The Guide to Cinccino Control — A Sneaky Pick for Current Events

By: Jimmy Pendarvis · Posted Posted onJul 16, 2020 at 11:16 AM · 0 Comments

[cardimg name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Greetings PokeBeach community! I have not written since last month, where I went over a new way to play [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]. That was my most recent article covering the current Standard meta. While this article will be packed with Standard content, I am going to be doing things a little differently than in previous articles.

For starters, despite the Player’s Cup tournament having public decklists, you can only see the decklists of your opponents. As such, I don’t have a great way of covering that event and providing updates on the meta or a few different decks. Additionally, I know I had moved [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] down my tier list in my last article, but it ended up being the deck I would have submitted for the Player’s Cup if I were qualified. It is definitely my favorite deck at the moment, with its new build very strong and overlooked at the moment. It has a lot of great matchups, and the new list feels much smoother and more reliable. I have a lot to say about the deck, but I am going to start the article off with the current deck list.

Cinccino Control

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[decklist name=”Cinccino” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″][pokemon amt=”15″]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=”Cryogonal” set=”Unified Minds” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Articuno-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”42″]3x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Lt. Surge’s Strategy” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Mars” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Team Yell Grunt” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”184″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/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]1x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/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]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=”Chip-Chip Ice Axe” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/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=”257″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

This deck plays like [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] Control in previous formats, not like the Energy denial focus builds I had been toying with recently. In some matchups, you do win via Energy denial, but this deck has a broad set of options. In some matchups, you aim to remove your opponent’s entire hand near the end of the game, then place them in the [card name=”Chip-Chip Ice Axe” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] lock until they deck out. Each game is different based on draws, and the opponent’s deck, so it is interesting trying to figure out the best path to victory. I will talk more about all of this throughout the article and go deeper into the specifics of certain cards. Feel free to ask any gameplay questions in the comments below.

Card Choices

A general note about some of the heftier counts that aren’t discussed below: These ensure I find them off [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] and throughout the game, as they are strong cards I want to use often. Plus, the heftier amounts help prevent Prizing issues — especially true for cards like [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card].

Cryogonal

I have to give this card a rave review. It started off as a good way to improve the combo [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] matchup, as you can stop them from attacking by preventing your opponent from playing [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card]. It also can be used to trap useless Pokemon in the Active Spot while you mill the opponent. It has use in the early game too, as against decks like [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] they are forced to manually retreat, which requires an extra Energy on board. In that matchup, you aim to win via Energy denial, so that is a very valuable play to make in the early game. [card name=”Cryogonal” set=”Unified Minds” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] has a ton of different uses, and it can be used repeatedly thanks to Ordinary Rod. It is hard to play around especially if the opponent does not know it is coming.

Zacian V

While you don’t have a [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] to hide behind while drawing cards, Zacian V remains an excellent inclusion to speed up your early game. You don’t always want to play it to the Bench due to the Prize liability it creates, but it is very strong against pretty much everything except combo Zacian V. You don’t have a reason to use Oranguru’s Resource Management on the first two turns most of the time nor do you always have the Energy to do so, so drawing some extra cards can help.

Three Cynthia and One Tate and Liza

I wanted to include four draw Supporters with these spots, so I went with three [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] and a [card name=”Tate and Liza” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card]. The Tate and Liza is great for retreating [card name=”Articuno-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] if you don’t have an [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] ready for use in the late game. Tate and Liza can be recovered via [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card], so it has an easier way of being accessed immediately. This is at low cost because it is only slightly worse than Cynthia when it comes to draw power. These shuffle draw Supporters are better than other options because they don’t burn resources by discarding cards, giving you a stronger late game and more options to work with throughout the game.

Three Lt. Surge’s Strategy

The inclusion of [card name=”Lt. Surge’s Strategy” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] is no surprise, but having three copies is higher than normal. This allows you to have a bit more speed at the beginning of the game by playing two draw Supporters, and it has a ton of utility throughout the rest of the game. It is great for Marnie recovery and disrupting the opponent with multiple Supporters at any stage of the game.

Two Bellelba and Brycen-Man

In the past, I have been a big fan of only including one [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] in control decks like this, but things are a bit different now. It is possible to finish games if Bellelba and Brycen-Man is in the Prize in real life, but in an online game you have a much lower chance of finishing within the time limit without Bellelba and Brycen-Man helping you out. Another major reason for the second copy is the addition of Cryogonal. This gives you a ton of time at the end of the game to mill your opponent with Bellelba and Brycen-Man while refilling your deck with Pal Pad.

Faba

Here is another form of Energy removal against some decks, as Special Energy has been pretty popular. It is good for removing [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] too, which can cause [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] to be less mobile especially if Cryogonal is being utilized in conjunction with this [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] play.

Boss’s Orders

This card is very strong overall, but the biggest thing about it is that your opponent can play much more recklessly with their board if they know you don’t have a gust effect. You don’t want to be caught without [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card]. I have found it to have great synergy with Cryognal, as you can trap Pokemon pretty easily while you disrupt your opponent.

Things I have Tried

Honestly, I have tried a truly unbelievable amount of different counts and small ideas, so I am only going to go over the more significant options in this section. If you have any questions about things I have tried or recommendations for things I could try, feel free to comment below.

Magneton (with and without Magnemite)

[cardimg name=”Magneton” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”69″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

With [card name=”Magnemite” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card], it took very specific situations to search out the Magnemite in hopes of using [card name=”Magneton” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card]. It was only used early enough when it happened to be drawn into. Without Magnemite and using [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card], the Magneton was terrible late game as you prefer the game to be as grindy as possible. It was strong against [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] in the early game, but that is too specific of a situation and already a favorable matchup.

Jessie and James

The card was valuable when used at the right time. But it is very expensive as you are already dumping useless cards with Make Do, so you often have to discard useful cards if you want to use [card name=”Jessie and James” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]. This is true when you have a smaller hand to work with due to [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card]. The decklist is tight as well, so a third [card name=”Mars” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] is the better inclusion.

Cynthia and Caitlin

This was included in my previous public drafts of the deck, but that deck was slower and much more focused on an Energy denial. There isn’t enough space for [card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] in the new deck.

Professor’s Research (instead of Cynthia)

This too was included in previous public drafts of the deck, but was immediately removed after I gave Cynthia a shot. Discarding cards when using [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] is an extremely negative downside. You are either discarding valuable resources that work against your late game strategy or you are discarding your Make Do targets.

More Team Yell Grunt

Similarly to Cynthia and Caitlin, the higher count of [card name=”Team Yell Grunt” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”184″ c=”name”][/card] didn’t make sense in the new version of the deck. You have plenty of Energy removal for the matchups it is needed for and you can make space for other important cards.

Jirachi

This engine is nice for the early to mid game especially when recovering from Marnie, but takes up an absurd amount of space in the deck. Additionally, Jirachi is very reliant on starting it in order to get maximum value, you will otherwise have a hard time utilizing it on the first two turns when extra reach is most important. Lastly, you lose Air Balloon by adding Jirachi, crucial for the heavier Retreat Cost Pokemon in this deck. Air Balloon can make all the difference in certain situations.

Shuckle-GX

This is one card on the list that actually does its job to perfection! [card name=”Shuckle-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] pretty much guarantees a win against [card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] decks. I would not say the matchup is bad, but it is definitely close. If I expected a heavy Spiritomb meta, I would include this card because they have no way of KOing it due to the Energy removal options that would be used to protect it.

Mew

This card is great against [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]. It isn’t horrible against Spiritomb either, as you can make their damage manipulation awkward. Spiritomb players want to be able to knock themselves out to go into Stellar Wish at certain points in the game. [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]’s real intended purpose is to negate Tag Bolt GX from being a factor. You do have tons of Energy removal, including [card name=”Articuno-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card], which can stop Tag Bolt GX or punish a Tag Bolt GX play after it happens. The games you tend to lose to Pikachu and Zekrom-GX are where you don’t have Mew, Articuno-GX is Prized, or things don’t go your way. Having Mew in the deck is an insurance in case Articuno-GX is Prized, but the matchup feels favourable with only Articuno-GX.

Chaotic Swell (instead of Power Plant)

I tried this because [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card] was previously the best Stadium for [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] Control towards the end of its relevancy as there weren’t many situations where [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] gave you much value. Chaotic Swell plays a similar role to Power Plant in this deck, but due to the absence of [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] it isn’t as strong of a card at the moment. Power Plant limits most of your opponent’s deck options whenever it is in play, and is crucial for shutting down [card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], a huge pain.

Lillie’s Poke Doll

This was included way back in the original version of this deck. However, I was never fully convinced of its addition. I tried this again as a small amount and it was not completely worthless. It was okay against [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] and Pikachu and Zekrom-GX, which you sometimes would prefer to have a wall as your Active Pokemon. [card name=”Cryogonal” set=”Unified Minds” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] can help to fill that role against Zacian V, as you can force them to miss an attack with it in several spots. As for Pikachu and Zekrom-GX, that is already a favorable matchup and there are better tech options for it if you are inclined do to so. One final note to keep in mind, [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] definitely made [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] worse.

Things Potentially Worth Trying

I will note that none of these seem groundbreaking, but every card makes a difference in Control decks (and most decks for that matter). I am confident there are other cards worth trying, but these are ones that seem most obvious to me at the moment based on recent gameplay.

Absol

[cardimg name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Decks rely less on [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] because of [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card], but forcing the opponent to spend extra resources to get out of a situation because you have [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] in play is beneficial especially when it is as valuable as Scoop Up Net. It is one of the most important cards when playing against Zacian V. Absol has good synergy with Cryogonal because your opponent won’t be able to play Escape Board and Scoop Up Net, so they can only retreat manually. This can be very costly and hard to achieve due to the Energy removal this deck has to offer.

Third Pal Pad

You can shuffle an additional card or two using [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]’s Resource Management with [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck. Pal Pad also gives you access to strong Supporter cards that this deck only plays a small amount of, which can be game changing in some situations. Having a high count of Pal Pad will help you find it in the early game to protect yourself from Marnie. The high count helps prevent Prizing issues and lets you chain Pal Pad at the end of the game when attacking with Cryogonal. With Cryogonal’s Frozen Lock attack, you can repeatedly use [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] to mill your opponent followed by Pal Pad to refill your deck with Bellelba and Brycen-Man to prevent yourself from decking out.

Pros

  • Much more consistent than previous versions, definitely stable in that sense now
  • Strong matchups against the majority of popular decks
  • Unpopular deck, so most players won’t be teching for it or familiar with the matchup specifics
  • Can beat almost anything due to the nature of the deck
  • Fun to play, though I know many people will disagree with me on that
  • Gains strength in open deck list formats, as you benefit from perfect resource knowledge far more than with an attacking deck

Cons

  • Time structure in online events can make the deck stressful to play sometimes
  • Zacian V matchup is close, I need to do more testing for that match
  • The deck is not as consistent as some other decks, though not inconsistent at the same time
  • Poor Prizing can hurt you sometimes

That is going to be it for this article! I think a general list of pros and cons about playing this deck is a good way to wrap things up. I truly tried to pack this article with all of the [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] information I could, so hopefully it was easy to gain an understanding of the deck or why it is built the way it is. It is similar to Pidgeotto control so it isn’t a new concept, but its a strong way to play the deck at the moment. I have a blast playing this deck, trying to outmaneuver my opponent to achieve a win condition is a very fulfilling feeling. I would have played it in the Player’s Cup had I been participating, so it is a bit disappointing that I did not do so. I will continue to test the deck as it is fun and helps me optimize everything.

I will be back next month, where I will include an update on this deck regardless of what the core of my article is about. I hop everyone stays safe and has fun playing Pokemon until then! I know I have been having a lot of fun cube drafting, so maybe give that a try if it is something that interests you. Until next time, peace!

–Jimmy

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