The Post-Rotation Primer — Eternatus VMAX and More
[cardimg name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
It’s finally time to take a look at the Team Up-on Standard format. We started my pre-rotation format discussion off with [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], so we’ll start there again for post-rotation.
First, a look at how the rotation itself shakes things up! Last season’s rotation was particularly crippling, we lost [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card], and more. This year is tamer, we lose less important consistency, but more things in terms of competitive Pokemon.
Notable Losses
Here is a shortlist of competitive archetypes and cards we lose in the 2021 Standard Format Rotation:
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Blacephalon-GX and Naganadel
Teaming up to form a once-popular archetype, [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Naganadel” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card]’s Mind Blown combo has been on the decline since the start of the 2019-2020 season.
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Buzzwole and Diancie Prism Star
Formerly the mainstay of many Fighting-type decks, [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]’s power has been on the decline since the rotation of Zoroark-GX.
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Ditto Prism Star
It’s likely that fancy Stage 1 techs are a thing of the past, as is the “fifth” copy of a certain Basic Pokemon option being removed from Standard with the loss of [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card].
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Giratina and Malamar
The infamous Psychic Recharge is gone at last, as are most of its popular techs like [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card], Expanded won’t be kind to [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card].
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Jirachi Prism Star
While Combo [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] didn’t see much play in pre-rotation Standard, it’s likely that we’ll never see such an archetype again, as in Expanded the Item-based nature of the [card name=”Jirachi Prism Star” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] combo won’t be as feasible.
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Oranguru
[card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]’s Resource Management is a thing of the past, as are many control pieces of the past ([card name=”Articuno-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Florges” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Girafarig” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Goomy” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Mareep” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Shedinja” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card], and more).
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Rayquaza-GX
Newly popular in [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] decks, [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]’s tenure in the archetype will end short-lived.
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Both Solgaleo-GX
[card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]’s Sol Burst GX was the core of Ultimate [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM104″ c=”name”][/card]’s Turbo Strike was a big part of [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] Mewtwo and Mew-GX decks.
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Zeraora-GX, Volkner, Electropower, and Thunder Mountain Prism Star
[card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] is likely to be the greatest-missed Pokemon that was still popular, Lightning type decks will miss their free Retreat Cost, and the rest of Lightning type decks have been nerfed with the removal of a popular Supporter in [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card], extra damage with [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card], and an Energy-saving Stadium in [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card]
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Cynthia
[card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] has mostly taken [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card]’s place, but the shuffle-draw of six will exit the format once more, like [card name=”Professor Oak’s New Theory” set=”Call of Legends” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] of the past.
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Acro Bike and Order Pad
“Turbo” Item cards are mostly gone now — if you count [card name=”Judge Whistle” set=”Team Up” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] as one, it’s still around, but that’s all we’ve got now. The loss of [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] will result in a significant slowing of the format, a welcome change.
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Beast Ring and Ultra Space
[card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] has been mostly reserved for Blacephalon-GX lately and Baby [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] was essentially the last deck playing [card name=”Ultra Space” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card], but through the past couple formats it was seen in a variety of different decks; there hasn’t been a new Ultra Beast printed now since Cosmic Eclipse, so I think it’s safe to assume that the mechanic may be a thing of the past, making these Ultra Beast-specific cards obsolete anyways.
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Escape Board
[card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] and Stellar Wish are no longer as strong with the loss of [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], it will still remain in many decks, but come with a hefty space commitment, typically four copies of both [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card].
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Fiery Flint and Hear Factory Prism Star
Baby Blacephalon decks got a lot worse with the rotation of [card name=”Fiery Flint” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], I’m not sure they’re even viable anymore; the loss of [card name=”Heat Factory Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] in general for Fire-type decks is a big hit.
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Mysterious Treasure
Formerly seen almost exclusively in Malamar decks, [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] eventually found a home in the likes of [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], Mewtwo and Mew-GX, and other decks, but now it’s gone
I could go on and on, there are some honorable mentions like [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Magcargo-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Victini Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Yveltal-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Steven’s Resolve” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Tate and Liza” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], all of the Unit Energy, and more…
The Impact of Rotation
[premium]
[cardimg name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Mourn them not. Each passing rotation in recent memory has come with a crippling loss of a support card for most decks or the loss of a big Supporter. This time we haven’t lost anything close to [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card], but we have lost Cynthia. Marnie remains, so Cynthia won’t be as huge of a disappearance. With Ultra Ball still gone, one negative thing remains: there’s no perfect solution to searching out not-Basic Pokemon. [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] is perfect for the Basics, but [card name=”Great Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] leave something to be desired. The core of each deck remains intact however, be it [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] for virtually anything not playing Welder, and at least a couple [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] in each type of deck.
[card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] has risen in popularity to serve as additional Basic support in the early stages of a game as well! All in all, the state of the post-rotation Format’s consistency is intact, nothing is overly crippled, so we should have a fair and fun array of decks. With many card’s power levels on the rise, most of the rotated cards feel like they were naturally rotated already, appearing little in decks because they can’t compete with the best anymore. In any case, we’ll see much of the same from the recently-developed Standard including Darkness Ablaze. Among these decks, [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] already has had a solid showing. It took a Top Eight slot in a recent online event and showed up on the screens of many other players.
My Post-Rotation Pick
Let’s look at the post-rotation list I’ve been working on:
[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″][pokemon amt=”20″]4x [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Eternatus V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Sableye V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Galarian Slowbro V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Alolan Grimer” set=”Unified Minds” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”30″]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Piers” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Great Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Vitality Band” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Dark City” set=”Unified Minds” no=”193″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]5x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”5″][/card]4x [card name=”Hiding Darkness Energy” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”175″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
A pretty cookie-cutter take on Eternatus VMAX, I’ve been playing this list quite a bit the past couple days in the aftermath of the Ultra Prism-Darkness Ablaze Standard format. I’ve changed my mind significantly from my first iteration of Eternatus VMAX, ushering in new additions like [card name=”Piers” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Dark City” set=”Unified Minds” no=”193″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ve learned that this deck needs a counter to [card name=”Zamazenta V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card], and in the new Standard, its greatest advantage is being able to take one-hit Knock Outs when other decks can’t. Previously, I felt it was best to go with a two-shot approach in favor of more consistency, getting greater advantage by avoiding Knock Outs. That changes now, and so does the preference of Stadium: Dark City is very good in Eternatus VMAX. It’s an instantly-usable switching card, as opposed to the often-bumped [card name=”Black Market Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card], something I honestly think is bad in this deck now. Having more Stadiums also helps significantly against [card name=”Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card], a popular card in [card name=”Centiskorch VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card], a deck that runs you for your money when it has a bunch of Fire Energy loaded up.
Explanations
One Sableye V
This is your counter to Zamazenta V. Formerly, Yveltal-GX was the better option, now without it legal in Standard, the next best thing is [card name=”Sableye V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card]. Crazy Claws is awkward to use, not only does it take two Darkness Energy, but it’s difficult to set up. To one-shot the 230 HP Zamazenta V, you’ll need to ping it four times with [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], or three times with a [card name=”Vitality Band” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] attached. This is extremely difficult, but you need an out to the obnoxious Dauntless Shield, it will run you over if you don’t have something.
One Hoopa
I’ve gone back and forth on Assault Gate, but it’s here to stay. It’s pretty simple, sometimes you want a midrange attacking option that doesn’t give up three Prizes. Furthermore, you can Assault Gate into Sableye V, making that whole process much easier. [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] can set up Knock Outs on larger Pokemon VMAX, like an opposing Eternatus VMAX in the mirror match, but be sure not to commit your first Energy of the game to Hoopa (unless it’s going to survive), you don’t want to fall behind on attachments to Eternatus VMAX.
One Galarian Slowbro V
An idea in testing, I’m not completely sold on it yet but [card name=”Galarian Slowbro V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] is definitely good with Dark City in the list. You can push it up following one of your Pokemon getting Knocked Out to inflict Poison, adding to your overall damage calculation. It would be better yet if Switch were in the deck, but there’s no way you could commit to playing both Dark City and Switch, especially just so you can use Rapid-Fire Poison.
One Alolan Grimer
[cardimg name=”Alolan Grimer” set=”Unified Minds” no=”127″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I still like Collect a lot, it’s even better in a list that’s playing Dark City like this one. If you don’t have a Knock Out or can’t use Dread End, use Collect! It simply improves your hand and only gives up a single Prize in exchange. To simplify, you’re sacrificing a multiple-Prize Pokemon, or something like [card name=”Alolan Grimer” set=”Unified Minds” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] when you’re not actually attacking with something significant. It’s good in the deck and fills in some of the gaps you run into when you’re not ready to Dread End.
Four Professor’s Research, Four Piers, and Four Boss’s Orders
[card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] is an obvious inclusion, especially with [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] gone, but Piers is a new one for me. I didn’t give it a fair chance at first, but after playing with it I must admit that it has its uses. Without a surefire way of finding [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], sometimes it’s all you need to get going, in this situation, Piers is the best Supporter for the job. It comes down to Piers or [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] for me, or perhaps [card name=”Erika’s Hospitality” set=”Team Up” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] if you expected a lot of mirror matches. Marnie simply doesn’t draw enough cards to make a huge impact, Piers could become a [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] if you hand is already low, or find you the Energy you’re looking for to finish your Dread End. Four [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] is another given since you can’t supplement your deck with something like [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] for consistency anymore, playing more copies of the best cards, the cards you want to see often is ideal.
Four Great Ball
I’m locked into [card name=”Great Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck, it’s better on average than [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] because, with the exception of Eternatus VMAX itself, there’s not any single Pokemon you want to put back into the deck. Quite often you’re going to be plopping all the Pokemon you’ve got onto the Bench, loading up for a big Dread End. I have done Pokemon Communication in addition to Great Ball, but I wouldn’t go the other way around. Great Ball is additive overall, Pokemon Communication replaces what you have for something else.
Five Darkness Energy, Four Hiding Darkness Energy, One Capture Energy
Another point of contention, this is my favorite Energy lineup so far. To start I had four [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card], right when Eternatus VMAX came out; now I prefer this wide split, only playing one Capture Energy so it can’t backfire if you find yourself with one as your only attachment in consecutive turns. [card name=”Hiding Darkness Energy” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card] is perfect for combatting decks like [card name=”Vikavolt V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] that aim to put you to a low hand size, then Boss’s Orders up something with a heavier Retreat Cost. Five Darkness Energy brings the overall total to ten, which seems to be the sweet spot. I’m fine with taking out a single Darkness Energy for something else, but nine is the lowest I’d go with Energy in this deck.
Options
Absol and Yveltal
Dark Ambition isn’t what it used to be, since [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] can’t have [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] anymore post-rotation, the extra Colorless Energy in its Retreat Cost doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t play [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] unless you can find a different use for it that makes it strong. I also advise against playing [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Unified Minds” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card], formerly a decent pivot card, and even a way to set up [card name=”Yveltal-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], now it’s a sitting duck in this deck since you already have so many ways to gain a free Retreat Cost.
Hoopa and Spiritomb
[card name=”Hoopa” set=”Unified Minds” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] with Evil Admonition is worse than the Hoopa with Assault Gate on average. I used to think it was the other way around, but 90 is about as good as it gets with Evil Admonition anyway, so you’re better off running more Assault Gate copies at that point. For [card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card], Building Spite still works for a solid single prizer, but I’d skip it because [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] can prey on it for an easy Prize. If not that, the whole single prizer package in Eternatus VMAX isn’t all it’s cracked up to be in the first place, they don’t mesh well with a Pokemon that’s already capable of delivering one-hit Knock Outs.
Umbreon and Darkrai-GX
It’s no [card name=”Gengar and Mimikyu-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card], stopping all cards from hand for a turn, but Dark Moon GX is similar, stopping your opponent’s Trainers for a turn is no joke, you can use this GX attack for a turn to set up a game-winning play, or to disrupt your opponent while you dig further for a [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card]. I would call it a comeback card in this deck, as you’re never going to get to the point of using either Black Lance or the boosted portion of the GX attack. If you include it, it’s for stopping Trainers, an effect that’s definitely worth considering.
Dangerous Drill
I included this at times pre-rotation, but it was never spectacular. Opting to commit to the Galarian Zigzagoon package feels better since you can fully commit to seeking one-hit Knock Outs, instead of playing a more fancy game like knocking off a [card name=”Big Charm” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Dangerous Drill” set=”Team Up” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card]. Discarding the Darkness Pokemon is rough, that’s my main concern with the card. The best part about the card is finding it on an early turn and removing a Special Energy that they attached to build towards an attack. Without fully committing to a playset, this card’s value falls off, and playing four is way too much.
Turbo Patch
I want to try [card name=”Turbo Patch” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card] more, it’s intriguing. This deck can definitely stagger off Eternatus VMAX until you’ve played a Turbo Patch to an [card name=”Eternatus V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card], so there’s potential. Playing an Energy acceleration card would further push the envelope of this deck’s aggression and power over the rest of the format, keeping it another step ahead. The ‘flippiness’ of the card is one deterrent, and it’s also awkward to use with a lower Energy count. Furthermore, this deck plays only two ways to discard things; [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card]. All these things considered, I’m not sure about Turbo Patch, I need to try it more.
Matchups
Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / Zacian V
[cardimg name=”Zamazenta V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”139″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
You want to go first in this matchup, going first gives you additional time to set up. Your starting goals are the same as any game, get an Energy attachment on your first turn, and put it on an Eternatus V (which you also might need to find). If you can get a second turn one-hit Knock Out on [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card], you will be favored to win. If this doesn’t happen, things fall off quickly.
Other saving graces may arise if your opponent misses an attack or can’t power up consecutive [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card]. Additionally, if you miss the Knock Out, an Ultimate Ray into an [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t the end of the world. If you finish the Knock Out you go to three Prizes, your opponent still at six. Eternatus VMAX goes down for four Prizes, then you can Reset Stamp to two, while one-shotting the Zacian V that probably came up to finish the Knock Out.
The Reset Stamp option gives you another out to make a comeback, even though your opponent would otherwise be one attack away from winning. [card name=”Zamazenta V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] makes this matchup painful, you have [card name=”Sableye V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] to counter it, but it requires a lot of setup. If Zamazenta V presents itself, you know what to do: set up a Knock Out with Galarian Zigzagoon and do your best to take it out. If they put enough Pokemon in play for you to complete your six Prizes, [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] around it, and try to win that way.
Eternatus VMAX
You want to go first in this matchup. The mirror is all about getting the first Knock Out, or in other words, the first attacking Eternatus VMAX. Going first is going to give you the advantage in that quest. Eternatus VMAX has massive HP, so you’re probably not going to reach 340 HP often, if at all. It’s going to take almost all of your Galarian Zigzagoon, or most of them and a [card name=”Vitality Band” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card]. If you’re not confident you can reach for that big one-hit Knock Out early, don’t put the Headbutt Tantrum drops on the Active Pokemon, do the damage to the Bench for the potential for that Eternatus V to become an Eternatus VMAX where you can get the “one-shot”. This matchup is a bout of two-hit Knock Outs, one that you can also complement your Dread End attacks with Assault Gate. There’s no such thing as putting too many Pokemon on the Bench in any of your matchups, it’s a necessary evil with [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] being so much of your consistency.
Vikavolt V
You want to go second in this matchup. Think about it, if you go first you get one turn of Items, but if you go second, you get one turn of Items and a Supporter to draw you more cards (and see more Items). Also by going second you get access to Power Accelerator, another nice bonus against an oppressive deck like [card name=”Vikavolt V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and its Item lock. This matchup is all about thinning and making sure not to miss a beat. Control what you can control, and don’t do anything weird like Boss’s Orders to take an odd Prize, only take Knock Outs that play to your Prize plan (usually three Vikavolt V, or two and a Crobat V). This matchup is slightly favored for Eternatus VMAX just because it can deal one-hit Knock Outs after a point and even Item lock can’t always stop that.
Conclusion
Looks like Eternatus VMAX will remain at the top of the pack in the coming Standard format! It’s still incredibly strong with a low-cost attack, its HP adds to all the makings of a successful Pokemon. The deck didn’t lose much from the rotation — another plus. In closing, I hope this writing was informative about some of the things to come, the critical losses from the rotation, and more. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask them on the Subscribers’ Hideout. Until next time, take care!
Peace,
–Caleb
Follow me on Twitter @shredemerptcg.
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