Between a Rock and a Hard Place — Coalossal VMAX in Standard

Hello PokeBeach readers! I am once again bringing you a Standard format article!

Since last time, the Battle Styles meta has had quite a bit of time to develop, with a wide variety of decks taking down major online events. Many new decks such as [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] are fulfilling their potential and becoming one of the most played decks in the format, taking down multiple 200+ player events in the process. In addition to the success of Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX, quite a few familiar faces such as [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] have continued to succeed. In addition to those familiar faces, [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] have remained very potent threats despite the expectation that they would fade off into obscurity with the addition of multiple major Fighting-type threats in the Standard format. Lastly, and maybe most surprisingly, Mad Party ([card name=”Polteageist” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card]) has started to make a resurgence, largely thanks to the addition of [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Battle Styles” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card], allowing it to search for attackers with more consistency and also load up a hand full of Mad Party Pokemon to be discarded with the effects of [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Shining Fates” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and / or [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card].

Now with Players Cup IV on the horizon, I expect to see the format settle even further toward a concentration on the top three decks, which at this point, I would say they are Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / Zacian V, Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX, and Eternatus VMAX, which is going to leave room for quite the variety of heavy counter decks to emerge. Decks like [card name=”Rillaboom” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] are starting to pop up now, thanks to their strength when it comes to handling each of the top decks. This consideration of taking down the top decks also brings me to the topic of today’s article: [card name=”Coalossal VMAX” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card].

Why Play Coalossal VMAX?

[cardimg name=”Coalossal VMAX” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”99″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

“Why play Coalossal VMAX?” is probably one of the first questions you might be asking. On paper, it is a worse Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX, right? After putting some time in with the deck, I am honestly not so certain. The first attacks on Coalossal VMAX and Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX are similar, each hitting for a around the same number for a single Fighting Energy. Unfortunately, the 20 damage difference between each of their damage outputs is quite significant, as Coalossal VMAX struggles to take two-hit Knock Outs on some of the most relevant Tag Team Pokemon-GX in Standard, such as the 280 HP Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX and the 270 HP Mewtwo and Mew-GX. When it comes to each of their second attacks, the utility of G-Max Rapid Flow cannot be understated, as it provides an excellent option to set up future Knock Outs as well as take some by itself. Coalossal VMAX on the other hand, has a second attack that deals much more damage, dealing 240, but for an astounding four Energy. This second attack is sometimes quite difficult to power up.

At this point, I probably have not made the greatest case for Coalossal VMAX, but I think one of its major advantages over Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX is one that does not stick out that much, being a Weakness to Grass-type instead of Psychic-type Pokemon. At this point in the format, Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX is starting to make quite the name for itself. Naturally, more counters to the deck will start to emerge. In line with this expectation, many Fighting-type weak decks are including their own counters, such as Mewtwo and Mew-GX in Pikachu and Zekrom-GX decks and [card name=”Weakness Guard Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”213″ c=”name”][/card] in Eternatus VMAX. Additionally, decks like the aforementioned Mad Party and Rillaboom / Mewtwo and Mew-GX as well as [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] / Mewtwo and Mew-GX are all popping up to take advantage of this Weakness. Fortunately for Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX, it does have a pretty easy tech for the Weakness issue with [card name=”Jirachi-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. But even then, the Psychic-type decks can take a Knock Out on Jirachi-GX with relative ease, putting that Weakness back on Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX. On the other hand, Coalossal VMAX does not have to deal with the surge of Psychic-type threats thanks to its Grass-type Weakness, aside from Rillaboom which is inconveniently a Grass-type. As a result of this, you are able to take advantage of almost all of the same matchups that Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX does, but you do not need to deal with the plethora of emerging issues.

How do we approach building Coalossal VMAX?

Admittedly, the first time I played Coalossal VMAX, it was completely a joke. A group of friends and I decided to jokingly sign up for an event with our names being those of various characters from Pixar’s Cars. For that I chose to be a character named Luigi, who is known for selling tires. I chose Coalossal VMAX for this character solely because of the evolution line being based off of a coal car and since I was playing for fun, I did not mind playing a deck that I thought was generally mediocre. Just minutes before the event, I copy and pasted the first Coalossal VMAX deck list I found, made three changes and registered it. Upon showing the deck list to a friend, they suggested something that had not yet crossed my mind: What if I focused on looping [card name=”Cheryl” set=”Battle Styles” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] to keep Coalossal VMAX alive? I was instantly intrigued by the idea and made a few changes, settling on the following list.

Initial Deck List

[decklist name=”Coal 1.0″ amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″][pokemon amt=”16″]3x [card name=”Coalossal VMAX” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Coalossal V” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Shining Fates” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Shining Fates” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cheryl” set=”Battle Styles” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/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=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Training Court” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]4x [card name=”Stone Fighting Energy” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]8x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Three Coalossal VMAX, Four Coalossal V, and Two Oranguru

The [card name=”Coalossal VMAX” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] line in this deck is pretty straightforward, being a reminder of one statement that I frequently mention: Consistency is key. The only reason I opted against a 4-4 line of Coalossal VMAX is because this deck was rather tight on space, so I had to make a sacrificial cut somewhere. I already went over the main strengths of Coalossal VMAX earlier, so I will not go super in-depth again, but I do want to remind you that Eruption Shot requires you to discard an Energy card off of the top of your deck to do any reasonable damage, which is exactly where [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] comes in. Oranguru allows you to draw the top card of your deck in exchange for taking any card from your hand and putting it on top of your deck. This works perfectly with Coalossal VMAX, as it allows you to draw an extra card, the importance of which will be addressed later, and place a much needed Energy on top of your deck, allowing you to maintain hits for 130 damage every turn.

One Mewtwo, Two Cheryl, and Four Scoop Up Net

[cardimg name=”Cheryl” set=”Battle Styles” no=”159″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

I think it should come as no surprise that I included [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck. Mewtwo provides a means of recovering various critical Supporter cards such as [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Shining Fates” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] throughout a game to maintain a strong and consistent flow of Supporter cards. However, Mewtwo’s utility is magnified in this deck because of the Oranguru strategy associated with the usage of Eruption Shot. Thanks to your frequent usage of Primate Wisdom, you can use Mewtwo to put a powerful Supporter card on top of your deck, immediately take it with Oranguru, then put your Energy on top of your deck in one swift swoop, allowing you to make a slew of powerful Supporter plays. Mewtwo’s potential is expanded even further by the inclusion of four [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card], allowing you to repeatedly pick up Mewtwo and bench it again to chain together Supporter cards.

The most important part of this Mewtwo looping strategy is the heart and soul of this deck: Cheryl. Upon Cheryl being revealed a few months back, I was pretty excited, as I had talked about how interesting it would be for [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] to see a reprint, and Cheryl somewhat fit the bill. Thanks to the bulky nature of Coalossal VMAX because of its high HP, the inclusion of [card name=”Stone Fighting Energy” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card], and an uncommon Weakness, your Coalossal VMAX is rarely being Knocked Out in a single attack. When they fail to take the Knock Out, you can Mewtwo for Cheryl, wipe the damage off of Coalossal VMAX, attach another Fighting Energy, and keep attacking. This loop, although it is possible in a variety of decks, feels the strongest in this particular deck largely thanks to Coalossal VMAX’s bulk and ability to attack for a single Energy card.

[premium]

Two Jirachi VIV, Two Dedenne-GX, and One Crobat V

For consistency Pokemon in this deck, I opted for a fairly conventional two [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and one [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] split. I felt like this provided a pretty reasonable amount of dig for turns you need to dig, and opting for the split of Dedenne-GX and Crobat V to use both in a single turn if need be.

In addition to Dedenne-GX and Crobat V, I also play two [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] VIV. Usually this deck does not need the level of dig any form of a Jirachi, whether it be [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] TEU or Jirachi VIV, but I felt the inclusion of Jirachi VIV was reasonable because it acts as a nice pivot when your Coalossal VMAX or any other Pokemon is Knocked Out. One extra benefit of Jirachi VIV is that by putting the other card you choose to not take back on top of your deck, you can leave behind an Energy for Eruption Shot, or you can also take it with Oranguru, giving the card more valuable uses than just a little extra dig.

One Mew

In the past, Bench damage has been reasonably big in Standard, especially with the likes of [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] lingering around. However, with the introduction of [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card], there is a much more potent Bench Damage threat, so the inclusion of [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] has become significantly more valuable, especially in a deck like Coalossal VMAX where you are trying to maximize the work that your opponent has to put into taking each Prize card.

Three Training Court, Four Stone Fighting Energy, and Eight Fighting Energy

The Energy split I play is pretty basic. It provides enough Energy to keep using Eruption Shot for its full effect consistently. I included four Stone Fighting Energy because it also adds some extra bulk to Coalossal VMAX’s already massive 330 HP, especially when you have multiple copies attached. However, an unconventional addition to my deck list is three copies of [card name=”Training Court” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card], a card that I consider to be vastly underused in the current format. In this deck, Training Court provides a strong way to keep a constant flow of Energy, which is critical to this deck’s strategy as you need two Energy per turn, one to attack and one to discard with your attack (after using Cheryl) so eliminating half of the struggle of finding your Energy is a massive boost to the deck.

What went wrong with the initial list?

During the first event I played Coalossal VMAX, I achieved five wins and three losses, losing my last round to knock me out of contention for top cut. In this event, I had the following matchups:

  1. LOSS against [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card]
  2. WIN against [card name=”Victini VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card]
  3. WIN against [card name=”Boltund V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Electrode” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card]
  4. WIN against [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card]
  5. LOSS against [card name=”Decidueye” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Galarian Obstagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card]
  6. WIN against [card name=”Tapu Koko VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]
  7. WIN against Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX
  8. LOSS against [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card]

Overall, I would still call these matchups a success, as I beat every deck that I would call a favorable matchup and I lost to all of my unfavorable matchups, but some of these matchups were also uncomfortably close calls. Notably, my game against Eternatus VMAX was put into jeopardy by [card name=”Weakness Guard Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”213″ c=”name”][/card] and a slow opening, but I was able to loop Cheryl for three consecutive turns and squeeze out a victory. The deck felt pretty consistent throughout that tournament with no games where I drew unplayable hands, so I felt consistency was not the main issue I needed to fix. Instead, I need to work on improving matchups that were a bit rough, so I got to work. The following weekend, I played in yet another tournament with Coalossal VMAX. The list I played for that event (which I will not be including in its exact form) felt much more solid, but was still missing something. After thinking about its issues, I settled on the following list.

Updated Coalossal VMAX

[decklist name=”Coal 2.0″ amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Coalossal VMAX” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”99″][pokemon amt=”17″]3x [card name=”Coalossal VMAX” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Coalossal V” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giratina” set=”Unified Minds” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”31″]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Shining Fates” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Shining Fates” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Cheryl” set=”Battle Styles” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/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]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Karate Belt” set=”Unified Minds” no=”201″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Training Court” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]4x [card name=”Stone Fighting Energy” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]8x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Card Swaps

One Cheryl for One Mallow and Lana

Throughout my games, I have often found that you seldom need to heal all damage from your [card name=”Coalossal VMAX” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], with healing about half od the damage generating the same result. As a result, I opted to cut a single [card name=”Cheryl” set=”Battle Styles” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] for a [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”name”][/card]. This change also makes it easier for you to power up a G-Max Boulder, which can be critical to winning some matchups.

One Dedenne-GX for One Crobat V

This change is one that feels less like an optimization and more like a tech based on your expected meta. Lately, I have seen quite a bit of decks playing [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card], which shuts of [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Cramorant V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card], which takes a one-hit Knock Out on Dedenne-GX. As a result, I felt the swap is a safer decision for now, but I may switch back at some point.

Card Cuts

Two Jirachi VIV

In the first tournament I played with Coalossal VMAX, I rarely found myself using [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] VIV in any capacity. In the games I did, it seldom had any major effect on the match. As a result, I initially only removed one from the list, but in testing between my two tournaments, I found that the card was not that helpful and eventually removed it entirely. These were originally cut for two [card name=”Rotom Phone” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card], but I ultimately cut those for the third [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card], which I will go into later, and another empty space.

Two Air Balloon

With the removal of Jirachi, the value of [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] decreased tremendously, so they were cut too. After more testing, I would not hate to put them back into the deck. But at this time, I do not think there is enough space. Plus, I think the nine forms of Switch that I have currently is sufficient.

One Training Court

This cut was entirely for space reasons, and I was ultimately pretty reluctant to cut one. However, I felt that by cutting the copy, the card that I could add would be much more valuable and help to carry other matchups to a more favorable status. In addition, with the generally low quantity of Stadium cards in decks at this point, I felt that it was reasonable to cut one, as it will usually stick around for a couple turns. If I were to ever re-add the third copy of [card name=”Training Court” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card], I would likely cut the eighth Fighting Energy to make the space.

Card Additions

One Oranguru

The third copy of Oranguru felt like the most sensible replacement for one of the two Jirachi. Throughout my testing, a somewhat common issue had been having one of my Oranguru Knocked Out after having an unfortunate discard of the other, so I felt that the third was critical to avoid this. In addition, by having three Oranguru, you can set up interesting plays with two Primate Wisdom. Use one Primate Wisdom to put a card you want to have on top of your deck if the opponent plays a [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card]. Then, put [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench to put a Supporter from the discard pile on top of your deck, use the second Primate Wisdom to take the Supporter and place a FIghting Energy on top of your deck. Eruption Shot mills the Energy, putting the potential card you want to keep if your opponent plays a Marnie card back as the first card on your deck.

One Giratina

As I mentioned earlier, prior to the addition of [card name=”Giratina” set=”Unified Minds” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], the [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] matchup felt much less favored if they played [card name=”Weakness Guard Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”213″ c=”name”][/card]. Naturally, the best way to solve this issue is to remove the Energy with Giratina and [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card]. Since adding Giratina, I have grown to be much more confident in the Eternatus VMAX matchup, with the matchup feeling like it is somewhere in the realm of a 80-20 matchup, as I have only lost a single game in the matchup since adding Giratina, and that was because Giratina was in my Prize cards.

One Galarian Zigzagoon

Similar to Giratina, [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] was added to solve some issues I was having when it game to hitting important Knock Outs. In this case, it is for establishing easier two-hit Knock Outs on Tag Team Pokemon-GX like [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card]. As of now, I have not put a ton of time into testing the Galarian Zigzagoon. In the games that I have used it, it has felt quite strong and definitely worth the inclusion.

One Great Catcher

I am a huge fan of [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card] in Standard right now, largely thanks to the high amounts of Dedenne-GX in the format. In addition to the easy target that is Dedenne-GX, Coalossal VMAX also benefits from being able to take easy one-hit Knock Outs on Pokemon-GX like [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], making it an easy inclusion. Great Catcher feels especially nice in this deck, as most turns you want to play Supporter cards that are not [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Shining Fates” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card], so having the Ability to drag up a threat or easy Prizes on your opponent’s Bench without playing your Supporter is always a good option.

One Karate Belt

[cardimg name=”Karate Belt” set=”Unified Minds” no=”252″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This tech is one of the weirder techs I have so far, but it has proven to be a generally strong option.

In my opinion, [card name=”Karate Belt” set=”Unified Minds” no=”201″ c=”name”][/card] is one of the most overlooked cards in Unified Minds, but it finds itself a humble inclusion in this deck for two reasons. The more obvious reason is that since you are a slower deck that do not quickly take Prize cards, you usually have the option to Eruption Shot for free, giving Cheryl a little more value by not removing as many Energy. In addition to this purpose, Karate Belt also makes it much more reasonable to use G-Max Boulder.

Oftentimes, you have one easy chance to use G-Max Boulder per game, on turn 3 and only if you went first (thanks to your Energy Attachment advantage), as most of the time you are unable to both keep Coalossal VMAX alive and also load up multiple Energy. With Karate Belt, you are now able to use it with relative ease at any point in the game, as it is a simple pattern of attach, Eruption Shot, attach, making it only two turns to power up instead of three turns. The ability to do this makes decks like [card name=”Victini VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] much easier to deal with by establishing a two-hit Knock Out instead of a three-hit Knock Out.

Conclusion

Throughout my limited testing, [card name=”Coalossal VMAX” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]’s deck strength has repeatedly surprised me with its plethora of solid matchups. I’ve been interested in the concept of [card name=”Cheryl” set=”Battle Styles” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] looping since the card was announced, so I am happy to have not just found a deck that it works with, but to have found what may be the perfect fit for the loop. Going forward, I expect to be playing this deck quite a lot, as I legitimately believe that it has potential to be one of the strongest contenders in Standard.

As always, if you have any questions about this deck, this article, or anything else, feel free to reach out to me in the Subscriber’s Hideout, on Twitter (@ICheville), or on Facebook (Zaya Lee). Thanks for reading, and see you next time!

– Isaiah

[/premium]