for reading and please continue to be safe, inside. Until next time, be well.

Peace,

–-Caleb

Follow me on Twitter @shredemerptcg.

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