Truly Shady Dealings — Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX / Inteleon

Hello PokeBeach readers! In my last article, I went over [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] in the Expanded format and how it is the most aggressive deck the Pokémon TCG has ever seen. In this article, I’m going to be bringing Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX to the Standard format but in a less conventional way; in standard Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX has already made a name for itself winning multiple online events and being a great counter to the top decks like [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] which dominated the format before the release of Battle Styles. In this article, I’ll be pairing Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX with [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] to give it a consistency boost and an engine that allows it to play around with both its attacks very easily.

Why Inteleon?

[cardimg name=”Inteleon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”58″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The obvious question when looking at this pairing is why play Inteleon over [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] which would also get the Trainers that Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX needs to function? The answer to that is fairly simple; because [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] has rotated out of format, so Jirachi never gives you a bonus card as you always have to play a switching card to get out of the Active, meaning you never actually build up a hand with Jirachi.

With Inteleon, however, you can search your deck for any Trainer you need, removing the variance you get with Stellar Wish, as well as allowing you to play around with Amazing Rare [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] which will give you extra cards over time. An Inteleon engine also allows the deck to find one less switching card every turn as you don’t have to move both Jirachi and Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX, you can switch out of your VMAX then follow up with an [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] on your Amazing Rare Jirachi.

Overall this engine takes up about the same amount of room as Stellar Wish Jirachi since you don’t need to play [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card], but it allows you to be more flexible on your turns and include bigger combos in your deck that are too inconsistent when running a Jirachi engine.

The List

[decklist name=”Urshifu VMAX / Inteleon” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Jirachi-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”79″][pokemon amt=”18″]3x [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu V” set=”Battle Styles” no=”87″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Drizzile” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Sobble” set=”Sword and Shield Black Star Promos” no=”SWSH073″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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=”Jirachi-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Leon” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”154″ 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=”Switch” set=”Stormfront” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Martial Arts Dojo” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]5x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”5″][/card]4x [card name=”Rapid Strike Energy” set=”Battle Styles” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

Three Urshifu V / Three Urshifu VMAX

I chose to go with a pretty standard line of [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] as I felt it was the most consistent way to build the deck. If I was running a different engine I would try to max out both [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu V” set=”Battle Styles” no=”87″ c=”name”][/card] and Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX as those engines are less consistent and rely more on drawing the Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX. With this list, however, I felt freeing up some space for techs would be stronger as the deck is already extremely consistent and this would allow it to have some more depth in the game plan.

Inteleon Line

In my original list I started with a 2-2-2 line of [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card], but quickly realised that Inteleon isn’t the star of this deck — it’s actually [card name=”Drizzile” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] that does most of the work. While Inteleon is extremely powerful and allows for some insane plays. The general strategy of the deck functions much better with Drizzile rather than trying to set up multiple Inteleon. Drizzile makes sure you always get your attack off, while also allowing for some extra utility when you already have your switching cards meaning you can then search for combo pieces such as [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Leon” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card]. If I were to change this line at all it would only be to add a second Inteleon as I felt the 3-3 Drizzile line has given the deck a significant boost in its chances to perform the best play every turn.

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Amazing Rare Jirachi

[card name=”Jirachi” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] acts as a pivot with the upside of giving the deck some extra draw power. This slot doesn’t have to be Jirachi, it could be any Pokémon that has a built-in upside such as [card name=”Kricketune V” set=”Battle Styles” no=”6″ c=”name”][/card] however, I went with Jirachi as I felt it give the biggest benefit with the least drawbacks. With Kricketune V as an example, it would be putting an extra two-Prize Pokémon into play which is always a liability, but with jirachi you don’t have to worry about that and still get some extra draw.

This slot could also just be tech cards — there doesn’t have to be a pivot Pokémon because you can always put [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] on a [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Shining Fates” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] or Inteleon which would give you a free retreater — you just wouldn’t get any bonus from doing that. The two copies of Jirachi feel like a nice compromise where you aren’t all-in on the engine, but it does give the deck a small boost to smooth out the middle of the game and potentially save you if you were to whiff an important piece.

Crobat V

[cardimg name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Most decks go with a split of Crobat V and [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] where they lean towards Dedenne-GX as the Ability is overall better, however, in this deck, I opted to play only Crobat V and not include Dedenne-GX as I want [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] to be in play as much as possible.

With the Inteleon engine, your Bench is already pretty full most of the time so you don’t always have the luxury to bench one of these draw Pokémon to begin with. A clogged Bench combined with the inclusion of Power Plant makes Dedenne-GX a fairly weak card in this deck that doesn’t provide much benefit but can be a liability if you start it or can’t play it while Power Plant is in play.

Crobat V allows for more consistent draw while also keeping all your resources which is something this deck needs. If I was going to add another copy of this one-time use Pokémon I’d add an [card name=”Eldegoss V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”19″ c=”name”][/card] as it acts similarly to Drizzile where it can find you a Boss’s Orders or your Leon, but from the discard pile instead. Since I play the Drizzile engine I don’t currently run Eldegoss V, but it can be a good inclusion in other variants of the deck.

Jirachi-GX

[card name=”Jirachi-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] is a tech for [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] which has been recently teched into [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] decks. Jirachi-GX doesn’t serve any other purpose in the current meta aside from the occasional [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] deck. It does, however, make Pikachu and Zekrom-GX a near auto-win. In an event where Pikachu and Zekrom-GX isn’t popular you could get away with cutting this card, but I feel it’s always worth including as it makes a popular deck in the meta a near auto-win. Jirachi-GX could theoretically be replaced with a [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] which would also help counter Mewtwo and Mew-GX, but I feel Jirachi-GX does a better job as Mimikyu will allow them to attack at least once.

Leon

Leon is a card that most lists don’t include, however, I think it’s a great tech for this deck’s hardest matchup; [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card]. With Leon you can use [card name=”Martial Arts Dojo” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] to hit for 220 damage, one-shotting an opposing Zacian V. I think because this is the decks worst matchup, dedicating slots to beating it is more the worth it. Leon is also a versatile tech option as it can help in other scenarios, specifically against [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] — it allows you to one-shot their VMAX with your first attack. Leon is a great tech card in this deck and allows for sneaky plays that catch the opponents off guard getting the deck free wins.

Searching Options

This deck plays a plethora of searching options because of the many different Pokémon it needs to find. This deck, like every deck, relies mostly on [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] to find your Basic Pokémon in the early game and set you up to have a consistent mid-game. The Evolution search options are slim, being [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card]. Neither of these cards are particularly strong, but Pokémon Communication does have an edge as it can also search for Basic Pokémon as well. The argument for Evolution Incense in this deck would be that with [card name=”Drizzile” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]’s Abilities you can search for an Evolution Incense and then you won’t need to have anything else to search for a [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]. For these reasons, I play a small split of the two to give the deck options while also keeping it consistent.

[card name=”Level Ball” set=”Battle Styles” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] has found its way into this deck as it can act similarly to a [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] when combined with Drizzile. Level Ball is a huge consistency boost to this deck as it allows you to find nearly any card in your deck when combined with Drizzile. It also lets you find [card name=”Sobble” set=”Sword and Shield Black Star Promos” no=”SWSH073″ c=”name”][/card] on turn one which will keep the deck aggressive and put your opponent under major pressure when you start chaining Drizzile and Inteleon.

Switching Options

In a conventional [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] build of this deck, you see very heavy switching options as you need multiple switches each turn, as well as the addition of [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] to help recycle Jirachi as Stellar wish has an aspect of luck which you want to try and minimize by using it as many times as possible. With this engine, you are able to cut back on switching cards as you will always have access to searching for one. This means no Scoop Up Net and fewer [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card].

You still want to run four [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] and three [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] in case of an opposing [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”168″ c=”name”][/card] or an unfortunate [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Shining Fates” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] at the beginning of the game. I still include one copy of Escape Rope as it’s a nice effect to have against cars like [card name=”Decidueye” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Zamazenta V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] as well as just being a switching effect, so it helps your odds of simply drawing the cards you need and not having to waste a Drizzile. The current switching options in the deck feel like just enough but no too many. I don’t think I’d remove or add any switching options, but I could see changing them around and potentially playing a higher count of Escape Rope.

Power Plant and Reset Stamp

Now, I won’t go over why this combo is so strong as I do that in nearly every Standard article because I always find myself putting these cards in decks. What I will go over is why this meta isn’t prepared for it.

The current metagame in the Standard format has reached a point where both players are trying to be as aggressive as possible to keep pace with their opponent. This has caused a dip in the number of actual draw Supporters players are running. Rather, they are including more copies of [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and relying on the draw from its Ability to keep them consistent and allow them to chain their non-draw Supporters like [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card]. This cut back allows decks to run [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] and likely just lock them out of the game completely as they won’t have a consistent draw engine.

Most decks, however, can’t run Power Plant as they also need to run a heavy Dedenne-GX engine. With VMAX decks, I feel the opportunity is there to abuse Power Plant in a format where most decks will crumble as soon as it hits the board. I think this combo is so strong currently that any deck that can be built in a way to use Power Plant should try and be built that way as it’s so oppressive for the majority of decks in the format.

Martial Arts Dojo

[cardimg name=”Martial Arts Dojo” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”179″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Martial Arts Dojo” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card], while not a Stadium you really need in play all the time, has a similar function as [card name=”Leon” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] where it lets you get some easy Knock Outs and can work as a surprise factor when your opponent isn’t expecting to be KO’d. The biggest upside to Martial Arts Dojo is that it is a Stadium, which allows you to play your draw cards and then use a Drizzile to search it out and get an easy KO when your opponent isn’t expecting it. Martial Arts Dojo can also be combined with Leon or Boss’s Orders to find bigger Knock Outs. or Knock Out a Pokémon your opponent thought was safe. Some lists run Martial Arts Dojo as the main Stadium card for the deck but it should really just be a splash as the damage is usually irrelevant meaning the slots could be better used.

Potential Inclusions

Energy Spinner / Viridian Forest

These cards would allow [card name=”Drizzile” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] to search for any type of card in the deck. I think adding one of these cards would be smart as they do give a consistency boost that can’t be matched as it turns Level Ball into a search for any card in the deck. I currently don’t play one of these cards as I simply couldn’t find the space — the list is very tight and every card has its reasoning. If I had to cut a card it would likely be the Martial Arts Dojo ass it’s a situational card that isn’t usually relevant. Out of the two options, I would include [card name=”Energy Spinner” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card] as this deck wants to keep Power Plant in play meaning [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] would be counter-productive as it would often replace Power Plant. The upside of Viridian Forest is that it’s reusable, but I don’t think that’s enough to warrant a slot over Energy Spinner which can search for the Energy and doesn’t take up the Stadium slot.

Memory Capsule

An interesting inclusion in this deck is [card name=”Memory Capsule” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card]; my idea behind Memory Capsule is that it allows you to do a 150-damage attack without needing a switching option. You can attach your [card name=”Rapid Strike Energy” set=”Battle Styles” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], then Memory Capsule allows you to hit for two-shot damage on most Pokémon. I think most of the time, Memory Capsule is worse than another switching option, but it could have some implications in matchups like [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] where your opponent only has one Pokémon set up.

Cheryl

[card name=”Cheryl” set=”Battle Styles” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] acts similar to how [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] functioned in [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] decks of recent years. Cheryl allows you to take a hit on [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card], and since you don’t need many Energy to attack, it’s easy to use Cheryl and still get off your attack for the turn. Fully healing a Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX often wins the game — with how fast-paced games in the format are, this negates a whole turn for most decks meaning you get to pull ahead by two or three Prizes, depending on the matchup. I currently don’t run Cheryl as it felt more applicable in the [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] variant since you had more switching effects and overall more draw. With this version, you often aren’t drawing as much and rather just searching for the exact card you need. With a card like Cheryl, you often need too many pieces for the Inteleon version to pull it off. It isn’t impossible, however, and is still very strong if you do manage to use it properly, but I feel it’s overall too hard to find all the pieces for it to be worth including.

Conclusion

I think this is by far the best version of Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX in the Standard format. This engine gives the deck the most options while remaining just as consistent as a standard Jirachi build. This variant also takes advantage of flaws in the current way decks are built, allowing it to steal wins in games it would otherwise struggle in.

A deck like this version of Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX is always set up to do well as it can flex to fit any meta and easily change techs to deal with shifts in the meta. I believe versatile Pokémon like Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX allows for your deck to be reactive while also being aggressive. Low-cost attacks that hit hard allow you to build your deck in a way that means your Trainers are the difference between winning and losing while your Pokémon are just doing enough to keep pace with the opponents Pokémon. I think these Pokémon allow deck building to play a huge role in winning and losing, so just going all-in on a simple Jirachi variant is not utilizing Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX to its full potential.

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 deck in this article, feel free to leave them in the comments section below.

Until next time.

-Michael

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