Spread ‘Em: Dragapult VMAX / Inteleon in Standard and Players Cup IV Analysis

Hello PokeBeach readers! In this article, I’m going to talk about one of my favorite cards; [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], and how it can be viable in the Standard format.

Similarly to my last article, I will be highlighting one more player who made the top cut of the Players Cup IV. That player is Alex Garcia; better known as “The Guy with Two Hats”, he finished with a 7-2 record piloting [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card].

The List

[decklist name=”Ineleon/Dragapult” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″][pokemon amt=”21″]3x [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Dragapult V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”43″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Drizzile” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Sobble” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”30″]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″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Rocky Helmet” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”159″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Fog Crystal” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”U-Turn Board” set=”Unified Minds” no=”211″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]4x [card name=”Horror P Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]5x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”5″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Deck List Breakdown

Three Dragapult VMAX

For this deck you only plan on attacking with two Dragapult VMAX throughout the game, however, you need to get them out early as many decks can take advantage of the slower nature of the Dragapult VMAX archetype. The reason I have opted for only three Dragapult VMAX is because of the easy accessibility via [card name=”Drizzile” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card]. This deck maximizes consistency using the [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] line to boost damage output as well as create a phenomenal early game that many decks can’t handle.

Two Different Inteleon

[cardimg name=”Drizzile” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”56″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The split in Inteleon is to give this deck some extra options; the damage boost from the Rapid Strike Inteleon makes Dragapult VMAX a clear threat in the format as you can easily Knock Out most Bench Pokemon in two turns, while also applying a ton of pressure to their active Pokemon. The [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] that searches for Trainers is often a late-game option or an extra consistency boost when you’re behind. The late-game applications of being able to search for your [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] + [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] combo makes this deck extremely consistent and hard for most decks to handle.

The Inteleon line also comes with Drizzle, which is arguably the best card in the line — the consistency boost is far greater than that of a [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] engine, and it doesn’t require you to fill your deck with extra switching options. All-round, this line compliments [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] well as you get a smooth consistency engine as well as extra damage output that can hit your opponent’s entire board.

Dedenne-GX and Crobat V

When I first built this deck I only played a single [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card]. Eventually I decided to add [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], simply because the consistency boost is too beneficial to not include. While you ideally never want to bench these Pokemon, it is important to have the option, especially during the early turns of the game when Energy attachments are pivotal.

In most games, these cards do end up being dead cards as you’ll want to keep Path to the Peak in play as much as possible to make your opponent stumble. In addition, in the majority of matchups, the only win condition for the opponent is to take advantage of these Bench-sitting Pokemon to rush you out of the game, so you have to be mindful if you end up benching one of them.

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Search Cards

This deck plays three search cards — [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] is the only one with a maxed count as it is the most important to get your Basic Pokemon in play on turn one, and the other search cards are more accessible later in the game when you have access to Drizzile. [card name=”Fog Crystal” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] is a great addition to this archetype as it covers two bases as both a search card for your Dragapult V, as well as being an out to Energy, meaning you can lower your count of Energy whilst making it searchable with Drizzile.

I chose to play [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] due to the vast amount of Pokemon this deck plays. Pokemon Communication is a more flexible card that keeps the deck consistent and gives it options. The other option would be [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card], which is a fine card when combined with [card name=”Drizzile” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card], but I felt Pokemon Communications accomplished the same thing while keeping the deck more consistent during the early turns as you can find Dedenne-GX or Crobat V if needed.

I could see cutting one Pokemon Communication for an Evolution Incense which would allow Drizzile to get an Evolution card from your deck even when you don’t have a Pokemon in hand, but I haven’t tested it yet so I’m not sure if that is worth the small drop in early game consistency.

Tools

This is my favorite part of the deck! To start, I included a [card name=”U-Turn Board” set=”Unified Minds” no=”211″ c=”name”][/card] as everything in this deck has one-Energy Retreat Cost, making it a great re-usable switching option that the opponent can’t disrupt with a [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”168″ c=”name”][/card]. The other Tool I have chosen for this deck is [card name=”Rocky Helmet” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card]; the reason for this selection is that every time I play Dragapult VMAX I find myself wanting to have more freedom with my damage counters so I can easily adjust to anything my opponent might do. This was often accomplished with [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] + [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] in prior formats, but without the Jirachi engine putting that much space into fixing damage feels wasteful.

Rocky Helmet acts as an extra damage amplifier that can also force your opponent to make suboptimal plays. When combined with [card name=”Horror P Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card], this becomes a deadly combination that makes it easy for [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] to put Pokemon in an easy range to be Knocked Out by an [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card], or be moved to the Bench with [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] and finished off by Max Phantom. Not to mention it makes two-shots easier on the higher HP Pokemon, which is often where Dragapult VMAX had struggled in the past.

Rocky Helmet is a boost to Dragapult VMAX in many ways as it evens out a lot of bad numbers and can force an opponent to switch attackers, which you can easily plan for with the large amount of spread damage this deck applies.

Escape Rope

[cardimg name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Many decks like to play [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] as their main switching option. For Dragapult VMAX, I saw Escape Rope as a weapon more so than a switching option. Similar to [card name=”Phione” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], Dragapult VMAX can use Escape Rope to force a Pokemon onto the Bench that can be finished off with snipe damage; this allows for Max Phantom to get full value on every attack. This is also the reason I felt this deck didn’t need to include [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Shining Fates” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]; since so much spread damage is being applied, the utility of Escape Rope is enough to force opponents into bad situations where they will promote a Pokemon that Dragapult VMAX can hit into —  that Pokemon will often be Knocked Out from spread damage on the following turn making it that where ever your damage falls it will always receive full value.

Escape Rope also combos well with Rocky Helmet and Horror Psychic Energy; oftentimes an opponent will attack with a Pokemon that is already on low HP, so the effects of Rocky Helmet or Horror Psychic Energy aren’t as strong. This is negated when you can force that Pokemon onto the Bench and use Inteleon and Dragapult VMAX to easily clean it up without losing damage from your attack.

Draw Supporters

The draw supporters are pretty straightforward for this deck; [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Shining Fates” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] are by far the best draw Supporters in the format, and Marnie comes with some extra hand disruption which is great for this deck as it already plays [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] which completely shuts down many decks when combined with Marnie.

It should be noted that this deck does play a low count of draw Supporters, but this is because you can easily search for them with [card name=”Drizzile” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card], meaning it’s ok to play a lower count as you have easy access to them.

If I were to add an extra draw Supporter it would likely be some count of [card name=”Bird Keeper” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card], as the extra switching options are nice especially against decks like [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] that can apply Special Conditions.

Reset Stamp and Path to the Peak

This is the first deck I’ve gotten to fully utilize the combo of Path to the Peak and hand disruption.

This deck relies on the constant forms of disruption to force the opponent into bad plays or to simply shut down their engine with hand disruption and Ability lock.

[card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] and Path to the Peak fit perfectly in this deck as you aren’t concerned about Ability lock as your deck doesn’t rely on [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is also a slower card compared to most of the format, meaning you will likely go down on Prizes, making the combo is even stronger and meaning it’s easy to come back in games.

If this combo didn’t exist I don’t think this deck would be as strong — most decks would be able to out-tempo you and beat you as they got ahead early while you are a turn too slow with your spread damage.

Potential Inclusions

Galarian Rapidash V

[card name=”Galarian Rapidash V” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card] is a card I have had in and out of the list. In some cases, the first attack feels absolutely game-breaking when you can use it on a VMAX or Tag Team then swiftly finish them up with Dragapult VMAX, however, since it takes two attachments it can also feel clunky, especially when it gets Knocked Out right away. Because of this, I decided it wasn’t worth playing because too often it fell a little short of being what the deck needed.

Most of my testing with this card was also before I added [card name=”Rocky Helmet” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card], which would make Galarian Rapidash V a bit worse as they serve similar purposes in making damage difficult for your opponent to play around.

Exp. Share

[cardimg name=”Exp. Share” set=”Battle Styles” no=”126″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Battle Styles” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] was the Tool I included before Rocky Helmet. Since I was playing Galarian Rapidash V, Exp. Share was an easy way to make the attachments less clunky. This meant, however, [card name=”Horror P Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card] lost some value — you can’t move it with Exp. Share, meaning if a Dragapult VMAX with two Horror Psychic Energy gets KO’d then you’re in a bad position and Exp. Share would be useless.

Exp. Share is also nice as it stops the threat of being outpaced by the opponent when they take a big Knock Out on Dragapult VMAX, as you then only need one attachment on your next Dragapult VMAX to be in a position to attack.

All around, Exp. Share is an excellent card in the deck, but for now, I feel Rocky Helmet is a bit stronger, and playing both doesn’t make much sense simply because of how fast the format is.

Gengar and Mimikyu-GX

[card name=”Gengar and Mimikyu-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] has a unique function in that it buys you an extra turn, and unlike Galarian Rapidash V it doesn’t usually get you behind on board since your opponent can’t play any cards after Horror House GX.

The utility from Horror House GX and solid big damage attack from Poltergeist make Gengar and Mimikyu-GX an intriguing option for this deck, especially as it can catch many opponents off guard if they aren’t dumping their Trainers from their hand or if they’ve just taken three Prizes. For example, against [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card], if you happen to go up on Prizes when your opponent takes a big three-or-four-Prize Knock Out, you can go into Horror House GX. Since they can’t attack with [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] again, you almost always get a Knock Out on the following turn as they likely drew extra items off their Prizes.

Gengar and Mimikyu-GX felt more like a tech option for the right meta, or just a surprise card that isn’t always needed which is why I left it out of the list. I’m not sure what I’d cut for this card but it definitely has a spot in the deck in the right meta.

Cheryl

[card name=”Cheryl” set=”Battle Styles” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] is an interesting choice for this deck as you don’t really have the Energy to sacrifice when you use Cheryl. In close matchups, however, where you’re trading hits that don’t KO, Cheryl can completely change the course of the game… While losing your attachments can be rough, [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is a deck that can function off of chip damage, meaning even using Shred late in the game can be extremely impactful when combined with all your other damage sources as it can lead to surprise Knock Outs that your opponent thought impossible.

Cheryl is also interesting as it can be combined in a way that you heal two Dragapult VMAX at once when played after you use your [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] + [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] combo. This causes a huge swing in nearly every matchup, to the point where Dragapult VMAX pretty much can’t lose.

The reason I didn’t include Cheryl in the list is simply because of space — every card in the deck felt a little stronger, and Cheryl is more of a tech option so leaving it out is fine.

Echoing Horn

[card name=”Echoing Horn” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] is an inclusion I haven’t got around to testing yet as I feel it’s a card that is more of a luxury, and doesn’t often make a bad matchup winnable but rather makes closer matchups more favorable.

Echoing Horn is interesting in this deck as you obviously want to spread damage and take easy Prizes from the extra damage you apply to your opponent’s Bench, however, the question stands: what Pokemon are hitting my opponents discard? If they are discarding [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] that likely means they have another attacker being set up on the Bench, which should be a higher priority than knocking out a Dedenne-GX for some cheap Prizes.

[cardimg name=”Echoing Horn” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”136″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Echoing Horn can, however, cause some interesting situations if your opponent is playing a deck that has normal Basic Pokemon — this almost always means you can use it to take a free Prize card, making it a one-card inclusion to take a Prize which is always a good thing.

Another advantage is that you can Bench-lock your opponent if they put down too many Pokemon, which would allow for some interesting situations where you choose not to take a Knock Out and rather spread extra damage as you know your opponent needs to Bench something to progress.

Echoing Horn is an amazing card and has a lot of utility, but I don’t know if it’s actually needed for the deck to be successful.

Top Player: Alex Garcia

Alex Garcia finished 7 – 2 advancing into the top cut of the Players Cup IV piloting [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] as he found the deck to be consistent while also having a good matchup spread.

Throughout the event, Alex encountered some rough matchups but was able to overcome them, namely his round five match against [card name=”Victini VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card], which he was able to beat by abusing the deck’s consistency and playing repeated [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card]. He again got the best of his opponent in his round six match against a Mad Party that played two [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], due to his deck’s consistency and being able to target down Mew when needed.

His two losses were to a mirror match that was rather uneventful, while his other loss was to Alex Schemanske who I covered in my last article. Schemanske won this match 2-1 by hitting [card name=”Giovanni’s Exile” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”174″ c=”name”][/card] on a pivotal turn in game one, and getting down early which caused Alex to stumble in game three.

All around, Alex read the meta correctly as his other matchups consisted of mostly [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Reshiram and Zekrom-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card], which Alex was able to beat with ease

Alex is in a great position to head deeper into this event as he dominated with Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX and should have no trouble doing the same in top cut.

Conclusion

[card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] should be a dominant force in this meta with all the tools it acquired in recent sets. While it may struggle with some matchups like Eternatus VMAX, it can easily deal with the rest of the meta due to its consistency and ability to force decks into tough situations taking advantage of both a deck’s inconsistency and making the opponent make tough decisions.

Dragapult VMAX is also coming into the format with the surprise factor, as most people haven’t extensively tested against it. Because of this, you can easily get some free wins due to an opponent misplaying by over-benching even one extra Pokemon.

With that said, I expect Dragapult VMAX / [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] to become Tier One deck in this meta, and compete with [card name=”Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] as the best deck in the format.

As always make sure you check out the rest of the content here on PokeBeach — there’s tons of content good for players old and new!

Until next time,

-Michael

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