A Dog and a Mouse — A Look at Two Updated Standard Picks
[cardimg name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Greetings, everyone! I hope everyone has enjoyed the Pokemon scene picking up the pace a little bit, from more consistent online qualifiers to the PTCGO Player’s Cup. While the setup of the Player’s Cup is not great and something I am unable to participate in due to a severe lack of event tickets, it is nice for something for players to compete for. It makes the Standard format feel a little bit more relevant for sure, and has players competing and preparing similar to if it were a real life event. Recent online events have been a great success as well, with the turnouts being absolutely huge, and strong contenders for the best decks have been solidified in the process. I have been playing around with some of the most popular and best performing decks, along with a personal favorite, so I definitely have some thoughts to share with you all. For starters, I will be going over the potential best deck in format: Combo [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card]. From there, I will be talking about a deck that is not nearly as dominant: [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] Control. With that being said, there should be something for everyone included below, and I won’t delay the start of things any further.
[premium]
The BDIF? – Combo Zacian V
[decklist name=”Zacian-V” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″][pokemon amt=”16″]4x [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x Mr. Mime (DET #11)2x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi Prism Star” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dusk Mane Necrozma” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Fini” set=”Unified Minds” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Switch” set=”Evolutions” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Metal Saucer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”170″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Friend Ball” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”131″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”168″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]11x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
This deck was previously pretty under looked, but has very recently had some strong results in online events, with Azul and Taketo facing off in a mirror match in the finals of a large online tournament. This got people taking a closer look at the deck, myself included, and I think it is here for the long haul. It is not easily countered due to the aggressiveness of the combo and the consistency of the deck. Additionally, the deck currently has a couple techs for the meta it has to handle, and those can change with time if need be. All of this, combined with the fact that it doesn’t have an auto-loss, make it a very real threat.
Card Choices
Two Oranguru, Two Mr. Mime, and One Jirachi Prism Star
[cardimg name=”Jirachi Prism Star” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”97″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This is the “combo” part of the deck, which allows you to take additional prize cards with each of your knockouts. Generally, you will only use the combo 1-2 times per game, with a shot at doing it more than that against single-Prize attacking decks. You are able to use [card name=”Jirachi Prism Star” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] more than once thanks to [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card]. This is something I talked about in my last article, but labeled it as just short of being a viable part of a deck, but I have definitely been proven wrong by this deck.
Dusk Mane Necrozma, Tapu Fini
These are tech attackers that have their times to shine in certain matchups. [card name=”Dusk Mane Necrozma” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM107″ c=”name”][/card] is strong against [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] because Dusk Shot is a great way to setup a threatening Pikachu and Zekrom-GX for a KO with a Zacian V. This is esepcially strong in the early game because you could attack with Dusk Shot as early as turn 1 and you can hit the Pikachu and Zekrom-GX while it is on the Bench as well. This lets you then attack with a Zacian V to KO the Pikachu and Zekrom-GX to eliminate a huge threat from the board and take three Prizes. Additionally, the Dusk Mane Necrozma being a one-Prize attacker is very beneficial to the prize trade. [card name=”Tapu Fini” set=”Unified Minds” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] is used against baby [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card], which you are able to keep up with thanks to this Tapu Fini, [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card], and the combo. You can beat them without it, but it is hard to stream attackers and win the Prize trade without an efficient one prize attacker.
Mewtwo
This card is another previous uncommon tech that has been put in the spotlight by Scoop Up Net. Previously, [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] was only seen in [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] decks that made use of [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card], which was only prominent around the time period of Atlantic City and Knoxville Regionals this past season. Now, it is used in a majority of decks that include Scoop Up Net. This allows decks to play a low count of [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] and Marnie, but still make use of them as much as they like for the most part. These cards are very strong in certain situations, so having continuous access to them, similar to [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Supreme Victors” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], is strong.
Great Catcher
Thanks to the combo, this deck can win with few knockouts, so having access to gust effects is strong! [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card] means taking two Prizes, and you only need to take four outside of the combo to win a game. Having Great Catcher in addition to Boss’s Orders make it so that you can take a cheap KO pretty much every turn you want to, and you aren’t limited to having to use a Supporter to bring up their Pokemon if you need to do so. Great Catcher can only bring up Pokemon-GX, but most decks play [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], so you will have a decent shot at finding a target regardless of the matchup.
Friend Ball
[card name=”Friend Ball” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] is a card that has seen minimal play in the past, the only time I remember it being used was in a certain [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] build, but it has a lot of different search targets in this deck. You have a lot of different types of Pokemon in this deck, and they are the most popular types in competitive play right now. This makes sure you pretty much always get value out of this card in a game, which essentially makes it an additional (and free!) [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card]. Who doesn’t like the thought of that?
Tool Scrapper
This card has quite a few uses, so the inclusion of [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”168″ c=”name”][/card] makes sense in this list. Not all decks have a ton of uses for it, but this is one that has a few specific reasons for it’s inclusion. For starters, looking over recent online qualifiers, Tool Scrapper seems like a good way to handle [card name=”Metal Goggles” set=”Team Up” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card], which otherwise will be a pain in the mirror match. You can definitely gust around it, but Tool Scrapper is a good way to address the threat at hand. Additionally, many decks are still running around with [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], and Tool Scrapper can help limit the movement of that. Finally, [card name=”Giant Bomb” set=”Unified Minds” no=”196″ c=”name”][/card] has made its way into some [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] decks, and Tool Scrapper is an additional way to avoid taking that extra damage. I would definitely say that Metal Goggles catching on is the biggest reason to keep this card around, and it has the potential to since Taketo Seki had such a strong performance with it.
Potential Inclusions/Changes
Mawile-GX
[card name=”Mawile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] is strong because it helps ensure you have a target to gust up and KO, which is an important part of this deck. Additionally, it helps a ton versus [card name=”Galarian Obstagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card], which is otherwise just a loss. Galarian Obstagoon is not very popular, but it has seen a little play, but the improvement of that matchup is a side effect of this card’s main purpose.
Sonia
[card name=”Sonia” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card] caught my attention by being in Taketo’s deck, but I have not had an opportunity to play with it yet. It has quite a few uses, from making sure you find energy to fetching the entire combo. It seems slow, but it worked well for him. This is something I will have to form an opinion on after testing it myself.
Metal Goggles
I talked about Metal Goggles earlier, but I did not mention the entirety of why it has merit in this deck. The 30 damage buffer it provides is very good against the mirror match, Pikachu and Zekrom-GX, and Dragapult VMAX. The card already has some merit to it, but the damage reduction is not the only effect of the card! It also prevents damage counters from being placed on the Pokemon it is attached to, which means Dragapult VMAX splash damage from Max Phantom does not help them set up math in that matchup.
A Personal Favorite – Cinccino Control
[decklist name=”Cinccino” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″][pokemon amt=”16″]4x [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Minccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Articuno-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”41″]3x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Team Yell Grunt” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”184″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lt. Surge’s Strategy” set=”Unbroken Bonds” 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=”Mars” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tate and Liza” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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]2x [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Chip-Chip Ice Axe” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”3″]2x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Recycle Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”212″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Deck Analysis
Contrary to the last deck we were looking at, this deck does not have nearly as good results when it comes to recent events. It certainly has some though, and the deck has been strong in the past as well. It does have some undeniable issues though, such as a rough [card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] matchup because they can leave their board with just multiple Spiritomb and Jirachi to avoid ever being locked. Additionally, having a rough early game, whether it be caused by [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] or some weak draws, can be too much to overcome in certain matchups. The deck has a chance to beat all of the top decks though, which is appealing to a lot of players, myself included. I also find the deck very fun and interesting to play with, which is always a plus as well.
Card Choices
Zacian V
[card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] is not a crucial part of this deck, especially after the removal of [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card], but it still has a place and time to see use. This is generally in the earliest part of the game, within the first couple turns, where you are attempting to setup and prepare for the opponent taking Prize cards.
Ditto Prism Star
This might seem like an odd inclusion because the deck only has one Stage-1 Pokemon, but getting out that single Stage-1 Pokemon is extremely important. Having [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] around is like having a “fifth copy” of [card name=”Minccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. There is not much more to it than that, it is included for consistency reasons.
Wobbuffet
[cardimg name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”93″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
[card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is included for a few reasons, but honestly none of them are super significant. It has some uses that align with the deck’s strategy, but it could be removed if something of importance needs to make its way into the deck. It is mainly used to stop [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] from giving [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] some additional energy to work with, along with accelerating the speed of the game. They can use [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] to bring up the Wobbuffet and then pop the Tapu Koko Prism Star, but that means they did not get to attack on turn 1, maybe not even on turn 2, and you have [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] and plenty of Energy removal to run them out regardless of the situation from there. Wobbuffet also stops [card name=”Victini Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] from attacking, which isn’t that much of a benefit because you don’t mind the opponent filling their deck with energy, but it does prevent an efficient attacker from being used. Another thing you have to keep in mind is the time limit in best of one, even just a few extra turns bought by Victini Prism Star could mean the difference between the game completing or not.
Three Team Yell Grunt
This is a huge part of the deck, as you win a lot of matchups through energy removal and depletion. In combination with [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Articuno-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card], you can lock some decks out of attacking completely. These are the slower decks that aim to attach one Energy per turn, such as Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX and [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. In other situations, you can use a [card name=”Team Yell Grunt” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”184″ c=”name”][/card] or two to act as a Crushing Hammer heads, which can prevent most decks from attacking if done at the right time, or simply force them to extend extra resources to get out of the situation.
Two Cynthia and Caitlin
[card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] is good for drawing cards and maintaining resources in the early to mid game, especially after being set back by a Marnie. You won’t use this card in the late game, but you need to make sure you can make it there.
One Tate and Liza
This is another card that could potentially come out of the deck, but it makes sense in my mind. [card name=”Tate and Liza” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] card evacuates Articuno-GX at the cost of a Supporter for the turn, but it can be recycled via [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] unlike [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]. Tate and Liza is also a consistency card which is a nice thing to have, so it has multiple uses in any given game.
Three Reset Stamp
This card is extremely important in this deck to begin with, and the current meta emphasizes the importance of [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] and creates an even bigger need for it. Decks like Zacian V can draw a ton of cards, especially if they reach the point where they are consistently ending their turn with Intrepid Sword due to a lack of Energy on the field. In that same matchup, it is also important for the purpose of disrupting the combo potential and other resource hoarding. In other matchups, the importance of Reset Stamp varies, but it is good against aggressive decks and required for a full late game lock regardless of what you are playing against.
Two Pal Pad and Two Ordinary Rod
Pal Pad and [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] are important for not running out of cards to discard away with [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card]. Additionally, the resources these cards recover are very important in the mid to late game. You have [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] using resource Management every turn, but using Resource Management on one or both of these cards nets you additional value while also freeing up Resource Management slots for other resources that can’t be recovered otherwise.
Potential Inclusions/Changes
Magneton
[card name=”Magneton” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] is good in situations where your gameplan is to prevent the opponent from every truly attacking because it activates [card name=”Lt. Surge’s Strategy” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and finds you all of your crucial Supporter cards. With this in the deck, you can put it on the Bench to help give you protection against [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card], or leave Ditto Prism Star on the Bench so you have the option to do so. You also have the option to push your opponent to one or two Prize cards so that you can lock them at a more favorable board state. Additionally, having Magneton is a great tool for the mirror match, especially if you decide to include a [card name=”Magnemite” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] as well which is certainly an option.
Boss’s Order
This card is the best gust effect available to the deck by far, and it could be worth the spot. I haven’t included it yet because if you are truly locking the opponent, it does not mean a whole lot that you also have a random Pokemon in the Active position. Most decks play [card name=”Switch” set=”Evolutions” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] and/or [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] which further reduces the value of this inclusion. It would be beneficial in situations where you can trap a Pokemon V or Pokemon-GX into the Active position when the opponent has already used a few copies of Switch. This is definitely something worth considering in future updates to this deck.
Conclusion
That is going to wrap things up for this article, but I hope you all enjoyed it! Whether you have been competing in online qualifiers, preparing for the Player’s Cup, or trying things out, I recommend giving these two decks a try. Combo [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] is a very strong deck with proven results, while Cinccino Control can take advantage of the right metagame and, in my opinion, is fun to play as well. Regardless, I hope everyone has a great time with their Pokemon adventures and I wish you all good luck in doing so. I will be back later in the month with some more Pokemon content, probably a review of online events. Until then, stay safe and enjoy the wonderful world of Pokemon.
–Jimmy
[/premium]