Double Trouble – First Impressions of Single Strike and Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX
Hello to all PokeBeach readers. I’m back for another Pokémon TCG article and this time I’m going to talk about the two main decks in the Battle Styles set; [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Single Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. The new set arrived offering two different mechanics; the Rapid Strike and the Single Strike, which offer features and benefits to all Pokémon in these categories.
Battle Styles Strategies
[cardimg name=”Piers” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”165″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
To understand how these mechanics work and learn about Battle Styles strategies, I can think of nothing better than exploring Urshifu VMAX Rapid Strike and Single Strike decks.
These decks intend in theory to end popular decks of the format like [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], but we know that in practice this task will not be as simple as it seems. PikaRom can still count on [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] to handle the matchup and Eternatus VMAX can play [card name=”Weakness Guard Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”213″ c=”name”][/card] to prevent Weakness and [card name=”Piers” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] to find it easier.
The two versions of Urshifu VMAX have the ability to change the format considerably, but you need to understand how much they will be able to realistically change. With two distinct and strong strategies, the decks already present in the format will have to prepare themselves to deal with so much force.
That is why the purpose of my article today is to present you with my lists of Rapid and Single Strike Urshifu VMAX, which I have assembled with a lot of focus on consistency, without considering metagame so much. The idea is to understand the impact that these decks will have on the metagame.
Urshifu VMAX Single Strike
[decklist name=”Urshifu SS” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Single Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”86″][pokemon amt=”18″]3x [card name=”Single Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Single Strike Urshifu V” set=”Battle Styles” no=”85″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Houndoom” set=”Battle Styles” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Houndour” set=”Battle Styles” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Kricketune V” set=”Battle Styles” no=”6″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”31″]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Urn of Vitality” set=”Battle Styles” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Single Strike Scroll of Scorn” set=”Battle Styles” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Tower of Darkness” set=”Battle Styles” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]6x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”XY” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]1x [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Single Strike Energy” set=”Battle Styles” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Main Strategy
Two things impressed me about these Pokémon; their ability to Knock Out a Pokémon VMAX in one attack, and the ability to deal with [card name=”Zamazenta V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Decidueye” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card] with G-Max One Blow attack, which ignores the Ability of these Pokémon.
With such a strong and complete attack, the strategy of the entire deck works only to give all the support to Urshifu VMAX Single Strike. The idea is to get the VMAX powered up by the second turn of play and end the game in a few turns — a strategy similar to some of the most popular decks of the format, such as [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Centiskorch VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]. Despite having such a strong attack, however, it will hardly be possible to carry out this attack two or three times in a row, so the main idea is to KO and take six Prizes in only three attacks. To speed up the energization we have [card name=”Houndoom” set=”Battle Styles” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card], and to guarantee that we’ll always have the [card name=”Single Strike Energy” set=”Battle Styles” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] at our disposal we play the maximum amount of [card name=”Urn of Vitality” set=”Battle Styles” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card].
The strategy is simple, but the deck building needs to be sound for the whole process to be carried out. The idea is to get two-to-three Stage One Pokémon on the field in the second turn to be able to attack with Urshifu VMAX. Right after using G-MAX One Blow, it is necessary to find the Urn of Vitality in order to return the Single Strike Energy to the deck, and then Houndoom can attach it again. This setup and must be performed and repeated numerous times during the game. The big challenge is to carry out and maintain the setup, and in exchange for that, you will have a strong attack capable of Knocking Out any Pokémon.
Key Cards:
One Kricketune V
[card name=”Kricketune V” set=”Battle Styles” no=”6″ c=”name”][/card] can be seen as one of the best Pokémon in the new set, but it is still necessary to test to see if it is truly as good as it looks. The idea is to keep Kricketune V on the Bench for the entire game in order to be able to draw more cards and improve the consistency of the deck, as well as being an incredible response against [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card].
Four Boss’s Orders, No Eldegoss V
I would like to have [card name=”Eldegoss V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”19″ c=”name”][/card] on the list, but I had to remove it due to lack of space on the Bench, which is already filled by Houndoom, Urshifu VMAX and Kricketune V, in addition to [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]. Since it is not possible to play Eldegoss V, I preferred to play four copies of [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card], as that way I increase my chances of having this card whenever I need it. Since we will only have a few attacking turns, I believe it’s essential that you at least have the possibility to attack the Pokémon you want to target you want from your opponent.
One Jirachi GX
Undoubtedly the biggest weakness of Urshifu VMAX is precisely its Weakness to Psychic. The main counter of Urshifu VMAX is none other than [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card]; a Pokémon so versatile that it can appear on several decks. The good part is that Urshifu VMAX’s biggest weakness can be solved with just one card; [card name=”Jirachi-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card].
One Single Strike Scroll
This Tool gives Urshifu VMAX the possibility of causing damage with only one Energy, which makes this card useful and interesting, especially after discarding all Energy in the G-Max One Blow attack.
My first impression of this card is that it is stronger than it looks — it’s not an essential card for the strategy, and there is no perfect situation or matchup for it yet, but whenever it appears in the game it ends up being useful. I don’t intend to take that card off my list anytime soon, but I still don’t see myself using two copies.
[premium]
Two Tower of Darkness
Like the [card name=”Single Strike Scroll of Scorn” set=”Battle Styles” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card], this card is also better than it looks. I would like to play three copies, but I have not found space. This Stadium offers the possibility to draw two cards while you get rid of any useless Single Strike cards in your hand. It doesn’t offer wonderful draw power, but it ends up helping with the setup.
Four Urn of Vitality
It seems like an exaggeration, but I believe that the success of the deck strategy depends a lot on [card name=”Urn of Vitality” set=”Battle Styles” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card]. The whole magic of the deck only happens because of Single Strike Energy, and unfortunately, we can only use four copies, which forces us to constantly have to return Single Strike Energy to the deck. On average it is necessary to return four Single Strike Energy from the discard to the deck in a match, which requires two Urn of Vitality with two Energy returned each.
Six Fighting, Four Single Strike, One Capture Energy
It’s necessary to play about six basic Energy in the deck for [card name=”Single Strike Urshifu V” set=”Battle Styles” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card] to be able to accelerate Energy with its attack. With six Energy it’s possible to use this attack at least twice.
I decided to include [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] because the deck setup is a bit of a hassle, and this Energy can help. In general, it does not interfere with the main attacks of the deck.
Matchups
Pikachu and Zekrom-GX — Favorable
In this matchup, the opponent will attack with Mewtwo and Mew-GX, so it’s essential to bench Jirachi-GX as soon as possible. Another advantage in the matchup is that [card name=”Single Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] can Knock Out the Mewtwo and Mew-GX with a single attack.
The game can get out of control if the opponent hits [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] too much or if the Reset Stamp + Tandem Shock combo works.
Eternatus VMAX — Favorable
[cardimg name=”Weakness Guard Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”213″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
[card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] now has two more bad matchups, but I still see the deck being able to be competitive with the help of [card name=”Weakness Guard Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”213″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Piers” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]. Even so, I still see the favorable match for Single Strike Urshifu VMAX, who can still get easy KOs with Boss’s Orders on Crobat V or [card name=”Eternatus V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench that does not have Weakness Guard Energy.
Arecus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / Zacian V — Even
Like Eternatus VMAX and [card name=”Centiskorch VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] do in this matchup, the main goal is to Knock Out [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] straight after the opponent uses Altered Creation GX, in other words, we need to deal 280 damage in the second round with Single Strike Urshifu VMAX. The match can be decided in the first turns, and to make this move we need to perform a fairly complex setup — but if it works out it will bring a huge advantage.
Zacian V / Lucario and Melmetal-GX — Favorable
It is not an easy matchup, but it is a favorable matchup if played well. Even with all the defensive power that [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lucario and Melmetal-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM192″ c=”name”][/card]’s deck has, Single Strike Urshifu VMAX manages to Knock Out the opponent’s Pokémon with one attack, which is enough to end the opponent’s main strategy which consists of at least resisting an attack to buy time for setup.
Centiskorch VMAX — Slightly Favorable
What I realized in this matchup is that Single Strike Urshifu VMAX has a better chance of Knocking Out the Centiskorch VMAX in a single attack than the other way around, which naturally makes the match slightly favorable. In general, however, I see a balanced matchup, and it will end depending on the initial setup of each match.
Mad Party — Very Unfavorable
Mad Party would probably be the worst matchup for Single Strike Urshifu, but I see several other single-Prize focused decks being bad matchups too. The truth is that the Single Strike version of Urshifu VMAX was not designed to deal with this type of deck, focusing more on decks with Pokémon of higher HP and attack cost.
Dragapult VMAX – Unfavorable
[card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is an example of a deck that can return to the metagame by having these two favorable matchups (Single Strike Urshifu VMAX and [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]) and at the same time taking advantage of the possible absence of Eternatus VMAX.
Dragapult VMAX beats both Urshifu VMAX’s Weakness and has Resistance to Fighting, which makes Single Strike Urshifu VMAX unable to KO Dragapult VMAX in a single attack. [card name=”Jirachi-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] can buy time and protect Single Strike Urshifu VMAX for a while, but even then the pressure caused by Dragapult VMAX from turn-two might be devastating.
Urshifu VMAX Rapid Strike
[decklist name=”RS Urshifu” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″][pokemon amt=”16″]3x [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu V” set=”Battle Styles” no=”87″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Octillery” set=”Battle Styles” no=”37″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Remoraid” set=”Battle Styles” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”119″ 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][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Shining Fates” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Korrina’s Focus” set=”Battle Styles” no=”128″ 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]3x [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Fan of Waves” set=”Battle Styles” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tower of Waters” set=”Battle Styles” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]4x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”XY” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rapid Strike Energy” set=”Battle Styles” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Stone Fighting Energy” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Main Strategy
Unlike with [card name=”Single Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], the idea of the [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] deck is to carry out several attacks with reasonable damage, to later perform multiple KOs and end the opponent’s game.
In general, this version is more consistent than the Single Strike version, but on the other hand, it has weaker attacks which forces you to attack more often to get the victory.
In short, Single Stirke Urshifu VMAX is strong against Pokémon with a lot of HP, as its attack has the potential to Knock Out anything, while Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX is strong against Pokémon of low HP because its attack can Knock Out two Pokémon at once.
The downside of this theory is that the G-Max Rapid Flow attack can be countered easily with [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], which prevents damage done to the Bench. If it weren’t for that detail, I believe the Rapid Stike Urshifu VMAX would clearly be the strongest of bears. Even so, it’s worth using [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] to take out the Mew depending on the situation, as the G-Max Rapid Flow attack is extremely strong and has the ability to unbalance a match.
Key Cards
Two Amazing Rare Jirachi
I decided to include two copies of [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] to take advantage of the fact that the deck needs to find it’s switch/retreat options continuously. Jirachi is also your best starter, but they are not essential to the functioning of the deck — they help with consistency and have synergy with the deck, but if in the future the list needs space to put some tech or an interesting idea, you can consider these two slots an option.
Two Fan of Waves
Fan of Waves is a great Item that is useful in the current format, with so much Special Energy available. Before Fan of Waves, the most common way to remove Special Energy was with [card name=”Giratina” set=”Unified Minds” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], which is not ideal, but now we have an Item back that does this job. We will probably see this being used in several other decks due to its quality and versatility, in addition to having synergy with [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Team Yell Grunt” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”184″ c=”name”][/card].
One Reset Stamp
Gradually it seems that [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] has been losing its strength. In addition to getting in the way of consistency, it is difficult to find this card at the right time, and even by playing Reset Stamp to reduce your opponent’s hand to one, it’s still possible for them to draw cards with Dedenne-GX, Crobat V or a draw Supporter. Now with the arrival of [card name=”Kricketune V” set=”Battle Styles” no=”6″ c=”name”][/card], Reset Stamp has yet another counter, which makes this card even weaker.
The reason I still opt to use Reset Stamp in this deck is that I can plan the moment when I will take Knock Outs since the G-Max Rapid Flow attack allows me to deal 120 damage to two opponent’s Pokémon. The three copies of [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] along side Reset Stamp is also a great combo to undermine your opponent’s consistency.
Three Power Plant
For the Rapid Strike version of Urshifu VMAX I decided to defend myself against [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] with Power Plant instead of [card name=”Jirachi-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. Other Pokémon like [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Polteageist” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] from Mad Party will still be a big problem though, as they will continue to benefit from [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]’s Weakness, but in contrast, the most popular Psychic Pokémon of the format will have a lot of difficulty in attacking.
It is much riskier to bet on Power Plant over of Jirachi-GX, but the benefits of Power Plant can be much greater than playing a card that serves nothing but to protect the Weakness of your attacker. In addition to stopping Mewtwo and Mew-GX’s Ability, the Power Plant will damage all decks that use Dedenne-GX, which includes virtually all major decks of the format, including [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] and Tempo-[card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card].
One Tower of Waters
This build of mine was not assembled with the intention of using [card name=”Tower of Waters” set=”Battle Styles” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] effectively, and the reason for this is that [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card] practically always prevents this from happening. It is best to guarantee the Pokémon’s retreat through good Item cards that are easy to use like [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card].
Four Fight, Three Stone, Four Rapid Strike
The highlight of the Energy goes to the three copies of [card name=”Stone Fighting Energy” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card], as after some tests I realized it is an important Energy in the matchup against [card name=”Single Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. Thanks to Stone Fighting Energy, Single Strike Urshifu VMAX will have a much harder time Knocking Out your Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX.
Matchups
[cardimg name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Pikchu and Zekrom-GX — Favorable
The idea here is to win the matchup with Power Plant. Generally, PikaRom lists use only one Chaotic Swell, which makes it an easy task to get rid of this Stadium to put Power Plant into play; a Stadium capable of nullifying the main threat of the matchup, Mewtwo and Mew-GX.
With three Power Plant and a Tower of Waters, my game plan is to start playing normally trying to KO a Pokémon in the second turn and then try to find a Power Plant as soon as possible. If I get Power Plant into play fast, I force my opponent to have to find a counter Stadium quickly too.
Eternatus VMAX — Favorable
Even with Weakness Guard Energy, the Rapid Strike version of Urshifu VMAX has a Fan of Waves to get rid of Special Energy. Even so, Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX is unable to Knock Out [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] in one attack, which makes the matchup more balanced than it looks. Even so, the matchup is favorable due to the G-Max Rapid Flow attack, which at some point will provide the possibility of Knocking Out two of your opponent’s Pokémon at the same time, thus taking three or four Prizes in the same turn.
Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / Zacian V — Favorable
Everything depends on whether the opponent is using [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], but if they aren’t, this is a favorable matchup, since Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX is able to get multiple KOs with its attack. If the opponent has Mew and gets it into play fast, the matchup is balanced, but still with a slight advantage to ADPZ.
Zacian v / Lucario and Melmetal-GX — Even
The good part is that we will hardly see Mew in this matchup, but the bad part is that [card name=”Metal Goggles” set=”Team Up” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] and Full Metal Wall GX manage to reduce damage to the Bench, which makes Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX’s attacks much weaker. In the end, the match will be mostly balanced, with many attacks and much healing on the part of the opponent. Everything will depend on the initial pressure that Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX will be able to enforce.
Centiskorch VMAX — Slightly Favorable
This matchup can be won without even needing to damage the [card name=”Centiskorch VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card], focusing on Knocking Out Pokémon that will stay on the opponent’s Bench like [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. Since Centiskorch VMAX is a deck that needs the deck space for Dedenne-GX and [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], we will hardly see Mew.
Mad Party — Unfavorable
In theory, [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] would have a good matchup if it weren’t for Mew, but without being able to damage the opponent’s Bench I don’t see how this matchup can be positive.
The idea is to try to stop the opponent’s [card name=”Oricorio-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] and Dedenne-GX with [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card], get rid of [card name=”Polteageist” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] because it hits Raid Strike Urshifu VMAX’s Weakness — KO Mew, and if possible try to attack with G-Max Rapid Flow before they even drop Mew.
Dragapult VMAX — Very Unfavorable
If you want to have a more balanced matchup against [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], then it is better to invest in [card name=”Jirachi-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] instead of Power Plant. I don’t think the matchup is ever going to be favorable, and I still see Dragapult VMAX lists getting better prepared against Urshifu VMAX, perhaps using [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] to stop the Ability of Jirachi-GX or Mew to prevent damage to the Bench. For now I prefer to wait and see if Dragapult VMAX is going to be popular in the format.
Pay attention to the Pokémon that your opponent has on the Bench — it is sometimes possible to win this matchup without even having to hit the Dragapult VMAX by picking up Prizes from the Bench.
Conclusion
After testing these two decks a lot, I ended up having more questions than answers. At first I thought that the Rapid Strike version was superior to Single Strike, then I changed my mind and now I don’t know what to think again. It all depends on how the metagame will respond to the strength of these two Pokémon. What I think is that if the metagame doesn’t prepare properly for them, I see a generally free path to their success.
Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX keeps me thinking that if it weren’t for Mew, this would probably be the best deck of the format, but with a counter so simple and easy to place on any deck, I see the deck having problems. Psychic Weakness is another problem, but much less compared to Mew.
[card name=”Single Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] has more freedom to carry out its strategy, but it will end up suffering consistently since its setup is laborious. I also see this version as good against some matchups, but terrible for others, since its strategy is only to use a high damage attack. The Rapid Strike version can do a lot of damage on the opponent’s Bench, offering more play options.
At first, I believe that the two versions of Urshifu VMAX will be hunted by opponents and decks like Dragapult VMAX, and Mad Party will be able to return to the format for having a good matchup against the bears, but I believe that after a while the metagame will stabilize and bears will be able to show their true potential.
I honestly liked both versions, and we will probably see a lot of Urshifu VMAX in the metagame. It may not yet be the successor to [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card], but they are two excellent options for future tournaments. I believe that the strength of these decks will only increase with the discovery of new strategies and the launch of new cards.
For today it’s all folks, I hope you enjoyed it and see you next time!
[/premium]