Bide Barricade — Wobbuffet Can Dominate in Expanded

[cardimg name=”Tropical Beach” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW50″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Hello everyone! My last article was about Control in Standard, and today’s is going to be about Control in Expanded. Or more accurately — Quad [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] stall. Every once in a while, Quad Wobbuffet finds a niche metagame where it can shine. The current Expanded format, especially on the PTCGO ladder, is extremely vulnerable to Wobbuffet. Quad Wobbuffet has incredible matchups in the current Expanded format, and it punishes the PTCGO ladder meta particularly hard.

Since I don’t have [card name=”Tropical Beach” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW50″ c=”name”][/card] online, I’ve been going without, and I’m sure some of you will be pleased to hear that the deck doesn’t need Tropical Beach to work. That said, running Tropical Beach is optimal, though it isn’t completely necessary to play the deck and rack up wins. I’ll be sharing the lists with and without Tropical Beach; they’re almost identical anyway.

For some reason, I find this deck extremely fun to play. Maybe it’s because I enjoy winning more than anything else, and that’s what this deck does — it wins. If there were Expanded Regionals taking place right now, I would definitely play this deck (and there’s still some online tournaments for Expanded). Anyway, let’s get into it.

[premium]

List With Tropical Beach

[decklist name=”wobb beach” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Wobbuffet BREAK” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY155″][pokemon amt=”6″]4x [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Wobbuffet BREAK” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY155″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”54″]4x [card name=”Steven’s Resolve” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Bill’s Analysis” set=”Team Up” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hugh” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Plumeria” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Repeat Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”158″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Tropical Beach” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW28″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”0″][/energy][/decklist]

List Without Tropical Beach

[decklist name=”Wobbbbbo” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″][pokemon amt=”6″]4x [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Wobbuffet BREAK” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY155″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”54″]4x [card name=”Steven’s Resolve” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Bill’s Analysis” set=”Team Up” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hugh” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Plumeria” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Repeat Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”159″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”158″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”0″][/energy][/decklist] 

This deck is tight on space. There are many more cards I wish I could fit and I can’t so this deck has gone through more revisions than most decks I make. It’s difficult to decide what needs to be prioritized, so you may see some odd-looking decisions in the list. There are also many cards that would be nice to have, but that there simply isn’t any space for. This is my current iteration after lots of testing and tweaking, and I’m happy with it for now.

Breaking Down the Lists

This is your typical degenerate stall deck; playing only four [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] guarantees that Ability-lock will be in effect for the entire game, which significantly slows down many decks in Expanded. The goal is to run the opponent out of Energy and / or trap something in the Active. It sounds simple, but the deck is actually quite nuanced and difficult to play. There are many decisions and different routes to consider, especially when facing down intense attacking pressure. Some matchups and situations are easy and intuitive, but there are lots of decisions to be made where practice, familiarity with the deck, and clever thinking make all the difference. I like this deck a lot. Always choose to go second.

Four Wobbuffet, Two Wobbuffet BREAK

[cardimg name=”Wobbuffet BREAK” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY155″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The whole point of this deck is to start with Wobbuffet guaranteed, and to have Ability lock slowing down the opponent for the whole game. No other Pokemon seem worthwhile or necessary. [card name=”Wobbuffet BREAK” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY155″ c=”name”][/card] has been surprisingly useful and relevant, and it’s here for a few reasons. The extra HP is nice and relevant every so often, [card name=”Cape of Toughness” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] would add more HP to Wobbuffet than break evolving, but it can be removed by [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], can’t be recovered by [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], and most importantly, doesn’t have the other benefits of the BREAK. Wobbuffet BREAK’s Ability lock isn’t affected by [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]. Additionally, evolving cures poison from the likes of [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Koga’s Trap” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”177″ c=”name”][/card]. With how long the games take and how slow this deck is, poison is a legitimate way to take out a Wobbuffet, so evolving out of it is actually helpful.

Four Steven’s Resolve

While nullified by the occasional N or [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Steven’s Resolve” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] is still worth playing. It grabs any three cards from the deck, and the cost of ending the turn doesn’t matter when we don’t attack anyway. Steven’s Resolve is effective for most of the game, and is included to maximize early-game consistency, help set up, and find specific pieces to deal with any unique situation. Steven’s Resolve is the perfect Supporter for this deck.

Four Bill’s Analysis

Although a bit less powerful than Steven’s Resolve, [card name=”Bill’s Analysis” set=”Team Up” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] allows us to immediately use the cards we find with it. This card is primarily included to bolster early-game consistency. It’s mainly used to fetch search cards, [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], other Supporters, and [card name=”Tropical Beach” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW50″ c=”name”][/card]. It can also grab [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] to dig even more. Bill’s Analysis fits this deck better than traditional draw Supporters.

Three Team Flare Grunt, One Plumeria

[card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] is the most simple, reliable, and powerful Supporter in the deck. It’s a staple in disruption decks for good reason. We’ll be using this card a lot to achieve our win condition. [card name=”Plumeria” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] offers flexibility that this deck requires in some situations, as we sometimes need to discard Energy from the opponent’s Bench, but it’s not used as often as Team Flare Grunt.

Two or Three Cynthia and Caitlin

[card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] is a mediocre draw Supporter, especially by Expanded’s standards, though it offers a small boost to early-game consistency. Its Supporter-recovery effect is much more important though. Think of it as a similar [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], but it uses the Supporter for turn and also draws cards. It has synergy with [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card], allowing Pal Pad to essentially recover two wildcard Supporters. Cynthia and Caitlin is one of the cuts for Tropical Beach when using that version. In the later parts of the game, don’t use the draw effect of Cynthia and Caitlin every time, as you’ll deck yourself out. The supporter recovery effect is sufficient in many scenarios.

Two Gladion

I tested all sorts of variations of this deck, tinkering with the counts of nearly everything. [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] was originally run as a single copy, but a second copy is needed. Not only is it nice to be able to use it twice, but I sometimes found myself in trouble when Gladion was prized, leaving me with no access to the Prize cards. Sometimes when Gladion is prized, it’s prized along with something useful such as a tech Supporter or a Wobbuffet. Running a second Gladion nearly eliminates this issue. Gladion isn’t a terrible Supporter in its own right. When the user is aware of what’s prized, it functions as a card that essentially lets you search for whatever you want. It’s also a small boost to consistency because it can find a Supporter for the next turn.

Two N

N is useful as a powerful draw Supporter, though it’s included for its usefulness as a disruptive tool. Sometimes opponents will put on immense early pressure, and N can halt them in their tracks. It’s used to slow down opponents’ momentum and enable comebacks. This is particularly apparent against [card name=”Ultra Necrozma” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card]. The fact that N allows us to refresh our hand is simply a bonus, and it helps with overall consistency.

One Hugh

[card name=”Hugh” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] is way better than I initially thought it would be. Opponents occasionally play conservatively and build up large hands. If the opponent has ways to replenish the deck (such as [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] and VS Seekers), they can actually gain card advantage since we are working with finite resources. Hugh takes this option away from our opponent, so we will never deck out first. Plus, forcing opponents to throw away 10-20 cards at once is hilarious, since they probably won’t expect it. Even if they are aware of Hugh, forcing them to play around it more or less accomplishes the same goal.

One Faba

[card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] is an extra Energy-removal card, and it’s also our only way to remove Tools such as [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. We can also use Faba to engage in a Stadium war, and to remove [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card] so that we can play [card name=”Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card]. The fact that Faba sends Energy to the Lost Zone is particularly relevant against opponents that run [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Recycle Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”212″ c=”name”][/card].

One Guzma

[card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] is integral to our strategy of locking and stalling our opponent. It drags up any Pokemon to stick it in the Active position. There isn’t much else to say about it.

One Team Rocket’s Handiwork

[card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] is the most important card in the deck next to [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card]. It ensures that we can deck the opponent out, and do so in a timely manner. As a bonus, it can get rid of key resources on the opponent’s side. Use it enough times, and we’re sure to mill some goodies. Our Supporter recovery efforts will be focused on this card more than any other. I would like a second copy in the list, but as I said, extra space is unbelievably hard to come by.

One Pokemon Ranger

[cardimg name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] is a necessary tech to counter [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]. Keep in mind that it also resets the recharge effect of [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card]’s Brave Blade, which is annoying but it can’t be helped. It’s also useful against Item lock Pokemon such as [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Vikavolt V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Noivern-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card].

Four Trainers’ Mail

[card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] doesn’t seem too amazing at first glance, but the extra reach it offers has saved me more than once. It almost always finds something of use, as the deck is full of Trainers, most of which help with consistency or disruption in some capacity. It works well with Bill’s Analysis, offering an extra chance at a particular card such as [card name=”Repeat Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card]. The added consistency is nice for not only the early-game, but also after hand disruption such as [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] or N.

Four Repeat Ball, Two Nest Ball

When testing with only [card name=”Repeat Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], it wasn’t enough, so I added two [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] and the difference is remarkable. This deck’s biggest weakness is the early supply of Wobbuffet. Losing by running out of Pokemon in play is shameful, so we want plenty of search cards to ensure that never happens. Repeat Ball is the best option because it can also find the second [card name=”Wobbuffet BREAK” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY155″ c=”name”][/card] when one is already in play, which is relevant from time to time. Repeat Ball also doesn’t force Wobbuffet straight to the Bench like Nest Ball does, which means it can be used to thin the deck while not providing a Guzma target for the opponent, though I’ve never had that situation occur.

Four Enhanced Hammer, Two or Three Crushing Hammer

Expanded runs on Special Energy, which makes [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] extremely broken and conducive to our win condition. Playing four is essential. The count of [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] is admittedly odd, and it simply comes down to a prioritization of the deck’s precious space. Crushing Hammer is certainly useful, but many other cards are more important. And at the end of the day, there’s still a 50% chance for each Crushing Hammer to be a dud.

Four VS Seeker, Three Pal Pad

This deck relies on being able to reuse each Supporter many times. At a glance, [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card] is the superior because it recovers two Supporters instead of one. However, [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] allows us to immediately respond to any situation with the most fitting option and respond to pressure appropriately, which is something that the deck struggles with. Helping compensate for this weakness means that VS Seeker is more important to have multiple copies of. VS Seeker is instant, while Pal Pad (although more powerful) is too slow for some situations.

One Max Potion

[card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] is an odd card to have here. It doesn’t have a designated use, and it doesn’t seem like it would be useful, as even Wobbuffet BREAK only has 140 HP. Max Potion is still in the deck because it’s been extremely helpful in many random situations. It simply erases a weak attack, such as [card name=”Honchkrow-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] Feather Storm. Given that attacks aren’t all that easy to come by in the face of constant disruption, negating even one can make a huge difference. Granted, many decks one-shot Wobbuffet anyway, so there’s only one copy of Max Potion.

One Dowsing Machine

This is one of the few decks where [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] is possibly better than [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ve found the extra copy of any given card to be fantastic and versatile, though running Computer Search instead would be perfectly fine.

One Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star

[card name=”Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] makes for a perfect disruptive combo with N. When playing without it, there were many times where I found myself wanting it, and it’s proven itself worthy since adding. It’s particularly strong against [card name=”Ultra Necrozma” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] during the late game. In any matchup, slam it down when you think your opponent is out of Stadiums and watch them suffer.

Zero or Two Tropical Beach

It goes without saying that [card name=”Tropical Beach” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW50″ c=”name”][/card] is great in a deck that doesn’t attack. We can refill our hand for free and focus on disruption.  Tropical Beach is also great for recovering from hand disruption. Engaging in a Stadium war is beneficial because it bleeds out opponent’s Stadiums for Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star to swoop in and stick. The deck works well enough without Tropical Beach, but if you have access to one or two, use them. Three or four is overkill. The card isn’t that busted, and again, deck space is a huge issue.

Possible inclusions: [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card]. I haven’t forgotten about these options; they simply can’t fit. Team Skull Grunt would be my first priority, followed by Field Blower. The rest would be useful, but they’re a bit extra.

Matchups

Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / Zacian V — Favorable

Find [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] immediately and use it as soon after Altered Creation GX as possible. They can sometimes get one buffed KO, but any more than that and we’re in danger. Enhanced Hammer (and the other disruption cards) do a good job keeping [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] from using Ultimate Ray, as we don’t want that happening. [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] slows them down significantly by turning off the likes of Intrepid Sword and Dedechange. This matchup usually results in us running them out of Energy and / or sticking something in the Active position. Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star is handy once they’re out of Stadiums (usually [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card]). This matchup is straightforward and favorable, though it’s by no means an auto-win.

Trevenant and Dusknoir-GX / Milotic — Favorable

[cardimg name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Wobbuffet shuts down most of their deck, and all we have to do is remove the Psychic Energy one by one. Wobbuffet BREAK is important here, as we don’t want their [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] shutting off Bide Barricade to activate [card name=”Milotic” set=”Flashfire” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card]’s Ability. If possible, set up only two Wobbuffet BREAK and no regular Wobbuffet. If they ever have an opportunity to use [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] on a Basic Wobbuffet and use Milotic, they can recover three Energy at once and kill our hand in one fell swoop, leaving us with no hope of winning. By preventing Milotic from activating, we protect ourselves from [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card], and we can safely and methodically remove their Psychic Energy. This matchup is quite favorable, but it’s not an auto-win because fast pressure from [card name=”Gengar and Mimikyu-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card]’s Poltergeist can be problematic. With this deck running 56 Trainers, there’s no way to play around Poltergeist. If they are lucky enough to find draw Supporters and Energy constantly, it’s possible for us to lose, but Wobbuffet usually slows them down quite a bit.

Ultra Necrozma — 50-50

This matchup sometimes feels favorable and sometimes unfavorable. It depends how the cards fall, which is why I say it’s about even overall. [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] helps with constantly removing [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], and N is crucial to slow them down. The fact is, they can easily KO Wobbuffet turn after turn starting on their first attacking turn. Even though we can constantly remove their Energy, this pressure is not fun to deal with. When the opponent starts getting low on Prize cards, pick an opportunity to combo N with Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star. Hopefully, they’re low on [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] by that point, though it usually comes down to luck.

Our strategy is to lock them by constantly removing Energy and using N, and then spamming [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card]. They don’t even need Silent Lab to attack thanks to Wobbuffet’s Ability, which is unfortunate, to say the least. Sometimes we will lose this matchup and that’s just how it goes.

Rowlett and Alolan Exeggutor-GX — Favorable (without Exeggutor PLF)

Discard all their Energy, and use Team Rocket’s Handiwork on the turns you don’t need to use a different Supporter. Repeated [card name=”Brock’s Grit” set=”Team Up” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] combined with [card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] is annoying, but since their deck is slow, they can’t quite capitalize on that Energy recovery capability. After they use Brock’s Grit, repeated plays of Team Rocket’s Handiwork will surely discard some Energy. Wobbuffet shuts off [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] and other possible tricks like [card name=”Rillaboom” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card], and make sure to use the [card name=”Wobbuffet BREAK” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY155″ c=”name”][/card] so that we aren’t affected by [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card]. If they play Rillaboom, only have Wobbuffet BREAK in play to deny them the Guzma plus Silent Lab opportunity. If Rillaboom ever gets activated, it’s bad news. [card name=”Hugh” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] may be used in this matchup as well.

If they run [card name=”Exeggutor” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”5″ c=”name”][/card], we probably lose, though I haven’t tested against it. Although it takes 14 turns for Blockade to take out a Wobbuffet BREAK, plus 13 more for each [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] we use (possibly two because of [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]), it buys them that many turns to manually attach all their Energy to [card name=”Rowlet and Alolan Exeggutor-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”1″ c=”name”][/card].

Honchkrow-GX — Very Favorable

It’s easy to run [card name=”Honchkrow-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] out of Energy. Even [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] plus Unfair GX isn’t enough for them to cheese wins. Given that a majority of this deck is either consistency or disruption, Wobbuffet can live on topdecks in this matchup, and we still have two cards to work with after the Unfair GX play. That said, it is important to get as many Wobbuffet in play as possible during our free turn just in case.

Mew Box — Favorable

[card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] can be pressuring for the same reason as [card name=”Ultra Necrozma” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card], and we handle it in a similar way. The main reason why this matchup is more favorable than Ultra Necrozma is that Mew relies on [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. Once we get rid of those, and on turns where they whiff, the Mew deck is not threatening. Pokemon Ranger counters Quaking Punch, N counters Beak Catch, and aside from that, we discard or Lost Zone all of their Energy as usual. [card name=”Tropical Beach” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW50″ c=”name”][/card] is particularly important in this matchup, both as a Stadium bump and for the hand refill to help us deal with pressure.

Donk — Near Auto-Win

This deck runs around unchecked on the Expanded PTCGO ladder, and Wobbuffet automatically beats it. Although they can donk a Wobbuffet, they need tremendous amounts of luck to do so. If you somehow know you’re up against Donk, choose to go first to defend against that slim possibility. Going second is still fine, and you should always choose to do so if you don’t know what you’re up against.

Conclusion

There are tons of different decks you can run into in Expanded. It’s a wild format. [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] has the answers to beat most of them, but sometimes you’ll run into something random that beats Wobbuffet. Overall though, Wobbuffet is a strong counter to the current Expanded meta. It’s in a great position right now, so I hope you’ll try the deck out. It may not be everyone’s preferred type of deck, but everyone likes to win.

While a lot of matchups are straightforward, the player’s skill comes into play when things don’t go as planned. There’s lots of decision-making and adapting that inevitably comes up, and it’s fun and challenging to navigate new situations. Oftentimes, a series of decisions makes the difference between a loss and a win, which makes Wobbuffet a rather skill-intensive deck.

Thanks for reading!

–Grant

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