Darkness-type Strikes Back — Classic Dark Box in Standard
Hello readers! It’s me again, Gabriel Semedo, bringing you another Pokemon TCG article. This time I’m going to talk about an old acquaintance, the Dark Box deck with the classic Darkness-type Tag Team Pokemon-GX squad.
With too many [card name=”Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] in the format, I decided to give some Dark Box variants a try. After testing with options like [card name=”Malamar VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Crobat VMAX” set=”Shining Fates” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] and even [card name=”Grimmsnarl VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card], I felt the best version was the classic Dark Box with Darkness-type Tag Team Pokemon-GX. Even with weak and outdated attacks for the current format, it is possible to take advantage of some interesting attacks from these Pokemon.
The big challenge in exploring Dark Box is not knowing if the deck is able to beat Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX, but learning and building a list capable of winning several other matchups without spoiling the positive matchup that the deck already has against Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX. Because of that, I decided to explore Dark Box in order to arrive at a list adapted for the current Standard metagame. In my article I explain in detail all the choices I made in my final list.
Classic Dark Box
[cardimg name=”Umbreon and Darkrai-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”125″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
The concept has been around since Worlds 2019, but it has never been one of the best decks of the format. Consistency and speed issues were reasons Dark Box was not so good. If a list was consistent, then it didn’t have enough power. A lot of time has passed and it looks like with about two months to go before the upcoming rotation, Dark Box is finally competitive in Standard.
The strategy remains the same, with [card name=”Weavile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] to move Darkness Energy cards between your Tag Team Pokemon-GX. At first, it’s easy to notice that the Darkness-type Tag Team Pokemon-GX are a little outdated and some effects don’t make as much sense as they used to. [card name=”Umbreon and Darkrai-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] deals 60 damage to a Pokemon-GX on the Bench, while [card name=”Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] can take an extra Prize if it Knocks Out a Pokemon-GX. These attacks made sense two years ago, but now have lost many targets as Pokemon-GX become increasingly extinct in the Standard format. Another example is [card name=”Greninja and Zoroark-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], which despite being a straightforward card, the damage of its attack that was previously something respectable in the past is not as strong anymore. But while these Pokemon have bad attacks, if we combine all these attacks into a single Pokemon, then we’ll have a reasonably strong Pokemon. After all, this is the function of [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card], isn’t it?
The arrival of [card name=”Galarian Moltres V” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] allows Dark Box to have more Darkness Energy on the field, allowing you to use the very strong Umbreon and Darkrai-GX’s Dark Moon GX attack. If you manage to use this attack on the second or third turn, your opponent may concede the game.
It is also worth remembering that although we are living in the Pokemon VMAX era, there are a lot of Pokemon-GX among the main decks of the format. It is important to remember that Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX can take three Prizes by Knocking Out [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Mawile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Oricorio-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card]. This deck is able to deal satisfactory damage from the second turn, while you gather Darkness Energy to use Dark Moon GX. Also keep in mind that [card name=”Red and Blue” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”202″ c=”name”][/card] together with Galarian Moltres’ Ability Direflame Wings allows you to put up to three additional Darkness Energy per turn onto the field.
[decklist name=”deck” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Galarian Moltres V” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”97″][pokemon amt=”19″]2x [card name=”Galarian Moltres V” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Weavile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Sneasel” set=”Unified Minds” no=”131″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”184″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Type: Null” set=”Unified Minds” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Greninja and Zoroark-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”126″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Umbreon and Darkrai-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzzlord” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”81″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/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][/pokemon][trainers amt=”29″]3x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Red and Blue” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”202″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ 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]2x [card name=”Big Charm” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”158″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Dark City” set=”Unified Minds” no=”193″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]10x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”XY” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”10″][/card]2x [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Card Explanation
Two Galarian Moltres V
[cardimg name=”Galarian Moltres V” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”97″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This is the most fundamental Pokemon for this deck’s strategy. It is thanks to [card name=”Galarian Moltres V” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] that Dark Box has become a competitive deck. The big difference is its Ability Direflame Wings, which allows you to attach an extra Darkness Energy every turn from the discard pile to itself. If you assume a current Pokemon TCG match lasts about five turns, then you can return five additional Darkness Energy with Galarian Moltres V.
Now that you know the importance of Galarian Moltres V for Energy, I need to warn you that Galarian Moltres V will also be an important attacker in virtually every match. Its attack is useful and when Knocked Out, it gives only two Prizes to the opponent. Whenever possible, the idea is to force your opponent to draw more Prizes than they should to win. For that, you need to know the right order to attack with your Pokemon, as they have different Prize values. Avoid the possibility of your opponent being able to Knock Out two Tag Team Pokemon-GX in a row. The idea is to use one Tag Team Pokemon-GX, then Galarian Moltres V, then finally another Tag Team Pokemon-GX. It doesn’t have to be exactly in that order, but keep in mind that the opponent must be forced to Knock Out three Pokemon to win the game.
Two Sneasel UNM and Two Weavile-GX
Thanks to [card name=”Weavile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card], it is possible to perform the magic of getting six Darkness Energy cards to [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] to use Dark Moon GX. Despite being a crucial Pokemon for this move, the deck isn’t as dependent on Weavile-GX to function. Galarian Moltres V can power up and attack without the help of Weavile-GX, while [card name=”Greninja and Zoroark-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] also has a good attack that doesn’t depend on Weavile-GX.
[premium]
Two Type: Null and Two Silvally-GX
The best Pokemon in the game to play with Red and Blue is [card name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”184″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s important to have a second target for this Supporter, as the deck’s strategy depends on the extra Darkness Energy that Red and Blue can provide. Thanks to the Ability Disk Reload, it is possible to use Red and Blue, [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] without suffering so much with consistency as Silvally-GX allows you to draw cards every turn.
One Umbreon and Darkrai-GX
You want to have many Darkness Energy cards as possible on the board to use [card name=”Umbreon and Darkrai-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]’s Dark Moon GX. This attack is what makes Dark Box strong in the metagame, but for that you need six Darkness Energy.
The idea is to use Dark Moon GX to Knock Out a Pokemon VMAX that you will have a huge headache to deal with. Against some matchups like [card name=”Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], you depend on Dark Moon GX to win.
Unfortunately, Umbreon and Darkrai-GX’s Black Lance attack is bad for the current metagame. The attack only deals 150 damage, which is unable to Knock Out [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. Plus, the damage done to the Bench is irrelevant in most cases.
One Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX
This Pokemon offers two interesting attacks that are difficult to make the best of, but their effects are quite rewarding. The Greedy Crush attack is very good for Knocking Out Dedenne-GX, [card name=”Oricorio-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Mawile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] for three Prizes, while [card name=”Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card]’s Gigafall GX attack can be a end game option if you manage to gather 10 of the 12 Darkness Energy cards in the deck.
One Zoroark and Greninja-GX
This Pokemon offers a reasonable attack for a proportional Energy cost, something this deck doesn’t have compared to the other Tag Team Pokemon-GX — Umbreon and Darkrai-GX has a bad regular attack while Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX’s attack has a steep Energy cost.
Two Mewtwo and Mew-GX
The three separate Darkness-type Tag Team Pokemon-GX in this deck are bad on their own, but combined together it becomes a good Pokemon. Greninja and Zoroark-GX offers an attack with low cost and reasonable damage, Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX is able to draw an extra Prize when the opponent plays a Pokemon-GX, and Umbreon and Darkrai-GX has the power to totally unbalance a game with its Dark Moon GX attack.
In addition to joining the attacks of these Darkness-type Tag Team Pokemon-GX into a single Pokemon, Mewtwo and Mew GX is important against [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]. To have a chance to win this match, you need two copies of Mewtwo and Mew-GX.
One Guzzlord CEC
This is a necessary Pokemon if you really want to have a chance to beat [card name=”Decidueye” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card]. But even with [card name=”Guzzlord” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] in this list, it is necessary to know the correct moment to Bench this Pokemon on the field so as not to be surprised by the opponent. Besides the matchup against Decidueye I didn’t make much use of Guzzlord, but it’s important to remember that its attack has a very good effect, as it allows you to draw extra Prizes.
One Marshadow UNB
With [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] in the format, you need to use at least one [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] UNB in a fully Ability-dependent deck like this.
One Dedenne-GX and One Crobat V
The main Supporters of the deck are [card name=”Red and Blue” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”202″ c=”name”][/card] and Guzma and Hala. These cards force you to discard cards from your hand instead of drawing new cards. Therefore, Dedenne-GX and [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] are fundamental for this deck especially when Silvally-GX is not on the field.
Two Guzma and Hala
[cardimg name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
You want to use this Supporter on the first turn if you don’t start the game, so two copies is a must to decrease the chances of this card being Prized. Thanks to this Supporter, you can get [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Big Charm” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card]. The ideal first turn is to have Galarian Moltres V on the field, attach an Energy, and discard Darkness Energy to use Direflame Wings.
It’s important to remember that Guzma and Hala is a great out to find a Stadium card so you don’t suffer from Path to the Peak.
Two Professor’s Research
If you don’t have to use Boss’s Orders, Red and Blue, or Guzma and Hala, then [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] will be the best option to help your setup. Especially because every turn you need to attach an Energy, evolve Pokemon, and find the cards you need to finish the game.
Three Boss’s Orders
In the current format, speed is everything and taking Knock Outs before your opponent is key. There are two reasons why I only use three copies of Boss’s Orders instead of four. One is that the deck doesn’t have space. The other reason is this deck needs to use Guzma and Hala and Red and Blue for setup and to have extra Darkness Energy cards onto the field, so we have less opportunities to play Boss’s Orders.
Four Tag Call
This is a key card for the deck. The deck needs to use Guzma and Hala in the first turn and Red and Blue in the second turn almost every game. [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] increases the chance of finding these Supporters.
In addition to making it much easier to access the deck’s important Supporter cards, Tag Call also allows you to search for the Tag Team Pokemon-GX in your deck. Another advantage of Tag Call is to grab Pokemon from your deck to use [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card].
Four Quick Ball and Four Pokemon Communication
Even with Tag Call and Pokemon Communication, you still need four copies of [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card]. As for Pokemon Communication, this is one of the few decks where this item works so well because there are nearly 20 Pokemon in the deck, plus Tag Call and Quick Ball to find Pokemon to use Pokemon Communication with.
Another advantage of Pokemon Communication is that you can return Weavile-GX and Silvally-GX in your hand back to the deck for Red and Blue to work.
Two Air Balloon
These are the only two Items to retreat your Pokemon in the deck. In the previous format, decks needed to play [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] because of [card name=”Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]’s Tandem Shock attack. Now with [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] weak in the format due to the new metagame, we can take out unnecessary copies of Switch in the deck to invest in consistency.
With only two Air Balloons and a high probability of accessing this Pokemon Tool thanks to Tag Call and Guzma and Hala, you have enough resources to ensure mobility for your Pokemon. All the Pokemon in the deck except for Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX and Guzzlord have only two Retreat Cost.
Two Big Charm
My goal is to have honest matchups against most of the format, so I decided to use two copies of [card name=”Big Charm” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card]. Thanks to this Tool, some matchups like Eternatus VMAX and Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX become more balanced when the opponent can no longer Knock Out a Tag Team Pokemon-GX with one attack.
One Dark City
As I said before, Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX and Guzzlord are the only Pokemon in the deck that can’t retreat with Air Balloon. This is usually not an issue, as you will only use these Pokemon when you need to. The big problem is if you unfortunately have to start a game with these Pokemon in the Active Spot. In this case, the only card that will get you out of this situation will be [card name=”Dark City” set=”Unified Minds” no=”193″ c=”name”][/card].
Despite using only one copy, you have easy access to this Stadium with Tag Call and Guzma and Hala. If the opponent plays [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card], use [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] UNB to remove that Stadium. If Dark City is Prized and you started the game with Guzzlord or Mega Sableye and Tyranitar GX, you can try to attack in the second turn with these Pokemon with the help of Red and Blue and [card name=”Galarian Moltres V” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] to bring the necessary Darkness Energy to the field .
Two Viridian Forest
Viridian Forest is in the deck to fulfill some important functions. With Path to the Peak in the format, it’s important to use Stadium cards in the deck and preferably one that helps with setup. Viridian Forest helps to put cards we need in the discard pile, such as Darkness Energy or Tag Team Pokemon-GX for [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] to copy. This helps to reduce the number of cards in hand to draw more cards with Silvally-GX’s Disk Reload Ability. The only problem with Viridian Forest is that it is too good a card, even for the opponent.
Two Capture Energy and 10 Darkness Energy
In a deck that needs two Stage-1 Pokemon to function, it is essential to find the maximum amount of basic Pokemon in the first turn and for that there is no better energy than Capture Energy. With help from Guzma and Hala, finding this Energy card is easy.
As for the 10 basic Darkness Energy, I’d love to use two more copies in the deck but unfortunately the list is tight. Generally speaking, only 10 basic Darkness Energy is sufficient to use most of this deck’s attacks.
Other Tech Options
Great Catcher
With [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card]’s Greedy Crush attack has more value as it is easier to Knock Out Dedenne-GX or any other Pokemon-GX with less than 210 HP. I’ve been using this Item in previous versions of my Dark Box deck but I removed it because my opponents didn’t always use Dedenne-GX. It all depends on the matchups you’re playing.
Crobat VMAX
This Pokemon is an interesting tech against matchups where the opponent can easily deal 270 damage or more, such as Eternatus VMAX and Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX. With 300 HP, [card name=”Crobat VMAX” set=”Shining Fates” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] can resist an attack from these Pokemon and deal 180 damage for three Energy with its Max Cutter attack. This is sufficient to Knock Out a Pokemon VMAX in two attacks and some Pokemon-GX and Pokemon V up to 180 HP. In the current list I’m using Big Charm to increase my Pokemon’s HP, but if you want to try Crobat VMAX, I suggest putting in place a copy of Big Charm and switch Dedenne-GX for a second Crobat V.
Mallow and Lana
I don’t miss [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”name”][/card] at all, but I know a lot of players like this card. This list plays four copies of Tag Call, so one or two copies of Mallow and Lana will work. It would be an interesting alternative to retreat Guzzlord or Mega Sableye and Tyranitar GX, but generally you want your Supporter for the turn to be [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Red and Blue” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”202″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card]. The current format is too aggressive and healing 120 damage will often not be enough to get you out of a Knock Out.
Galarian Zapdos V
If the matchup against Eternatus VMAX bothers you, my suggestion is to add [card name=”Galarian Zapdos V” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] and some [card name=”Aurora Energy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card]. Big Charm helps but doesn’t guarantee a favorable matchup against Eternatus VMAX, so you can invest in Galarian Zapdos V at the price of affecting the deck’s consistency. The list is tight and probably both copies of Big Charm will have to leave to make room for this tech.
Matchups
Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX (60/40)
[cardimg name=”Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”75″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I believe this matchup is 75/25 in favor of Dark Box. But if the opponent uses [card name=”Alcremie VMAX” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] and knows how to play around Dark Box, then the matchup is only 60 /40. The consistency and strength offered by [card name=”Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] combined with the very strong Horror House GX attack by [card name=”Gengar and Mimikyu-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] can cause enormous pressure and make your Dark Box strategy collapse.
The more consistent the Dark Box list, the greater the chance of winning because Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX’s chance of beating Dark Box is to mess up your setup with Horror House GX, [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] and taking Knock Outs on your Galarian Moltres V.
Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX (50/50)
The match is normally balanced, but there are two factors that can completely change the matchup in favor of one of the two players. If you manage to Knock Out an [card name=”Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Umbreon and Darkrai-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]’s Dark Moon GX attack, then victory is yours. But if the Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX player manages to stop you with [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card], then the result changes in favor of Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX.
Even with [card name=”Big Charm” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card], the opponent will be able to knock out a Tag Team Pokemon-GX with the help of [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] CRE’s Ability to place two damage counters, so it’s necessary to be quick and try to finish the game as soon as possible. Big Charm can buy some time to gather the energy needed for Dark Moon GX, but it won’t completely save you from a Knock Out if it takes too long.
Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX (40/60)
All [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] players need to use [card name=”Jirachi-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] to guard against Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX and [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] from exploiting their Psychic-type Weakness, but almost no players use the annoying [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] CEC to completely disable Mewtwo and Mew GX.
Just the fact that the opponent has to Bench Jirachi-GX to protect themselves from Mewtwo and Mew GX gives us a few advantages. The first is that the opponent loses precious space on the Bench that would be used for Inteleon, [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Octillery” set=”Battle Styles” no=”37″ c=”name”][/card], or whatever support Pokemon the opponent uses. The second advantage is that Jirachi-GX is a great target for [card name=”Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card]’s Greedy Crush attack. With the help of Big Charm, it will be difficult for the opponent to take a Knock Out on Mewtwo and Mew-GX in two attacks.
On the other hand, Dark Box does have some problems in this matchup. Our Darkness-type Pokemon have Fighting-type Weakness, which the opponent can exploit at some point during the game. Plus, Dark Box doesn’t play [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] UNB, so your opponent can use Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX’s incredible G-Max Rapid Flow attack freely. I don’t think adding Mew UNB is a good solution, as Dark Box is a deck that needs Bench space for [card name=”Weavile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”184″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Galarian Moltres V” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], and Mewtwo and Mew-GX.
The winner of this matchup will be the player who will be able to exploit the other deck’s weaknesses before the opponent can defend himself. In this matchup, Mallow and Lana could be useful to heal the 120 damage done by Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX’s G-Max Rapid Flow.
Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / Zacian V (50/50)
You want to use Dark Moon GX before the opponent can use [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]’s (ADP-GX) Ultimate Ray attack. But if you can’t, don’t worry because in Dark Box we have a chance to beat ADP-GX with Mega Sableye and Tyranitar-GX’s Greedy Crush attack.
It is common for the opponent to Bench [card name=”Mawile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Oricorio-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card], so the opponent ends up providing a great opportunity for Dark Box to win this matchup with only two Knock Outs. This reduces the playing time by one turn, the same way ADP-GX / [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] uses a similar strategy to win games with Altered Creation GX.
Eternatus VMAX (35/65)
This is probably the deck’s worst matchup compared to the main decks of the format. Big Charm is essential to have a chance for a Tag Team Pokemon-GX to survive an attack by [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card]. Dark Moon GX will be your best attack to Knock Out an Eternatus VMAX and disrupt your opponent’s next turn thanks to the Item lock caused by the effect of Dark Moon GX.
Final Thoughts
What motivated me to explore Dark Box was its natural advantage in theory against the best deck of the format in my opinion, Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX. It amazes and frustrates me at the same time that Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX has a much better matchup in practice in theory against Dark Box, which proves that Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX is an above average deck. Despite being very interesting and being more consistent than ever, Dark Box still suffers from the disproportionate strength of current decks. I see Dark Box as an interesting option for a metagame filled with Shadow Rider VMAX and few Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX, but I don’t see this deck being part of the format’s Tier 1.
Overall the deck works very well and I really enjoy playing with it. There is a lack of the decks in the current format with a setup and cool mechanic to play. This deck can exploit the metagame very well, but at the same time it doesn’t have good solutions to simple problems. Sometimes it can be difficult to Knock Out a simple Dedenne-GX.
I hope you enjoyed this article and see you next time!
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