Third Time’s the Charm — Top Picks for Players Cup III and Centiskorch VMAX

Happy New Year PokeBeach readers! I’m pumped to start off January discussing the current Standard format and what it will look like throughout the third Players Cup season. I also want to share my pick for the tournament if it starts tomorrow: [card name=”Centiskorch VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ll review the deck’s position in the meta, share my list below, and give some guiding tips on how to pilot it against each matchup. There’s a lot to cover, so let’s hop in.

Current Standard Format

[cardimg name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Standard has a lot of boogeymen, but none so infamous as [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]  (ADP). Alongside [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card], these two cards have been in the spotlight since their takeover of the last Oceania International Championship back in February 2020. The deck dominated the UPR-SSH format that it pushed all single-Prize decks out of the format, as they lose to the mighty Altered Creation GX. Since the rotation to Team Up onwards, ADP lost almost nothing compared to other decks and continues to find success to this day. It only lost [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card], but it was replaced by the arguably better [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card].

However, while ADP / Zacian V hasn’t lost any key pieces to the rotation, more cards have certainly been printed with them in mind. The inception of Pokemon VMAX and their behemoth 300+ HP were a direct challenge to Altered Creation GX and Brave Blade. ADP / Zacian V’s strategy shifted from Knocking Out everything in a single attack to using Boss’s Orders and other gusting effects to Knock Out [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], and other ‘small HP’ two-Prize Pokemon while continuing to be a gatekeeper for single-Prize Pokemon decks. This is ADP / Zacian V in 2021. 

Despite a decline from its glory days, the space-time warping of ADP (hah!) continues to influence the Standard format. However, it is now dependent on the popularity of Pokemon VMAX decks to the point that single-Prize decks can make a run for the trophy. Despite being a deck you could avoid playing against at the Players Cup III, I wouldn’t play a deck without an answer to it. 

This brings us to the next topic: Pokemon VMAX. Initially, [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Inteleon VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] ruled the Standard format, but they have been overshadowed by [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Coalossal VMAX” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], and my favorite, Centiskorch VMAX. Broadly speaking, these beefy Pokemon hit hard and can tank damage, giving them an advantage against Tag Team Pokemon-GX that don’t have as high HP. Yet, the Achilles heel of these decks are single-Prize decks, which have a strong Prize-to-damage ratio like [card name=”Whimsicott” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card].

Lastly, single-Prize decks have the potential to run the show at the Players Cup III. Barring ADP, spread decks (unpopular outside of Dragapult VMAX), or decks that can heal off big attacks, single-Prize decks are a rock-solid investment. For example, [card name=”Excadrill” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] took down the biggest tournament in December, topping over 250+ players. Overall, if you’re confident your single-Prize deck can deal with the above issues as well as other single-Prize decks, there isn’t anything to worry about.

If you’re eagle-eyed, you’ll notice there’s one chunk of the meta that I didn’t examine: Tag Team Pokemon-GX. These decks fall between the other three; there are speedy glass cannons like [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], setup-dependent, chunky decks like [card name=”Rowlet and Alolan Exeggutor-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”1″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Rillaboom” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card], and balanced decks like Fire Box. These decks are in a tight spot since their strategies have to accommodate all of the above categories while being consistent enough not to choke. Sometimes this means throwing in some techs to deal with a bad matchup and other times introducing the flexibility of [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] into your list, usually seen in Pikachu and Zekrom-GX decks.

I wish I could say there is a fifth category: Control / Mill variants, but I have thrown in the towel for this type of deck. I attempted to make [card name=”Seaking” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] compete with the meta, but [card name=”Boltund V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card]’s Electrify, Pikachu and Zekrom-GX’s Full Blitz, [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card]’s Flare Starter, and [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] were too much for Rippling Horn to deal with. Since there are those of you who want the pain of hitting six tails with Ripping Horn and [card name=”Glimwood Tangle” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] or those who can dodge the bad matchups, here’s my list for the Seaking deck if you are brave enough:

[decklist name=”Seaking” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Seaking” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”47″][pokemon amt=”21″]4x [card name=”Seaking” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”47″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Goldeen” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”48″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Goldeen” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Persian” set=”Team Up” no=”126″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Meowth” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Minccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cryogonal” set=”Unified Minds” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lucario and Melmetal-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Rosa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”204″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ 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=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”159″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Glimwood Tangle” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]5x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”EX Holon Phantoms” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”5″][/card]2x [card name=”Wash Water Energy” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

While Seaking flopped in terms of total Pokemon TCG domination, note that [card name=”Cryogonal” set=”Unified Minds” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Galar Mine” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Persian” set=”Team Up” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] are powerful in their own right. By using Boss’s Orders to bring up a Dedenne-GX or Crobat V, Cryogonal’s Frozen Lock in combination with Absol or Galar Mine to increase your opponent’s Active Spot Pokemon’s Retreat Cost can a lock them there for several turns akin to the Trevenant list from my previous article. Once the opponent has a big hand size, Persian’s Make ‘Em Pay discards valuable resources. I look forward to seeing if this strategy can be reused in the Standard format with any cards from future sets. 

While Seaking is perfect for having some fun without saying Ultimate Ray or Full Blitz, here are my top decks in the running for the Players Cup III:

Top Decks for Players Cup III

Blacephalon

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

Blacephalon has the best of both worlds, thanks to being a single-Prize Pokemon and its Fireball Circus attack providing the heavy-hitting OHKO potential to a Pokemon VMAX deck. Yet Blacephalon can struggle against other single-Prize decks as it can be difficult to stream attackers plus matchups like Dragapult VMAX aren’t exactly a cakewalk. [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] is an issue for building up to big attacks against Pokemon VMAX, but with [card name=”Oricorio-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card], OHKOs are possible. Fireball Circus is a great attack in Standard and [card name=”Cramorant V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] often finishes games without needing too much juice. I’d include a [card name=”Giratina” set=”Unified Minds” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] since [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] is included in the deck. Removing [card name=”Coating Metal Energy” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] against [card name=”Lucario and Melmetal-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] can smoothen that matchup, while discarding a [card name=”Hiding Darkness Energy” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] against Eternatus VMAX can buy you time. Of course, Giratina is useful against other matchups too. I’d pick Blacephalon if single-Prize decks aren’t popular, if Dragapult VMAX isn’t popular, or if you can draw well after being hit with a [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card]!

Excadrill

Continuing the single-Prize category, Excadrill is a deck that saw success in the last Players Cup. With the popularity of Pikachu and Zekrom-GX rising, Excadrill boasts good matchups against it and several additional major decks like Eternatus VMAX, [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] / Zacian V (without [card name=”Aegislash V” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Duraludon” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card]), and Centiskorch VMAX. The inclusion of [card name=”Altaria” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] can wall off many matchups who aren’t prepared for it. But I have to wonder — by the time Players Cup III comes around, will techs like Aegislash V become popular to get around Altaria? Additionally, Excadrill can clunk up, missing attacks on occasion. For that reason, I might hold off on Excadrill but the deck should be considered as it boasts good matchups. 

Rowlet and Alolan Exeggutor-GX / Rillaboom

Rowlet and Alolan Exeggutor-GX / Rillaboom is a great pick for the Players Cup III — if nobody takes my advice above and runs Giratina in [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] and nobody takes my advice below (slight spoiler) and runs Giratina in Centiskorch VMAX. Despite this, one can hedge the issue of Fire Weakness by adding a Mewtwo and Mew-GX into the deck to copy Rowlet and Alolan Exeggutor-GX’s attacks, in addition to [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”name”][/card] plus [card name=”Weakness Guard Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”213″ c=”name”][/card]. The raw consistency of Super Growth into Calming Hurricane into Tropical Hour GX by turn 3 attracts me to choosing this deck. Besides Altered Creation GX, Tropical Hour GX is the best GX attack in the game! Shuffling in all of the opponent’s Energy can be devastating against any deck setting up or mounting a comeback, especially when combined with Reset Stamp. With [card name=”Dubwool V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”153″ c=”name”][/card] as a complimentary attacker once the initial Rowlet and Alolan Exeggutor-GX goes down, this deck can play a seven or eight Prize game. This can be nasty when Reset Stamp is involved. Even with the above counters, I’d only pick this deck if Fire-type decks are on the decline.

Centiskorch VMAX

Lastly, my favorite pick for the Player’s Cup III is [card name=”Centiskorch VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card]! There are so many wonderful aspects that I wouldn’t hesitate to choose it. As I said above, Pokemon VMAX decks generally struggle with single-Prize decks due to the unfavorable Prize trade. Yet, with two and a half tech cards, I limited the degree to which this deck’s matchups are unfavored. Furthermore, this deck doesn’t mind any [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card]! Here’s the list:

[premium]

[decklist name=”Centiskortch VMAX” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Centiskorch VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”34″][pokemon amt=”18″]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]2x [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Heatran-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM161″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Eldegoss V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”19″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giratina” set=”Unified Minds” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”31″]4x [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giovanni’s Exile” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”174″ 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=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Switch” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]11x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”EX Holon Phantoms” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Despite having the backbone of a classic Centiskorch VMAX deck, there were lots of failed experiments and lots of improvements I’ve gleaned.

Card Choices

[cardimg name=”Centiskorch VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”34″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Three Centiskorch VMAX, Two Volcanion, One Heatran-GX, No Reshiram and Charizard-GX, No Dubwool V, No Cramorant V

I tried everything under the sun inside this deck, going with a 2-2 Centiskorch VMAX line and a few other Fire-type or Colorless-type attackers. In the end, the best option was opting for consistency and adding back the traditional 3-3 Centiskorch VMAX line. As much as it pains me to say, [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] doesn’t fit this deck because Centiskorch VMAX does its job better! With larger HP and no damage cap, Centiskorch VMAX outperforms Reshiram and Charizard-GX. Past this, Dubwool V had its pros and cons, but it came down to [card name=”Heatran-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] being a better option with Hot Burn GX. I ended up choosing consistency and running a third Centiskorch VMAX, but I wouldn’t be opposed to adding [card name=”Cramorant V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] back. Since I don’t run [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], Spit Shot can’t OHKO [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], but the power to take two Prize cards for only three Energy to close the game is nothing to scoff at. Two copies of [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] is a standard amount and I haven’t had issues using Flare Starter going second with the additional consistency.

Three Jirachi, Two Dedenne-GX, Two Crobat V, and One Eldegoss V

Unsurprisingly, this deck runs a large amount of consistency Pokemon, but none are as important as [card name=”Eldegoss V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”19″ c=”name”][/card]. This card makes the deck; with it, [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] are outs to an immediate [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card], or you could fetch a [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”name”][/card] to heal off an attack. 

One Giratina, No Galarian Zigzagoon, and No Phione

I’ve cut [card name=”Phione” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and Galarian Zigzagoon because they aren’t good enough. While they do have their uses, they are much fewer and farther between compared to the extra consistency. Phione’s Ability isn’t needed in many stages of the game and Galarian Zigzagoon doesn’t help for math unless you are lucky to play multiple [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card]. The exception to this is [card name=”Giratina” set=”Unified Minds” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. I love Giratina! A guaranteed Energy disruption card can slow the opponent down by a turn. Plus discarding [card name=”Coating Metal Energy” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] against [card name=”Lucario and Melmetal-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] means you can hit for Weakness. Giratina has proven itself to be a valiant ally and I’ve put it in almost every deck that runs Scoop Up Net. 

One Mallow and Lana, One Giovanni’s Exile, and No Bird Keeper

Now we get to the good stuff! Four copies of Welder and two [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] are common in Centiskorch VMAX lists, but I’ve added a copy of Mallow and Lana and [card name=”Giovanni’s Exile” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”174″ c=”name”][/card] too. Both are perfect for this deck — Mallow and Lana overcomes the weakness of a Pokemon VMAX deck being unable to heal versus a single-Prize deck, while Giovanni’s Exile can remove your Pokemon-GX and Pokemon V on the Bench from being targeted versus [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] or Cramorant V for easy Prizes. With Eldegoss V to reuse it, a single copy of Mallow and Lana is enough to stave off many single-Prize decks from two-shotting our Centiskorch VMAX.

I’ve since decided to remove [card name=”Bird Keeper” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] from the list since our four copies of [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] should do the job. From a value perspective, Welder is valuable at the beginning, Mallow and Lana and Giovanni’s Exile in the volatile middle, and Boss’s Orders at the end. Usually I want to play other Supporters when I have Bird Keeper in hand, hence the cut. 

Four Pokemon Communication, Three Scoop Up Net, Four Giant Hearth, and Two Reset Stamp

Most [card name=”Centiskorch VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] lists have three Pokemon Communication and four Scoop Up Net, but with the elimination of Phione and Galarian Zigzagoon, Scoop Up Net is less important. Another card that often is skimped out on is [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] with three copies; but I think anything less than four is crazy. Not only is Giant Hearth’s effect vital to the setup of Centiskorch VMAX, but with [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] being popular Stadiums of choice, sticking a Giant Hearth in play is more important than ever. A fourth copy is needed to reliably get it on the first turn. 

Even without playing [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] is impressive in Centiskorch VMAX. It is a great fall-back card if something goes wrong — Reset Stamp and pray! Furthermore, if your opponent is gearing up to use Reset Stamp, you can preemptively use Reset Stamp to avoid it for yourself. Two copies are needed to reliably get one once your opponent has taken some Prize cards.

Matchup Tips

Pikachu and Zekrom-GX

Against [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], the most important goal is to preserve Mallow and Lana and your Switch cards for the inevitable [card name=”Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]’s Tandem Shock paralysis. You can use Giovanni’s Exile to remove any targets for Tag Bolt GX, but don’t stress about it. Since the opponent needs to use [card name=”Boltund V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] to set up, put all your eggs in one basket by loading up a [card name=”Centiskorch V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]. It isn’t difficult to get an OHKO on a Pikachu and Zekrom-GX but in case of a Reset Stamp, remember Heatran-GX can ‘replace’ a damaged Centiskorch VMAX with Burning Road.

Eternatus VMAX

Against [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], use Giratina if there’s an opening! In order to stream Eternatus VMAX, the opponent has to attach an Energy every turn. If you can disrupt this at any point by discarding Energy, the game is as good as won. If not, don’t stress! Use Heatran-GX to take a clean OHKO after two-shotting the previous Eternatus VMAX. Alternatively, you can take an early KO with Volcanion on a single-Prize Pokemon, three Prizes from an Eternatus VMAX, and the last two from a Crobat V. The matchup is slightly favored since Centiskorch VMAX has more options than Eternatus VMAX that only has Dread End. 

ADP / Zacian V

Against ADP / Zacian V, ensure you never bench two Pokemon-GX or Pokemon V, and use Giovanni’s Exile to remove any in play. Discard or shuffle these Pokemon into the deck too since [card name=”Mawile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] remains a problem. Because of the safety net of Giovanni’s Exile, you can be very aggressive such as using multiple [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and Crobat V as long as you don’t have multiple on your Bench at the end of your turn. ADP can’t put more than a dent in a Centiskorch VMAX, which can be buffed out with Mallow and Lana if needed. Volcanion itself can take out Zacian V with its High-Heat Blast attack.

Blacephalon

Against [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card], Reset Stamp is your best friend! Sadly, this is a matchup where [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] would help (High-Heat Blast and Headbutt Tantrum KOs a Blacephalon), but don’t fret. Use [card name=”Heatran-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] to force a seven- or eight-Prize game and take KOs. I would be wary of playing Dedenne-GX on my Bench due to Cramorant V, but if Giovanni’s Exile is an option to remove it then go ahead. In this matchup, I wouldn’t play Giant Hearth as it will only help the opponent. 

Mad Party

Mad Party is much different than Blacephalon; [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] will be your primary attacker with some Centiskorch VMAX thrown in. [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”name”][/card] is useful to heal initial attacks, but as the game goes on it becomes less and less valuable. When I have the time, I find myself targeting down [card name=”Polteageist” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] in order to make Reset Stamp more effective: it eliminates [card name=”Triple Acceleration Energy” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”190″ c=”name”][/card] as an out to attack and stops your opponent from using Polteageist’s Tea Break Ability to recover from a late game Reset Stamp. 

Mirror Match

Against an opposing Centiskorch VMAX list, the extra Reset Stamp will be worth its weight in gold by disrupting the opponent went it comes to finding the last [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card]. Similar to the Blacephalon matchup, I wouldn’t play a Giant Hearth, but it does depend if you can get a first-turn Volcanion Flare Starter for full effect and any similar situations where the reward is better than the pain. Furthermore, spreading out Energy to take full use of Heatran-GX with Burning Road is an important mirror match tip. Lastly, remove any liabilities on your Bench with [card name=”Giovanni’s Exile” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”174″ c=”name”][/card]. The Prize race will usually be taking a Prize from a Volcanion or [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], three from a Centiskorch VMAX, and two from a Dedenne-GX or [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], so removing the latter options is important. 

So there you have it! If there are any comments, questions, or concerns, drop those below and I’ll hit you up as fast as I can!

Happy New Year!

-Blaine

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