Diving into Darkness Ablaze — A Look at Pre and Post Rotation Standard

By: Jimmy Pendarvis · Posted Posted onAug 21, 2020 at 2:17 PM · 0 Comments

[cardimg name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Hello everyone and welcome back to PokeBeach! I am back with another article today, which is always exciting when a new set has been released. On top of that, we have the annual rotation coming up! Everything up until Team Up is getting axed, meaning we are going to see a decent number of changes in the way some decks are built, which is always a refreshing feeling.

We are not quite at the point of rotation yet, even though it is fast approaching, as many players are gearing up for some important online tournaments in the coming days. In my last article, I went over the release of Darkness Ablaze and talked a bit about how I thought the meta would be impacted. I have more of that information today, including my pick for any upcoming events, so anyone still trying to squeeze some fun out of the Ultra Prism—Darkness Ablaze has come to the right place. Additionally, I know many players are already moving on to the post-rotation format, so I can understand that being more of an interesting content piece. For that reason, I have also included some thoughts on the post-rotation format, which includes a review of rotating cards, general thoughts, and an early tier list! No matter what Darkness Ablaze related content you were looking for, this article should have something for you.

I’ll be kicking things off with some pre-rotation knowledge, so let’s start off the article with a look at current Combo [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card].

Pre-Rotation

Here is my pick for Online Tournaments that are coming up:

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[decklist name=”zacian” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Tapu Fini” set=”Unified Minds” no=”53″][pokemon amt=”15″]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=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi Prism Star” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zamazenta V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Fini” set=”Unified Minds” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]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]3x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Switch” set=”Evolutions” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Metal Saucer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”170″ 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]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=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”168″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]11x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Why Combo Zacian V

After the release of Darkness Ablaze, the format has not seen any development, meaning things are pretty wide open. With that being said, I tend to pick something that has a chance of beating everything, which is exactly what Zacian V offers. It doesn’t have a bunch of great matchups nor does it have a bunch of poor matchups, it has a lot of close matchups. The deck can beat anything thanks to the aggressive combo lead by [card name=”Jirachi Prism Star” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], which allows you to draw your prize cards quickly. It is a straight forward strategy that is solid across the board, and the deck has space for techs that help handle some of the stickier situations for the deck. The current techs are Tapu Fini and Zamazenta V, which I think are two great picks for the expected field in upcoming events. These slots or any other potential room could be used to tech for Vikavolt-V, but I am unsure of exactly what to cut in order to do so. I suppose Bird Keeper would probably be where I would start, but I am not sure of how strong of an inclusion that would be. I expect baby Blacephalon to be an extremely popular deck in upcoming events, it is very good and players don’t need a ton of codes from the new set like they would with other decks. This is great news for decks like combo Zacian V and Vikavolt that can handle Blacephalon. On the other side of the coin, Vikavolt is definitely the sketchiest matchup for this deck, so a smaller appearance of that deck would be very beneficial for anyone looking to play this deck. It is certainly nothing new or flashy, but it is a strong and proven deck that people seem to be underestimating at the moment. I think I would contribute it to the release of the new cards being a huge distraction, along with the fact that it was overshadowed by [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] towards the end of the previous format.

Card Choices

Zamazenta V

This card has a couple of solid uses, such as being a solid defensive attacking option against [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] and Dragapult VMAX. It is unable to be damaged by either of those powerhouses in return and generally strips an energy card from them when attacking. This forces the opponent to commit further resources to an already damaged Pokemon, and they can’t respond to the [card name=”Zamazenta V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] directly even if they are able to attack. This forces the opponent to have [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] in order to get any value out of their turn. Even one turn where the opponent doesn’t have a solid answer to Zamazenta V will generally result in a win.

Tapu Fini

[cardimg name=”Tapu Fini” set=”Unified Minds” no=”53″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This card is amazing, but only against one deck. I am sure you can guess which one I am talking about because [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] is the only Ultra Beast running around these days. While you are certainly capable of winning without this helpful tech attacker, it is a much rougher time due to the energy requirements of Zacian V, which is what tends to get in the way of you otherwise winning the prize trade. You can take advantage of any two prize Pokemon put into play and use the combo to gain additional prizes along the way. [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] is pretty strong against baby Blacephalon, and the [card name=”Tapu Fini” set=”Unified Minds” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] sort of seals the deal along the way. This makes it easy to win the prize trade even when you are mainly attacking with a two prize Pokemon that is weak to fire. Weird how matchups play out sometimes, huh?

Three Boss’s Order, Two Great Catcher

This deck prays on weak GX and V Pokemon, such as [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], which tend to be on the bench. These Pokemon have to be pulled active somehow, so the deck plays a nice split of Boss’s Orders and [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card], which leads to the inclusion of a large number of total gust effects. Great Catcher is the ideal way to bring up a Pokemon on turns where you have other things to do, meaning you can play a Supporter while still using a gust effect. Boss’s Orders allows you to bring up something than a GX Pokemon to knockout, which gives you more control over the game and broadens your span of targets.

One Tool Scrapper

[card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”168″ c=”name”][/card] was previously of low value in the grand scheme of things, but times have changed in the world of Pokemon. Not only can you make [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] a bit less mobile, but you can also now remove [card name=”Cape of Toughness” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] from Pokemon so that [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] can actually KO things in one attack. The other option is to simply ignore the buffed Pokemon by using gust effects to take easier knockouts, but it is nice to have several options, especially one that allows you to address a potential threat.

No Turbo Patch

This might surprise some of you, as it was even a bit of surprise to me when I realized there was no reasonable way to fit four copies of [card name=”Turbo Patch” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card] into this deck. The combo simply takes up too much space, and the deck can already chain attacks pretty easily without additional energy acceleration. You could probably cut some corners and end up including two to four copies of Turbo Patch in the deck, but that doesn’t seem worth it to me at this point in time.

Potential Inclusions

Third Marnie

This would have to replace one of the flexible spots, which in my mind are Tapu Fini, the second Great Catcher, and Tool Scrapper. All of which are helpful cards that will win games over the course of a tournament. The Marnie is a slight consistency boost that is strong against decks like baby Blacephalon that need a big hand to truly function.

Chaotic Swell

[card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card] is basically there to counter [card name=”Black Market Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card], which the deck currently has no counter to. The current plan is essentially to avoid it by knocking out Pokemon on the bench that don’t have energy attached to them, which is honestly an obtainable goal due to the speed advantage you will have against [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], and the large number of gust effects this deck plays. I have not tested this matchup enough to say for sure, but I am pretty confident Black Market Prism Star is not a huge deal.

Pre-Rotation Tier List

This is probably the greatest variety I have ever provided on a tier list, especially because I tend to only consider the first two tiers as worthwhile. This is probably because of the unexplored format on top of a format where deck choice was much more open than in past formats. While I think all of these decks are good and playable at the moment, it would not surprise me if some of these turned out to be lower on the tier list than previously ranked.

Tier 1

  • Baby Blacephalon
  • Combo Zacian V
  • [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Eternatus VMAX
  • Vikavolt V
  • [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] / Zacian V

Tier 2

  • Ultimate [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Centiskorch VMAX
  • [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] Control

Post-Rotation

Significant Changes

There are definitely other cards that have seen play, both presently and in the past, that are rotating out. They will likely be missed by decks down the road, but this list is going to be going over things that have an immediate impact on the Standard format.

[cardimg name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

  • [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] rotates, making Jirachi a bit less mobile. [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] still give it plenty of ways to move around though.
  • [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] rotates, making control decks nonexistent at the moment.
  • [card name=”Jirachi Prism Star” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] rotates, meaning the death of Combo Zacian V.
  • [card name=”Victini Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card], which could result in fire decks being built differently. Also a pretty significant blow to Baby [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card].
  • [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM16″ c=”name”][/card] rotates, making Ultimate Mewtwo and Mew-GX unplayable.
  • [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] gets banned and [card name=”Cyrus Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] rotates, leaving players with fewer options to defend against Eternatus VMAX.
  • [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] rotates, solidifying the already dominant draw supporter lineup of [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card].
  • [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] rotates, mainly hurting Dragapult VMAX, but a solid blow to the types it benefited as a whole.
  • [card name=”Fiery Flint” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Heat Factory Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] rotate, taking away some big parts of Baby Blacephalon and other possible fire decks.
  • [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] are rotating, leaving Lightning Pokemon with fewer tools to work with.
  • [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Order Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] rotate, meaning some decks won’t have access to the same level of speed as they once did.

General Thoughts

  • [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] will still see plenty of use, Escape Board is an unfortunate loss but not relied on nearly as it once was.
  • Mewtwo and Mew-GX is likely dead for the time being, Ultimate Mewtwo and Mew-GX is pretty good prerotation but was the only real way to play the deck.
  • Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX will team up successfully with [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] once again as it will become the best tempo deck thanks to the rotation of Jirachi Prism Star.
  • Dragapult VMAX will actually have a strong set of matchups outside of Eternatus VMAX, so it will probably stick around as a played deck.
  • Baby Blacephalon will be another strong contender. It lost a couple of tools, but it still has plenty to work with, and its worst matchup will see a is going to see a decrease in play.
  • [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] Box will likely come back as a decent archetype, it appears many players have started toying around with it early on.
  • The speed of Acro Bike and Order Pad will be missed in some decks, but being able to dig with [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] will be a solid replacement. The only real turbo card left to fill those spots is [card name=”Judge Whistle” set=”Team Up” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card], but it does not provide the same reach as Acro Bike did. It is possible that it sees some play, but I would not count on it.
  • Eternatus VMAX has yet to live up to the hype, but hasn’t had much of an opportunity to yet. It looks like the deck is still being refined and tested, which is to be expected when a new set is released.
  • I am not sure if [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] will be used as much as it was before. Crobat V gets around it, meaning players will have an out to Power Plant as long as their hand was playable to begin with. It does still help slow down the game because Dedenne-GX can’t be used without a counter Stadium, and it is still one of the only defensive Stadium cards.
  • Vikavolt V is much better than I previously thought in my last article, it will have an immediate impact on the format for sure.
  • Vikavolt V can be played two ways it seems, either with a ton of energy removal or with the sleep package of Mareep and Slumbering Forest.
  • We will probably see some decks including copies of Bird Keeper because it is strong against the more anticipated version of Vikavolt V, the sleep build. Additionally, it does draw cards and have good synergy with Jirachi in other situations as well.

Early Post-Rotation Tier List

This tier list is definitely not concrete as plenty of testing and development has yet to be done, so we will have to see where things end up, but this is my take on an early tier list.

Tier 1

  • Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / Zacian V
  • Baby Blacephalon
  • Eternatus VMAX

Tier 2

  • Dragapult VMAX
  • Welder Box

Honorable Mentions

These decks are one I did not give enough credit in my previous article, but I am still not totally convinced of them, so I will give them an honorable mention for now.

 

  • [card name=”Centiskorch VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Charizard VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Vikavolt V

That look at the future of the Standard format is going to wrap things up for today! I had a great time getting to talk about current and future Pokemon today. New releases and rotations are always exciting, and this is the first time where they are happening consecutively without a real event happening in between. Unfortunately, competitive Pokemon is still going to be relatively quiet at what would have been the start of the 2021 season, so it is definitely not as hype as it could have been. Despite all of that, the exciting cards to come out of Darkness Ablaze and the rotation will certainly shake things up and give the game a refreshing feeling.

I look forward to it myself, as I am sure all of you do too. I will be back later this month with some more Pokemon wisdom, until then I hope everyone has a good time with the new cards and removal of old ones.

Peace!

–Jimmy

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