The Salazzle Experiment — A Fire Draw Engine for Centiskorch VMAX and Blacephalon

By: Stephane Ivanoff · Posted Posted onSep 24, 2020 at 7:46 PM · 0 Comments

[cardimg name=”Salazzle” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”31″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Hello, readers! Today, I’ll talk about one of my experiments in the current Standard format: Finding out how viable is [card name=”Salazzle” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card].

Our story starts early September, as I was quickly becoming disillusioned with the post-rotation Standard format. Big Tag Team Pokemon-GX and Pokemon VMAX exchanging OHKOs or 2HKOs is not my idea of fun, plus the lack of anything else in the format was starting to make me very jaded. Evolution Pokemon, apart from Pokemon VMAX seemed completely absent from the format. This is the direction that the game had been taking for a while, but we saw cards like [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] do well last season.

Recently, a Japan vs USA friendly match was announced. Two teams of seven players from each country would face each other. The games were streamed by the Japanese community, with the decks and results announced on Twitter. Both teams chose a varied selection of decks, but some of the Japanese decks caught my eye as they often do. Two players, Taketo Seki and Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi brought a [card name=”Centiskorch VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] deck that used Salazzle. Yoshiyuki won against Kenny Britton’s [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], and Taketo lost against Isaiah Bradner’s [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card]. I was immediately impressed by the Salazzle idea and it made a lot of sense: You can play [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] to grab both Salazzle and Centiskorch VMAX! Use [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] to grab Energy, discard them with Salazzle’s Roast Reveal Ability, then get them back with [card name=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card]!

You may not be surprised to learn that Salazzle is exactly the type of card that I like playing. My affinity for Pokemon-based draw engines is well documented at this point (it predates [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] by six years!). Last season, I had some fun on ladder with the Unown HAND / Salazzle deck, a deck which only lost one important piece to rotation (unfortunately, that lost piece is [card name=”Unown” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] itself). Obviously, I was excited to try Salazzle.

It turns out that Salazzle has a spot in another [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] deck as well, Blacephalon. In this deck, you have to take some time to set up Salazzle, but you need that time anyway in order to get Energy out of your deck. Salazzle provides a good draw engine in order to find Welder every turn and more importantly makes Blacephalon very resilient against [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card].

Read on to understand why Salazzle works and how to build the deck, the benefits and drawbacks of including it compared to a more standard [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] variant, and what to keep in mind when you play the deck.

Centiskorch VMAX / Salazzle

Let’s start with the beginning. Here is the list used by Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi in the Japan vs USA match. Taketo Seki played the same list with a second [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card] instead of [card name=”Bird Keeper” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card].

[decklist name=”JPN Centiskorch Salazzle” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Centiskorch VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”34″][pokemon amt=”15″]3x [card name=”Centiskorch VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”34″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Centiskorch V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Salazzle” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Salandit” set=”Unified Minds” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Dubwool V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”153″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]4x [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Sonia” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”167″ 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″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lt. Surge’s Strategy” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jessie and James” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Bird Keeper” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”159″ 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=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Sword and Shield” no=”174″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]10x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”10″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

[premium]

If you’re used to the more classic [card name=”Centiskorch VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] lists or the one with Jirachi, [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] that has become the new standard for the deck, this list may look very strange to you. [card name=”Salazzle” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] with Evolution Incense provides additional consistency to the deck so the lack of Jirachi is not surprising, but other options have been cut from the deck. Let me explain some of the particularities of this deck list.

No Volcanion

Flare Starter is usually the best turn 1 play in a Centiskorch VMAX deck, to the point that Centiskorch VMAX wants to go second in every matchup. This is not the case here. Going second lets you use Welder one turn earlier, but it’s not as fundamental to the deck. You’ll want to go first most of the time (against [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] for example), unless your opponent wants to go second (for example if they’re playing the Volcanion variant of Centiskorch VMAX or [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card]). Not running Volcanion means that the deck has less explosive starts. You won’t see a Centiskorch VMAX with seven Energy on turn 2. But thanks to the draw power of Salazzle, finding Welder turn after turn is easier so you can go for a 2HKO plan easily against your opponent’s three-Prize Pokemon. It should be noted that the lack of Volcanion is definitely an issue against [card name=”Decidueye” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card].

Sonia

This card is a slightly better [card name=”Pokémon Fan Club” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Sonia” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card]’s inclusion in this deck makes sense when you realise that setting up your [card name=”Salandit” set=”Unified Minds” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Centiskorch V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] is the only thing you need to do on Ttrn 1. There’s no need to find a Volcanion, switch to it, and attach an Energy. If necessary, Sonia can be used to find two Fire Energy in the late-game. This is not ideal but remember that with Salazzle, two Energy means six new cards, so Sonia is not a dead card if you topdeck it off a Reset Stamp to one.

Where are the Switching Cards?

Most Centiskorch VMAX lists play four Scoop Up Net and four [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card], but this list only has one Switch and one Bird Keeper. However, switching cards are not needed in this list,. Your support Pokemon only have a Retreat Cost of one, and your other Pokemon (Centiskorch VMAX and [card name=”Dubwool V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”153″ c=”name”][/card]) can attack if they’re in the Active Spot. The lack of switching cards could be an issue if your Pokemon is affected by Special Conditions, but we don’t see a lot of them in this format. [card name=”Muk and Alolan Muk-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] in [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] decks is the main threat in that regard, but it’s not seeing much play. Yes, by retreating manually you’ll be losing Energy cards. On the other hand, with four [card name=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] you can be sure you won’t run out of Energy. You can use [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] pretty much every turn so you’ll have a lot of Energy on the board. This plan makes sense if you consider your goal is not to OHKO everything with your first Centiskorch VMAX.

A Small Control Package

Alright, so you probably didn’t expect [card name=”Lt. Surge’s Strategy” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Jessie and James” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] in a Centiskorch VMAX deck. In the late game, you can play [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] followed by Jessie and James in order to rid your opponent of their hand, plus you have the option of adding [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] to prevent [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Oricorio-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] from saving your opponent (Power Plant is also very good against Mewtwo and Mew-GX). This is important because one of Centiskorch VMAX’s biggest assets is its high HP, but that doesn’t mean much if your opponent can close the game with a [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] on [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] or Dedenne-GX for their last two Prizes (after taking a KO on a Centiskorch VMAX and a Salandit). Getting rid of their hand makes it unlikely that they manage to draw the game-winning Boss’s Orders. Salazzle is the reason you can have a hand big enough to play such a combo in the first place.

This list has a focus on resource conservation compared to more traditional lists. There is only one Dedenne-GX and no [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] being chosen over it. If some of your important Supporters get discarded, you can get them back with [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card] (this lets you find Welder more reliably too). You don’t discard your hand like a madman to find Volcanion and Flare Starter on turn 1; you build your board and start attacking with a Centiskorch VMAX that has around three Energy while drawing cards every turn with Salazzle. Usually, you start your turn by using [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card], then use the Roast Reveal Ability, finally deciding what to do with your hand. There are variations; if you need to use Welder and don’t have a Fire Crystal, you can prioritize playing the Welder over Roast Reveal in order to avoid getting stuck with Welder but no Energy in hand. However, for the most part this is your plan of action and it lets you accumulate a lot of cards to your hand.

In the end, playing this variant of Centiskorch VMAX over the one with Volcanion amounts to choosing a slower game with more options and some comeback potential, compared to faster list with less control over your own cards. It’s a classic trade-off and one that’s usually not that successful in the current format. One issue with a lower tempo deck such as this one is that you don’t threaten Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX as much, so the Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / Zacian V matchup is tough. That said, if you’re not expecting to face Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / Zacian V or if you’re playing in a tournament where Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX is banned and low HP Pokemon are more common, I think this variant is very solid.

Blacephalon / Salazzle

[cardimg name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

To recap, [card name=”Salazzle” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] in [card name=”Centiskorch VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] gives the deck a more moderate pace, but increases its potential in the late game by giving it access to combos such as Reset Stamp plus Jessie and James. What can Salazzle do in a [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] deck?

Giving the deck a more moderate pace is not the issue here. Blacephalon’s days of explosive starts leading to 300 damage on turn 1 are over due to [card name=”Fiery Flint” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] rotating. While it can get Energy from the discard pile thanks to Fire Crystal and [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card], it has a harder time getting Energy from the deck. The deck’s best option for this is Giant Hearth to grab two Energy per turn. It’s reliable but slow, so if your opponent starts attacking with a behemoth like Eternatus VMAX or Centiskorch VMAX, you won’t get an OHKO any time soon. Recently, many Blacephalon lists are playing a second or a third copy of [card name=”Cramorant V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card]. In addition to its role as a finisher, Cramorant V can be used in the early game to get some easy Prizes or soften up a Pokemon VMAX for only three Energy. Salazzle is an alternate approach. With Salazzle in your deck, your early game will be focused on setting up multiple Salazzle (two is a good number, but you’ll occasionally Bench a third Salandit as backup). Thanks to its great draw power, you can find Welder every turn and chain OHKOs with Blacephalon.

Since Blacephalon can’t get OHKOs quickly anyway, the addition of Salazzle won’t make it any slower (the downside of adding Salazzle in Centiskorch VMAX). On the other hand, you don’t get the same upsides from Centiskorch VMAX either. While Salazzle lets you find Welder consistently and makes you safer against Reset Stamp, you can’t include anything like Reset Stamp plus Jessie and James in Blacephalon. There is no space for this combo in this deck, not to mention that you’ll need to play Welder every turn.

Blacephalon / Salazzle List and Options

Here is my list for Blacephalon / Salazzle:

[decklist name=”Blacephalon Salazzle” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Salazzle” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”31″][pokemon amt=”15″]4x [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Salazzle” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Salandit” set=”Unified Minds” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Salandit” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cramorant V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”155″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”31″]4x [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Professor Oak’s Setup” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”201″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/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=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Shining Legends” no=”59″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Great Ball” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”EX Delta Species” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Sword and Shield” no=”174″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”14″]14x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”14″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

This list is fairly straightforward. Most of the cards are four-of, which makes sense since this deck is all about achieving a fairly linear game plan. We use [card name=”Professor Oak’s Setup” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”201″ c=”name”][/card] as our first turn Supporter when we can. It acts like [card name=”Sonia” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card], except we get one more Pokemon. The usual choice is Psychic-type [card name=”Salandit” set=”Unified Minds” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card], Blacephalon, and [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card], although we can get two Salandit since we also run a copy of the Fire-type [card name=”Salandit” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card]. The additional copies of Professor Oak’s Setup can safely be discarded later.

This list runs less Energy cards than most Blacephalon lists, but has three Energy Retrieval in addition to the four copies of [card name=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card]. I used to run four Energy Retrieval, but [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] is better since you can put Energy back in your deck (then grab it with Giant Hearth). Plus you can get back Blacephalon or Cramorant V if needed.

You may be surprised by the inclusion of one lone [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s being tested to help find Professoar Oak’s Setup on the first turn as well as [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] later on. Not finding Welder (sometimes despite two Roast Reveal) is a weakness of this deck and Pokégear 3.0 is our best option to fix this issue. You don’t need four copies as they would be useless most of the time; think of them as a way of fixing your draws like an additional draw Supporter.

Apart from that, I don’t think that there’s a lot to discuss in this list, but I want to mention some other options:

Heracross UNM

This list has a lot of trouble against [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] / Zacian V. Its problem is the same as every non-Tag Team Pokemon-GX / Pokemon VMAX deck. After Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX uses Altered Creation GX, they win the game in three turns. If you don’t take a KO on the turn following Altered Creation GX, you will lose the game as there’s nothing you can do to prevent your opponent taking three KOs in three turns (they won’t run out of Energy because of Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX’s Ultimate Ray attack). [card name=”Heracross” set=”Unified Minds” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] is an answer because you can use its Turn the Tables attack on Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX, shuffling it and its Energy back into the deck. If your opponent manages to attack on the next turn, they’ll have to use at least one [card name=”Metal Saucer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card]. Then, it’s easy to KO the Zacian V with Blacephalon and they can’t keep up with the pace. The game usually goes like this:

  • Turn 1: The opponent attaches an Energy to Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX and uses Zacian V’s Intrepid Sword, you use Professor Oak’s Setup.
  • Turn 2: The opponent uses Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX’s Altered Creation GX, you use Heracross’ Turn the Tables attack
  • Turn 3: The opponent uses Zacian V’s Brave Blade attack, you use Blacephalon to get the revenge KO
  • Turn 4: The opponent uses Zacian V’s Brave Blade attack, you use Blacephalon to get the revenge KO

At this point, unless Zacian V got an Energy on turn 1 with Intrepid Sword, the Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / Zacian V player would have used all four Metal Saucer and can’t get a revenge KO. If they did get an Energy and have a Metal Saucer left, they need to be playing [card name=”Mawile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] to get the KO. And that is assuming they didn’t Prize a Metal Saucer or discard one in the early game.

Of course, things can get more complicated if the opponent’s Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / Zacian list has [card name=”Turbo Patch” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card], but that’s the basic idea and it’s fairly reliable. Adding Heracross has increased my win rate vs Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / Zacian V considerably to the point that I consider the matchup favorable (assuming no Turbo Patch). Note that Heracross isn’t a perfect answer to Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX in every deck. It works here because buying time is very useful as it lets you set up your [card name=”Salazzle” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] and get Energy in hand in order to be able to chain KOs. Heracross can be searched with Professor Oak’s Setup in this matchup.

Against [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], Heracross can use Tackle. It deals only 140 damage after Weakness but you don’t need to discard Energy cards and it’s easier to get the follow-up KO with Blacephalon. It can also KO low-HP attackers like [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Unified Minds” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card].

Lt. Surge’s Strategy

Playing [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] is a fairly linear. Welder, Fireball Circus, rinse, and repeat. Decks with more varied attackers may try to abuse that. For example, an Eternatus VMAX deck could start with Eternatus VMAX, then switch to a one-Prize attacker such as Hoopa, then use another Eternatus VMAX late-game. By weaving Hoopa in between two Eternatus VMAX, they force you to take an additional Prize (and in this deck, that means finding more Energy to discard). They could try weaving another one-Prize attacker, but then you can finish the game by sniping something on the Bench with Cramorant V so that’s not ideal.

Apart from Cramorant V, it’s hard for Blacephalon to attack the Bench. You do have [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] as an option if your opponent attacks your Bench, for example if they want to take two Prizes in one attack on your Zacian V. But if they keep KOing your Blacephalon, you have to use Welder and therefore can’t play Boss’s Orders. Unless you play [card name=”Lt. Surge’s Strategy” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card]. Lt. Surge’s Strategy allows you to combine Welder and Boss’s Orders and take a surprise KO on a Pokemon that your opponent thought was safe. Again, this is a plan made possible by Salazzle.

Oricorio-GX

This is a good card in Blacephalon, but space on the Bench is hard to find and Salazzle already lets us draw cards. That said, I think that Oricorio-GX could replace [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] in this list. You lose the option of getting a whole new hand on your first turn, but using Dedenne-GX is rarely good and having Oricorio-GX as a third Salazzle on your Bench is nice. Take note, it becomes a prime target for your opponent.

Salazzle or Jirachi?

Obviously, adding Salazzle to the deck means you can’t run [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. There’s no space for both in the deck or on the Bench, and having Jirachi means a heavy [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] engine, whereas the benefit of Salazzle is that you don’t have to worry too much about switching cards. The basic math is that Jirachi looks at five cards and Salazzle draws three, so you get more cards. But if you’re trying to find one specific card like Welder, your odds are lower. Of course, you can use multiple Roast Reveal per turn, whereas using several of Jirachi’s Stellar Wish requires a switching card.

Overall, the benefit of the Salazzle variant is that you’re less reliant on Pokemon-GX or Pokemon V. A classic Blacephalon list can often have Cramorant V, Dedenne-GX, and Zacian V in play, whereas it’s possible for Blacephalon / Salazzle to only Bench one two-Prize Pokemon the entire game.

Salazzle can attack! It’s obviously not a great attacker, but it is an out to [card name=”Galarian Obstagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card]. Most [card name=”Decidueye” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card] / Galarian Obstagoon lists only play one Galarian Obstagoon, so your Salazzle can deal with it. You can also use Salazzle against Spiritomb (in Eternatus VMAX) or Mad Party, so you don’t expose your Blacephalon.

The negative aspect of Salazzle is that it requires you to continually discard Energy. While you do have a lot of Energy, your goal is to get plenty of Energy cards in hand in order to use Fireball Circus. This means using Roast Reveal turn after turn can take a toll in the long run. Jirachi doesn’t have this issue and this is why Blacephalon / Jirachi is the main variant of the deck. That said, I feel like the Salazzle version has potential. In the next section, I’ll give you some tips to improve your gameplay with this deck!

Blacephalon / Salazzle Tips

If you’ve ever played a Blacephalon deck, you won’t be lost playing Blacephalon / Salazzle. However, there are some things to keep in mind with this variant.

Sequencing

[cardimg name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

You’ll want to use [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card], play a [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card], use Roast Reveal, and play a [card name=”Great Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] in the same turn. What is the optimal order to play these cards? It depends on the stage of the game!

Let’s start with the obvious. It’s better to use Giant Hearth before playing Great Ball, because by removing Energy from your deck, you increase the Pokemon density of the deck. As for Roast Reveal vs Welder, both draw the same amount of cards. Welder is necessary to attack so in theory, if you have plenty of Energy cards in hand you should use Welder first on Blacephalon (unless you need to draw Blacephalon from using Roast Reveal). However, if you don’t have a lot of Energy in hand then using Roast Reveal might be better. For example, if you have only two Energy cards in hand and you use Welder, you have to draw another Energy in order to be able to use Roast Reveal. But if you use Roast Reveal first, you can use another Roast Reveal later. You can therefore draw six cards and you only need to find [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] in these cards to be able to grab Energy back to hand and use Welder. This is especially important if you don’t have Energy in the discard pile. Roast Reveal x2 -> Energy Retrieval -> Welder is an option, whereas Welder -> Energy Retrieval -> Roast Reveal x2 doesn’t work if you don’t have Energy in the discard pile in the first place.

Now, is it better to use Giant Hearth before or after the Welder and Roast Reveal sequence? Again, this depends on your goals and the amount of Energy that you need. Let’s say that your opponent attacked using a Pokemon GX with 180 HP or 190 HP — something like [card name=”Heatran-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card]. In order to get the KO, you need a total of seven Energy — three to attach on Blacephalon and four to discard with its attack. A common scenario in the early game is when you have some Energy Retrieval and Fire Crystal in hand but few Fire Energy to use them on. On a positive note, you have a lot of Energy cards so using Roast Reveal is not an issue, but you’re limited by the amount of Energy in your hand and discard pile. Your goal now is to get as many Energy cards as you can out of your deck. In this case, it’s better to use Roast Reveal and Welder before activating Giant Hearth. This way, your odds of drawing Fire Energy off Roast Reveal and Welder are higher.

If what you’re trying to draw is something else — something like [card name=”Salazzle” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] and Welder on your early turns or Fire Crystal later on — then you should get Energy out of your deck with Giant Hearth first, then use your draw Abilities.

Great Ball works the same way. If you need Salazzle, then you should play Great Ball after Welder. If you’re set Pokemon-wise, then use Great Ball first to thin your deck then play Welder.

It’s hard to describe every scenario, because there are situations where you don’t need Salazzle. But searching for a Salazzle would help you find what you’re looking for, so calculating the exact odds of drawing what you need would require doing advanced math. That’s not something practical during a game of Pokemon, but if you stick to these ideas you’ll train your instincts. Following these ideas will make it easier to choose the right decision in more complex situations.

Short-term Energy Management

This deck only plays two Switch and it wouldn’t be out of the question to go down to one. It’s common to retreat your Pokemon manually. So its important not to forget to attach Energy every turn! For example, let’s say that you started with Salandit Active, your Bench on turn 1 is two other [card name=”Salandit” set=”Unified Minds” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card], plus you don’t have a Switch in hand. It’s important to attach an Energy card here, but where?

Attaching to Blacephalon is the most obvious choice since it’s the Pokemon that needs to attack. This attachment lets you attack on the next turn by using Welder and attaching an Energy manually to the Active Spot Salandit if it survives. If your opponent isn’t threatening you, for example if they have a [card name=”Lucario and Melmetal-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] in the Active Spot and will use its Full Metal Wall GX attack, then that’s the right choice. However, if your opponent has an aggressive deck and could use a [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] to take out your Blacephalon or snipe it with Cramorant V or [card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card]’s Venom Shot, then you would lose your Blacephalon and your Energy. You’d be left with no Energy left on the board and have no chance to attack on the next turn unless you find a Switch. In cases where your opponent can play Boss’s Orders but not snipe you and you have a second Blacephalon on the Bench, then ignore this. If your opponent KOs the Blacephalon with an Energy card attached, you can directly bring up the other Blacephalon to your Active Spot.

If you think your Blacephalon is threatened, then you should attach the Energy to your Active Spot Salandit instead. This way, if Blacephalon is KO’d, you can bring up this Salandit then retreat to the next Blacephalon. If your opponent Knocks Out Salandit, then you can bring up Blacephalon and attack with it. Losing the Energy card is annoying but it’s to be expected. It’s not an issue because you have Energy Retrieval and/or Fire Crystal in hand.

There’s a third option of attaching to a Salandit on the Bench. Only do this if you’re confident that one of your Pokemon is getting KO’d and that it’s not from a snipe attack. In this case, this option is slightly better than the previous one. Either the Active Spot Salandit is KO’d and you can send Blacephalon to attack with it (keeping the Energy on Salandit for later on), or Blacephalon is KO’d, in which case you can bring up the Salandit with an Energy card attached. You do have the option to retreat to something else such as a Cramorant V.

In reality, this dilemma rarely happens on turn 1 because it’s unlikely that you can KO a big Pokemon on turn 2. But you can easily transpose this scenario to one or two turns later!

Long-term Energy Management

If you look at the game from a more macroscopic point of view, you have a finite amount of Energy to use overall. 14 Energy cards, four Fire Crystal, three Energy Retrieval and an [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] means that you effectively have 34 Energy cards to use over the course of the game. This may look like a lot but consider this. KOing a Pokemon VMAX requires 10 Energy (three on Blacephalon and seven to discard), so you need 20 out of these 34 cards! Of course, things are sometimes not that simple. As I mentioned earlier with the example of [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], decks will often try to use other attackers than their Pokemon VMAX against you, so you might need to add six Energy to this count to account for a KO on a Hoopa. What’s more, the Energy you discarded for Roast Reveal, Giant Hearth, or for retreating all count in this total too.

In most matchups, the amount of Energy needed isn’t an issue. You can use Cramorant V to get easier Prizes: Taking two Prizes with Cramorant V on a [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] requires only three Energy, while Blacephalon would need seven. However, against Eternatus VMAX (which doesn’t play Cramorant V favorite target), I’ve found that things could get rough in the late game especially if there’s a Fire Crystal hiding in your Prizes.

If you can, try to keep a general idea of whether you’re short on Energy. There may be a point where you have a large hand. Don’t feel obligated to use Roast Reveal in this case! If you don’t have Welder in hand for the next turn, it may not be wise to discard Energy to find Welder for the next turn when there’s a risk that your opponent will play Marnie or [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] anyway. Speaking of which…

Reset Stamp and Marnie Resilience

In the late game, you should be prepared for either Reset Stamp, Marnie, or both depending on the matchup, unless you’re playing the mirror match. The first step of course is to have a couple of Salazzle in play, but in order to maximise your odds of not drawing dead off a Reset Stamp there are some additional things to think about. First, [card name=”Great Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] are usually useless at this point of the game (unless you have Dedenne-GX in the deck, but even then Great Ball is unreliable) so feel free to play them to grab nothing. Second, count how many Energy you have in your deck and hand combined, after using Fireball Circus. If you have none left, which means all your Energy are in your discard pile, on the board, or in your Prizes, then you can play an [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] to get Energy back to your hand. This way, you can draw them with [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] if your opponent plays Reset Stamp, then use Salazzle to draw into your other cards. Your odds of directly drawing an Energy will be higher.

Finally, a tip for when you’re “ahead of schedule” regarding [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card]. If you’re using Welder on a Blacephalon on your Bench while your Active Spot Blacephalon has Energy, don’t attach a third Energy on the Blacephalon on the Bench. If your opponent plays Reset Stamp, you can attach the third Energy card afterwards with Welder, allowing you to get the draw three cards effect without wasting an Energy card. Otherwise, if you draw into Welder and an Energy card, you’ll have to attach a fourth Energy (or attach the Fire Energy to another Pokemon).

Conclusion

As always, I hope you find this guide useful! I was very proud of [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Salazzle” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] and I hoped it would become the new standard for Blacephalon, but it seems that it either wasn’t good enough or I wasn’t persuasive enough about it. My hope is that more players will try the deck, and manage to tweak the deck to improve its win rate. It may not be a Tier 1 deck, but it’s definitely not bad and perhaps you’ll find it more fun than the [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] variant, if nothing else. Some of the tips above can be applied to other Blacephalon decks, or Welder decks.

Until next time, good luck in all your games!

–Stéphane

[/premium]