Exploring Green’s Exploration / Centiskorch VMAX in Standard

Hello PokeBeach readers, in this article I’m going to be going over [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Centiskorch VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card]. I believe this variant of Centiskorch VMAX is more consistent and just as strong in most matchups. The biggest downside of not running any abilities is obviously the amount of burst potential the deck loses, however, I feel a consistent build that plays a slower game is often strong enough in this format and gives less room for your opponent to steal the game.

Upsides of Green Centiskorch VMAX

[cardimg name=”Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”158″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The original goal behind the deck was to have a better and more consistent [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] matchup rather than giving them a target by benching a Pokémon-GX or a Pokémon V. By removing unnecessary benched Pokémon, ADP has to attack at least three times which gives Centiskorch VMAX a huge advantage as you can one-shot anything in their deck.

With that matchup in mind, I figured this deck would maintain a good [card name=”Lucario and Melmetal-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] matchup, as well as a good matchup with [card name=”Decidueye” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card]. With these matchups set to be favourable, I wanted to look at [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] next as I felt this matchup was one of Centiskorch VMAX’s hardest matchup overall. After some thought, I decided the best way to win this matchup was through a combination of [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card]. Since Eternatus VMAX can only attach one Energy a turn, my game plan was to take over the game after they had already taken a few Knock Out; I lead with some [card name=”Centiskorch V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] using Radiating Heat to discard some of their Energy, then when they take one or two Prizes, evolve into the VMAX, play Reset Stamp to give them a small hand, and play Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star. This game plan combined with potentially a few heads flipped on [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] makes it extremely hard for Eternatus VMAX to close out a game as they often run out of Energy or draw a dead hand from the Reset Stamp.

One way this matchup could be improved is the addition of a [card name=”Memory Capsule” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] so you can use the Centiscorch VMAX to discard their Energy – I currently don’t think that it’s necessary, but it certainly helps if you feel this is a matchup you want to tech for. [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM168″ c=”name”][/card] is the last real matchup in this format and I think it is one the better matchups for Centiscorch VMAX. Pikachu and Zekrom-GX relies heavily on [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] as well as [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] to keep their deck flowing rather than having to set up two attackers. Tactically, the Centiskorch VMAX deck plays [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] to completely shut down that strategy. You are often able to get an early lead in this matchup as Pikachu and Zekrom-GX takes an extra turn to use [card name=”Boltund V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] while setting up.

The biggest problem Pikachu and Zekrom-GX can throw at this deck is being able to paralyze your Centiskorch VMAX, but I play a tech for that in a copy of [card name=”Full Heal” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. While Full Heal is a pretty bad card objectively, you can search it off a Green’s Exploration making it easy to get rid of paralysis. Between Full Heal and Power Plant, I think this matchup is favorable for Green’s Exploration / Centiskorch VMAX. With these matchups, this deck is well-positioned in the meta and gets a large boost in consistency compared to a normal Centiskorch VMAX build as this deck doesn’t rely on Abilities and has access to better draw Supporters.

The List

[decklist name=”Green Centiskorch VMAX” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Centiskorch VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”34″][pokemon amt=”10″]4x [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]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][/pokemon][trainers amt=”39″]4x [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]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=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Black and White” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Full Heal” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Big Parasol” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”157″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”158″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]11x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”108″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Four Volcanion, Three Centiskorch V

There isn’t much to talk about when it comes to the Pokémon line with this deck, but I will go over the basic counts because I feel they are a little more in-depth. This deck runs four [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] and three [card name=”Centiskorch V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] because you want to start Volcanion every game. This is also the reason the deck doesn’t run any techs such as [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Cramorant V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] as while these cards do have their uses and can be helpful, they detract from the main strategy and can hurt the consistency of the deck. I have debated playing a fourth Centiskorch V so it’s easy to find off a draw Supporter, but I feel this leads to starting a Centiskorch V too often which can hurt the deck a ton in some matchups. If I did find myself needing more outs to Centiskorch V I would add another [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] as it won’t reduce your chances of starting with the Volcanion, and it can even find a Volcanion if you do happen to start a Centiskorch V.

[cardimg name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Supporter Line-up

As I said, I wanted this deck to have more consistent Supporter options so I tried to fit as many as possible. [card name=”Centiskorch VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] has the upside of not actually needing [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] to compete in most matchups; hitting for 120 then 200 is more than enough to maintain a strong game against most of the decks in the format. Since Centiskorch VMAX is low-maintenance and can thrive simply with normal attachments, I felt [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] was the best secondary draw Supporter besides [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card] as it can cause the opponent to stumble and can be combined with [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] to potentially cause your opponent to dead draw.

Welder, while not the most consistent source of draw, is still needed so the deck can have some potential to take big Knock Outs, however, on most turns you’d rather play a Green’s Exploration or a Marnie. The one-of [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] is to help your odds of getting a Supporter off [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card] – if I could fit another Supporter I’d add another copy of Professor’s Research but I wouldn’t add any more than that as then you’re getting to a point where your hand is going to be clogged with Supporters rather than having more useful cards.
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Crushing Hammer

This might seem like a weird inclusion because using Green’s Exploration for a [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] is a bad play, but this deck has a ton of space and Crushing Hammer is a huge swing card in the current meta. [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] both crumble to a turn-one Crushing Hammer-heads; it forces them to wait an extra turn before they are able to start swinging. Crushing Hammer is also nice against [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] as it can often stop them from getting a turn-two attack, or later in the game stop them from getting the full effect of Tag Bolt-GX. This deck thrives in its ability to cause the opponent to stumble, and forces them to play a longer game. Crushing Hammer in this deck isn’t its win condition, rather a card that helps push matchups that were close into favorable. I believe Crushing Hammer being played as a decks win condition is a bad thing, but playing it because it helps the overall game plan of the deck and can have a large impact on close games is the correct way to play the card.

Two Switch

I’ve gone back and forth on whether this deck wants to play one or two copies of [card name=”Switch” set=”Black and White” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card]. Realistically, this deck doesn’t play Switch that often and almost never plays both copies, however, if you start a Centiskorch V it’s important that you are able to get a Volcanion into the Active Spot on your first turn. The second Switch is in the list for insurance against the Prizes, as I feel it is that important to get Volcanion Active. Playing a single copy wouldn’t be bad and might be optimal in a best of three format, but I’ve only been testing in best of one, so I decided to stick with two. The second Switch is probably at the top of my list for potential cards to cut, but for now, I feel the spot is worth it.

Two Quick Ball, One Evolution Incense

As I’ve stated in some of my previous articles, [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] is not a great card, however, when you’re playing a card like Green’s Exploration or [card name=”Skyla” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”166″ c=”name”][/card] it’s important to have access to every type of card in your deck with these Supporters. Evolution Incense is currently the best option for a way to search Centiskorch VMAX off a Green’s Exploration, but if a card like [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] were to be re-printed it would easily replace Evolution Incense. Quick Ball is nice in this deck as it can search both [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Centiskorch V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], so getting a strong turn-one is fairly common. I currently only run two copies as I’ve found it’s enough to keep the deck consistent, but not too many to the point where you’re drawing them later in the game. The goal of the search cards is to be specifically used after playing Green’s Exploration, so you have outs to finding your Pokémon. This deck doesn’t set up or put many Pokémon into play, so I’ve tried to limit the number of search cards to make space for more impactful cards such as Crushing Hammer or Power Plant which can completely swing a game.

Two Reset Stamp, Two Power Plant

I believe this is the fourth deck I’ve written about that has this combo, and as I’ve said many times, this combo simply wins games. The ability to limit your opponent’s hand size, then take away their draw capability from [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is a huge advantage in a format as fast-paced as this one. Aside from the late game applications of this combo, it is also strong against most decks in the early game. Decks like Pikachu and Zekrom-GX or ADP rely pretty heavily on Dedenne-GX to get going, so if you can find a turn-one [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] it can often shut them out of the game. These decks also run low Stadium counts, often only one [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card] or no Stadiums at all, so an early Power Plant can cause them to fumble and removes the threat of cards such as [card name=”Mawile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] that can steal games. I don’t think this deck needs a third [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card], mostly because of how the Prize trade often works out, but a third Power Plant could definitely find its way into the list and be a fairly large buff in some matchups.

[cardimg name=”Full Heal” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”51″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Full Heal, Big Parasol

Both of these cards main function is to stop [card name=”Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] from paralyzing your [card name=”Centiskorch VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Big Parasol” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card] acts as a preemptive counter that has the bonus effect of preventing Energy discard effects like [card name=”Lucario and Melmetal-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card]’s Full Metal Wall GX. Of course, the downside is that if a player runs [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”168″ c=”name”][/card] they have the ability to use their effect and you won’t be able to respond. For that reason, I’ve included a copy of [card name=”Full Heal” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. This allows the deck to retroactively recover from the paralysis as well as being helpful against any Poison Eternatus VMAX decks. In the right meta, both these cards are cuttable but I felt they both brought enough upside to warrant spots. I also like playing cards like these because they do help in uncommon situations against rogue decks, so it allows you to go into an event and worry less about losing to random decks.

Fire Crystal, Giant Hearth

As I’ve said when building a deck like this you want [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card] to give you access to every type of card in your deck. I chose [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] as my main way of searching Energy with the deck because I felt the reoccurring effect was important in this format where you need to have a perfect first two turns of the game is basically lost. I have considered a copy of [card name=”Energy Spinner” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card] but currently don’t play one as I feel Giant Hearth does the job. The upside of playing an Energy Spinner would be the ability to find Energy from your deck even when your opponent has a Chaotic Swell in play. As for [card name=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card], this is a card I have been pretty back and forth on whether it was worth the inclusion. For now, I think the ability to use Fire Crystal then [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] and get all three attachments is enough of a reason to keep the card in the deck. The way I look at Fire Crystal is that it is a Potential 120 Damage that you otherwise may of have missed, as well as being extra Energy cards so you can cut back on those and make space in the decklist.

Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star

Wondrous Labyrinth is simply another way this deck tries to force the opponent to miss a beat and fall behind. Since this deck has such a solid and consistent game plan, cards like [card name=”Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] allow you to try and pull ahead while not being the decks only win condition. Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star also has almost no downside; for most decks, Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star causes issues as they don’t want to or can’t attach an extra Energy, Centiskorch VMAX already has two or three extra Energy in play to boost its damage. This card is mostly used in the [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] matchup late in the game to lock them down when they are low on Energy, so you close out the game without being attacked. It’s also strong against [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] though; since ADP often doesn’t play Stadium cards, an early Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star can completely lock them out of the game as it’s nearly impossible for them to chain [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] with four Energy instead of three. Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star truly fits the theme of this deck, by forcing the opponent to find more pieces while you play your own game and slowly beat them down with a Centiskorch VMAX.

Potential Inclusions

Healing

I’ve tried a few forms of healing in this deck, mostly [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hyper Potion” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]. Neither of these cards stood out as worth playing, mostly because of how much damage the opposing decks do. Since most deck are hitting you for 260-270, the healing is often irrelevant and you’re only burning resources for damage that doesn’t matter. The one matchup where healing is often helpful is Eternatus VMAX, as it can stop the opponent from hitting with their VMAX and then attacking with a [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] to finish the Knock Out. If I were to play an event where I knew Eternatus VMAX would be popular I would probably include a copy of Hyper Potion as it’s easier to play than Mallow and Lana.

Lillie’s Poke Doll

[card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] is a great card in slower decks that want to sit back for a bit to find their footing. We see this in [card name=”Lucario and Melmetal-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] decks as it gives them time to find the cards they need as well as acting as a switching option to reset and attack with Zacian V. In this deck it would be more of a stalling option, but would also let the deck remove Full Heal as [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] can then act as a consistent way to remove Special Conditions. If I were to include Lillie’s Poke Doll I would want three or four copies, which is why I haven’t included it in the list as I’m not sure what cards are cuttable.

Lt. Surge’s Strategy

I’ve had [card name=”Lt. Surge’s Strategy” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] in and out of the deck as it’s extremely hit or miss. It’s not a game-breaking card in this deck as your hand is often not set up to use it due to the opponent playing [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] however, it does have an insane upside when you are able to combo it with a Welder and a [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] or second draw Supporter. I don’t think it’s something I would add back to this current build, but if I were to rework the deck to include a [card name=”Magneton” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] engine I think Lt. Surges Strategy then becomes a two-of in the deck.

Conclusion

[cardimg name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This variant of [card name=”Centiskorch VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] is meant to be played more as a control deck that messes up the opponents game plan while also applying a ton of pressure with Centiskorch VMAX’s infinite damage cap. In the current meta I believe this deck is a contender with the top tier decks because of how strong the disruption is. When I built the deck it was because I saw how in many games a Centiskorch VMAX deck could win without playing many [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card], so I figured trying to disrupt the opponent would allow that game plan to work nearly every time. This also allowed for the removal of cards that are liabilities such as [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] that sit on the Bench and allow the opponent to work around your VMAX. This also removed the need for inconsistent cards such as [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] or the [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] package that is needed when you rely on Welder as your main Supporter.

As always, make sure you check out the other articles here on PokeBeach — there’s a ton of great content that’s useful for all types of players, old and new.

If you have any questions for me about the decks in this article, feel free to leave them in the comments below.

Until next time.

-Michael
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