Sorcerer Class — A Look At Dragapult VMAX and the Standard Format

By: Jimmy Pendarvis · Posted Jun 15, 2020 at 9:13 AM · 0 Comments

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

Hello everyone! Last week I discussed a recently dominant deck in the Standard format, Combo [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card]. My thoughts on that deck hasn’t changed, I consider it to be a top contender for the title of best deck in format so I definitely think that article is worth a read if you haven’t checked it out. In a similar manner, I am going over another strong deck in the Standard format, everyone’s favorite dragon [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. This deck had some strong finishes in recent online qualifiers, but seems to be getting less attention than some of its competitors. This article will give you some insight as to why this deck has been getting the finishes it has, along with the all of the options and great things it has to offer. Without further ado, let’s start things off with the current best Dragapult VMAX deck list.

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Dragapult VMAX Deck List

[decklist name=”Dragapult” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″][pokemon amt=”17″]3x [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Dragapult V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Giratina” set=”Unified Minds” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM214″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”Team Up” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”159″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Energy Spinner” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”170″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]4x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Horror P Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

Deck Analysis

Four Dragapult V and Four Jirachi

These counts might seem normal and obvious, but including four of each [card name=”Dragapult V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] is actually different than a majority of lists I’ve seen. The most popular counts seem to be three of each, which doesn’t make sense. You are able to include plenty of techs and these cards are crucial for early game setup. You want to have Jirachi in the Active at the end of your first turn. Not only does it mean you got to use Stellar Wish on your first turn, leaving Jirachi in the Active means it could take a potential hit as opposed to your Dragapult V being damaged before attacking. Additionally, you have a Jirachi ready to use Stellar Wish again if it survives. All of this is very valuable, so including four Jirachi makes sense.

One Giratina (UNM)

This is yet another card that benefited greatly by the release of [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card]! There are a lot of cards like this, but [card name=”Giratina” set=”Unified Minds” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] is one that only sees play in Dragapult VMAX. The reason why this inclusion makes sense is because this deck includes [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] so it has an Energy removal aspect. While Giratina might not act like Crushing Hammer in the early game due to Giratina only targeting Special Energy on the Active Pokemon, it has potential to disrupt your opponent later in the game and can be used in conjunction with Crushing Hammer.

One Giratina (LOT)

This card was used as an attacker in [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] in the past and made the occasional appearance as a tech in decks like [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card]. However, it was a one time use situation in the past, but that is no longer the case thanks to Scoop Up Net. While you can’t pick up [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] and play it back down immediately to use Distortion Door, it is pretty easy to get it in the discard when you need to. Distortion Door is a great way to manipulate damage, which allows you to take a KO or setup a future KO.

One Mewtwo

I talked about [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM214″ c=”name”][/card] in my last article. While the card has grown in popularity since the release of Scoop Up Net, I wanted to go over the card’s inclusion in this deck. Mewtwo ensures you have a Supporter to play every turn and lets you reuse [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] if you need to. You often won’t use Mewtwo multiple times per game, but it is nice to be able to do so. Additionally, it is a single prize Pokemon and searchable by [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], which are all reasons for why I find it a better inclusion than [card name=”Eldegoss V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”19″ c=”name”][/card]. There is the downside of having to use Jirachi or [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] because Mewtwo places the Supporter card to the top of your deck.

One Mr. Mime

This is an underused card that has seen play in few [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] decks, but I think that is about to change. The reason why I think it will become a popular addition is because of the popularity of the [card name=”Jirachi Prism Star” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] / Mr. Mime combo. Not only is the combo a great reason to include [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”Team Up” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], but plenty of other important plays can be prevented by having this Mr. Mime on your side. I definitely think this card is worth the inclusion especially with where the meta is headed.

One Dedenne-GX

This is not breaking news, but Dedenne-GX is a very strong card. It has not been in every Dragapult VMAX deck but it should be. It is great for extra reach in the late game when digging for [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] or Boss’s Orders. In the early game, it is great for making sure you pull off the crucial turn 2 attack and finding Crushing Hammer in matchups where it can slow the opponent down.

Four Crushing Hammer

[cardimg name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”159″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

While not specifically to Dragapult VMAX decks, Crushing Hammer has been a large discussion point as of late. Some players have poked fun of the fact that your consistency is decreased with the inclusion of Crushing Hammer (which is true) and mention that Crushing Hammer has the potential to do nothing (which is absolutely true as well). Crushing Hammer, originally released as [card name=”Energy Removal 2″ set=”EX Unseen Forces” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card] has always been this way. It is a big part of control decks that aim to remove Energy cards and slow down the game, along with being synergetic with certain attackers. But the above facts remain true across the board in situations where the card is simply tossed into decks.

However, this card is good in the meta now. Due to the slow speed of a few decks, it can cause decks like Dragapult VMAX and [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] to attack slower or miss attacks at some point in the game. While it is entirely plausible to remove Crushing Hammer from the deck, the main problem with that is the mirror match. You are generally unfavored if the opponent is armed with Crushing Hammer and you aren’t. This deck is unable to accelerate Energy, so it is very likely you will miss attacks and fall behind at some point due to some of your Energy being removed from play. If you remove Crushing Hammer, you should replace it with techs (for matchups that Crushing Hammer is strong against) or cards that increase consistency.

Two Energy Spinner

This deck has a low Energy count, yet Energy attachments are extremely important. This deck has no Energy acceleration so all you get is your one manual Energy attachment per turn. You need to make the most of it to avoid missing attacks as it will generally result in a loss. Early game Energy attachments are ones that are especially hard to find as you have access to less cards and your deck is not thinned out yet. [card name=”Energy Spinner” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card] makes all the difference! It is strongest when found immediately when going second, but finding a single Energy card with it at any given time is strong when you need your Energy attachment for the turn. The main reason why Energy Spinner is better than additional Energy cards is because it can be grabbed via Jirachi’s Stellar Wish, so you have additional reach to find your Energy cards.

Two Power Plant

This Stadium is not useful in every matchup, but [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] is strong in the matchups you want them for. Against [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card], you can bump their Stadium and use Reset Stamp in the same turn, shutting off [card name=”Oricorio-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card]’s Ability and preventing Dedenne-GX from helping to bail them out. Power Plant is also very good against [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]. In the early game it can prevent them from attacking immediately, and in the late game it prevents them from finding [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card] and other strong cards with Dedenne-GX as well.

Potential Inclusions / Changes

Marnie

This was not included in the decklist because [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] is mainly strong against Blacephalon, which should be a pretty good matchup to begin with. Add Marnie if you find Blacephalon to be an issue. Otherwise, Reset Stamp is the best disruption in most cases.

Wobbuffet

This card is good against Pikachu and Zekrom-GX because it stops [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] from accelerating Energy, preventing an early attack and making all the difference in the matchup. This is the most important reason to include [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], but you get an additional bonus in shutting down [card name=”Victini Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] in Blacephalon decks as well.

Galarian Zigzagoon

This card functions similarly to [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], but [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] can be used without having to go to the discard pile and can target the Active Pokemon. However, Giratina provides two damage counters as opposed to one and can be searched via Mysterious Treasure. Having both Galarian Zigzagoon and Giratina feels excessive, but feel free to give this little guy a try. It does have its benefits when it comes to setting up knockouts and manipulating damage.

Thoughts On the Standard Format

Best Decks

Tier 1

Combo Zacian V
[card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]
Pikachu and Zekrom-GX
Blacephalon

Tier 2

[card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] decks (Ultra Beasts and [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card])
Ultimate [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card]
[card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] Control

Some other decks have made appearances in the later rounds of recent online qualifiers and have the potential to take advantage of the right meta in the future, but this is my current tier list. I only listed the top two tiers because I generally would not consider anything lower than this as my pick for an upcoming tournament.

How to Tech

Techs have always been important in the game, but it feels like that is the case more than ever. Most decks have a fair share of space to include cards to improve their matchups, but it is hard to cover all of your bases. Teching for the right meta is important, otherwise you have weaker cards in your deck. Not only are these tech cards important, but a lot of them are more interesting than ones in the past. I give the credit for this to [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] for sure.

Current Standard Format Environment

[cardimg name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Honestly, the game feels refreshing and fun when a new set comes out. This was absolutely the case with Rebel Clash, but the impact from the release of that set has stuck around for the long haul. It has a lot to do with what decks ended up being viable, which can be contributed to the cards released and how they impacted the metagame.

Before the release of Rebel Clash, it was essentially Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX against the world, with few decks that could compete against it. This lead to Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] dominating the format, while baby [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] had an impact as well. At the very end, Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / Spiritomb was discovered by Ross Cawthon, which was honestly the most interesting part of the Ultra Prism-Sword & Shield format. This under the radar deck was extremely strong but was very short lived due to when it was discovered in relation to when Rebel Clash was released, and no live events were occurring during this time period so it didn’t get the spotlight.

With the release of Rebel Clash, tournaments and tier lists are more exciting because of the variety of viable decks. This has led to interesting deck builds because there is more to think about and prepare for. Additionally, decks have a lot of different tools at their disposal thanks to Scoop Up Net.

It might not be the case for everyone, but I find games to be more enjoyable now that there are more decks, different deck lists and fun cards like Scoop Up Net and [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] being used. This might be partly because I haven’t been grinding games at a competitive level, but that doesn’t change how I feel about the format at the moment.

My feelings on the current Standard format feels like a great way to wrap this one up, so that will be the bow on this one. I enjoyed going over another fun and strong Standard format deck in Dragapult VMAX, which definitely felt like a nice follow up to its competitor Combo Zacian V. Both decks have been wrecking havoc in recent online events and I don’t expect that to change moving forward. Other decks have a shot as well, a good place to look for those would be the tier list I included in this article. Any of those decks are worth a try if you think you would enjoy playing with them or are looking for something different.

With all that being said, I have enjoyed discussing the top decks of the Standard format and keeping up to date with current happenings of online events. This will probably continue onto my next article that will be out later this month, so hopefully you all have been enjoying my articles as well. Until then, keep playing Pokemon and stay safe! Peace.

–Jimmy

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