Lord of the Skies – Rayquaza VMAX in TEU-EVS

Hello PokeBeach readers! Isaiah here, happily bringing you yet another article!

Tournament Highlights

[cardimg name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This week has been a big week for the Pokemon Trading Card Game! Notably, the Players Cup 25th Anniversary Invitational was streamed, with Alex Schemanske taking down the tournament once again with his [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] deck, which I covered in my previous article. Funny enough, Alex’s list is identical to the list he played for the Players Cup IV Global Finals, as he completely forgot to change any cards (or even the deck entirely!).

Through his run, Alex was even able to take down Azul Garcia Griego’s [card name=”Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] deck in the second set of Grand Finals to grab the win in the end, however, this would not be the only Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX that Alex would have to overcome. In order to become the ultimate champion of the tournament, Alex had to take down the legendary Tsuguyoshi Yamato in a final boss battle, which he would ultimately end up losing. With that said, it was quite a remarkable performance for the Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX deck.

Also coming out of the Players Cup 25th Anniversary Invitational was the inclusion of [card name=”Cobalion-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] in Inteleon-based decks. Notably, Natalie Millar and Henry Brand both used this card to great success, each winning multiple games thanks to the powerful Iron Rule GX attack. As we enter the final weeks of the card’s legality in Standard, I expect it to make a massive explosion in the format.

Lastly, and probably the most relevant to this article, is the fact that (unofficial) Evolving Skies Prerelease events have started up! I personally was able to go to one and got some unique cards, and the event as a whole was a blast! Of course, one of the set’s main attractions is the plethora of Pokemon V and Pokemon VMAX for each of the evolutions of Eevee. Notably, Umbreon VMAX is expected to shake up the format with its Ability that draws a perfect parallel to [card name=”Luxray GL LV.X” set=”Rising Rivals” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]’s Bright Look. Of course, we cannot talk about Evolving Skies without acknowledging the other ace of the set, Rayquaza VMAX! Hopefully, by the time the next set drops, official Prerelease events will be back up and running!

The Potential of Rayquaza VMAX

To put it simply, Rayquaza VMAX is incredibly powerful, boasting a non-existent damage cap that can easily reach insane numbers without too much of a commitment. Notably, only four Energy are needed to take a one-hit Knock Out on any VMAX in the format (except any with HP buffs from various effects). As if that was not enough, Rayquaza VMAX also has its incredible Azure Pulse Ability, allowing you to dig through your deck to find combo pieces that you need or even to refill your hand after it is wiped.

At this point, you already know that the topic of today’s article is going to be Rayquaza VMAX, but we will be focusing on two different variants, one with Flaaffy and one with [card name=”Victini VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card], built in the Team Up to Evolving Skies format. There are quite a few online events that will be played in this format’s brief existence, so let us start by taking a look at one of the potential top decks: Rayquaza VMAX / Flaaffy!

Rayquaza VMAX / Flaaffy

Upon the reveal of Evolving Skies, the first cards that jumped out at most players were the glaringly obvious synergy between Rayquaza VMAX and Flaaffy, drawing the direct parallel to [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] strategies from 2012 through 2014. Being one of the most iconic decks from the late Black and White Block, people naturally flocked to the idea of experiencing this deck in their own way in 2021. Many people, myself included, sort of wrote off the Flaaffy build of Rayquaza VMAX, acknowledging the power of the combo, but expressing concerns of its feasibility, noting the natural issue of several Stage 1 Pokemon. Upon some deeper diving, I, along with many others, realized that things were much more realistic than we thought thanks to [card name=”Rose” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”168″ c=”name”][/card] acting as an extra boost of Energy acceleration for times where only one or two Flaaffy hit the board.

With this in mind, the next problem became making the deck consistent, which obviously is going to require a ton of search cards. Recently, I saw a list for the Sword and Shield to Evolving Skies format posted by Andrew Mahone that was running super well. Naturally, I used it for inspiration to put together this decklist, taking many of Mahone’s ideas and applying them to the Team Up format instead.

Deck List

Here is my list for Rayquaza VMAX / Flaaffy:

[decklist name=”flaaffy ray” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Rayquaza VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”61″][pokemon amt=”18″]3x Rayquaza VMAX (SWSH7 #111)4x Rayquaza V (SWSH7 #110)4x Flaaffy (SWSH7 #55)4x [card name=”Mareep” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”47″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/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]2x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Rose” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”168″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Battle Styles” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x Rescue Trolley (SWSH7 #154)1x [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Energy Spinner” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”170″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x Stormy Mountains (SWSH7 #161)[/trainers][energy amt=”11″]8x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]3x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

Card Inclusions

Rayquaza VMAX Line

As the attacker of the deck and its main draw engine, it only makes sense that we play a thick line of Rayquaza VMAX. I have already talked a bit about the power level of Rayquaza VMAX, with its ability to take one-hit Knock Outs on any Pokemon VMAX with enough Energy, but I do not think I have talked enough about the strengths of the Max Burst attack as a whole. Sure, taking one-hit Knock Outs is good, it always has been, but unlike its previous Dragon Burst counterparts, Max Burst says “discard any amount of … Energy” rather than “discard all … Energy”. This change allows you to put together interesting two-hit Knock Outs while saving some Energy in the process.

In rare cases, doing this can actually save an Energy too. For example, going 100 (one Lightning Energy) + 180 (two Lightning Energy) scores a Knock Out on many relevant Tag Team Pokemon-GX, such as [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card].

This math can also apply when we consider Rayquaza V‘s surprisingly good attack, Spiral Burst. Acting as a weaker version of Max Burst, you can discard only two Energy in order to do 180 damage. If you were able to do this early, you could do an interesting play where on the second turn you Spiral Burst for 180 into an Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX, and then on turn three you can evolve, attach, and Max Burst for 100, taking a perfect Knock Out.

Flaaffy Line and One Mew

The true heart and soul of the Rayquaza VMAX / Flaaffy deck, Flaaffy’s Dynamotor Ability is a critical part of making this deck what it is. The consistent stream of Energy throughout a game onto your attackers as they are constantly discarded by Max Burst, Azure Pulse, and other methods is always extremely powerful, but when one Flaaffy translates to 80 damage, these Flaaffy become absolute powerhouses. Naturally, we play four Flaaffy and four [card name=”Mareep” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] (chosen for Growl and 70 HP) in order to make sure we have multiple in play all of the time. One of the biggest problems for the strategy of having a bunch of 90 HP Stage 1s on your Bench is always going to be spread attacks like [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]’s G-Max Rapid Flow, so we must include a copy of [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] in order to make sure that they are protected for when we need them the most.

Tapu Koko Prism Star

As if four Flaaffy was not enough! Just for good measure, we include on copy of [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] as an extra form of Dynamotor that can be slammed down at any time. The value of this varies pretty consistently, but you can usually use it to at least reach for the big 340 attack on a Pokemon VMAX, or in some cases, it can even be used to put Energy on two different Rayquaza VMAX, which can do a lot of making the deck’s damage ceiling go even higher than before.

Two Rose

At long last, [card name=”Rose” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”168″ c=”name”][/card] finally finds a strong place in the Standard Format. Rose is a naturally incredible card thanks to its ability to recover Energy (it can get back a mix of types!) and also power up the attack on Rayquaza VMAX as needed. Even better, though, Rose’s main drawback is, of course, the fact that you must discard your entire hand to use it. However, aside from the pain of discarding valuable resources, Rose’s primary drawback is essentially removed thanks to Azure Pulse being able to refill your hand immediately, even if it will only have three cards (but you can Azure Pulse more than once if need be!). With this all in mind, we still only include two copies of Rose because, while the card is insane, it is not always a necessity.

Three Air Balloon and Three Switch

A while back, I gave this split a try in a decklist for [card name=”Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and I fell in love almost immediately. The ability to have so many pivots on their own is incredibly nice, but being able to go Retreat with [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card], use up to three Dynamotor, and [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] to have a fully loaded up Rayquaza VMAX out of nowhere seems super appealing, and the three Air Balloon plus three Switch split makes plenty of space for options like this while also leaving the option to get out of problematic situations if necessary.

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Rayquaza VMAX / Victini VMAX

Now for a far more overlooked partner for Rayquaza VMAX; [card name=”Victini VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card].

[cardimg name=”Victini VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”22″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This variant first came to my attention shortly after the Japanese National Championship, which was played in their version of Team Up to Evolving Skies, a few weeks ago, where it took first place in their equivalent to the Junior division. At first glance, I assumed that the deck was going to be somewhat mediocre with the two different Pokemon VMAX and it also focusing on [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] rather than the Flaaffy engine, but in some conversations with a friend of mine, we came to the conclusion that the deck is probably not nearly as inconsistent as it initially appeared.

With multiple attacks to load up Energy on the board alongside Welder and Rose, we deduced that Energy was not going to be as much as a problem as we expected, and with Azure Pulse and other draw options, finding some of the deck’s more situational cards was not going to be as hard as initially anticipated.

For reference, I am going to include the original decklist from Japan as well as my updated decklist.

Original Deck List

Here is the list that inspired my own:

[decklist name=”raytini 1″ amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Marshadow” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”81″][pokemon amt=”17″]3x Rayquaza VMAX (SWSH7 #111)3x Rayquaza V (SWSH7 #110)3x [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Victini VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”22″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Victini V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Cramorant” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”62″ 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]1x [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”81″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”31″]4x [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Rose” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”168″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/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=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]9x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card]3x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

My Updated Deck List

And the list with my own updates and inclusions:

[decklist name=”raytini 2″ amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″][pokemon amt=”18″]3x Rayquaza VMAX (SWSH7 #111)3x Rayquaza V (SWSH7 #110)3x [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Victini VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”22″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Victini V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”81″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ 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=”30″]4x [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Rose” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”168″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/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=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Energy Spinner” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”170″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”160″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]9x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card]3x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

Card Inclusions for My List

Rayquaza VMAX Line

The Rayquaza VMAX line is pretty similar here, only removing one Rayquaza V in comparison to the previous deck. This change is exclusively for space and, in a weird way, for consistency. While making it marginally harder to find a Rayquaza V, you increase your odds of starting [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Victini V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card].

Also, of note, the situations I mentioned with discarding only one or maybe two Energy is actually much more relevant in this deck as it offers a way to clean up a VMAX that [card name=”Victini VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] has already swung into, which in turn produces the option to hit for massive damage on the following turn.

Victini VMAX Line

Acting as our secondary attacker, we run a pretty thin [card name=”Victini VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] line, only sporting two copies each of [card name=”Victini V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] and Victini VMAX, but playing any more honestly borders on being excessive.

Victini VMAX is never really your main attacker, barring against something that is Metal-type, such as [card name=”Lucario and Melmetal-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card]. Instead, Victini VMAX serves the dual purpose of early game pressure and Energy acceleration. Oftentimes, one of Rayquaza VMAX’s biggest flaws is the inability to consistently dish out massive attacks. Thankfully, this problem can be alleviated by the inclusion of Victini VMAX, which is great at dishing out two-hit Knock Outs on Pokemon VMAX and one-hit Knock Outs on most Pokemon V for two Energy, allowing you to start loading up a Rayquaza VMAX in the back.

In addition, Victini VMAX and Victini V both have the Spreading Flames attack which is a great way to load up some Energy on a Rayquaza VMAX to chain one-hit Knock Outs on Pokemon VMAX if necessary.

Three Volcanion

[cardimg name=”Volcanion” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”25″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Joining both of our Victini in the purpose of Energy acceleration is our astounding three [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card].

In this deck, the power of the turn one Flare Starter for three Energy cannot be overstated, as it is essentially a free Max Burst for 260 without requiring the commitment of a [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Rose” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”168″ c=”name”][/card].

If that was not enough, Volcanion also has an attack of its own. While it normally is not that impressive of an attack, High-Heat Blast’s 110 damage is pretty reasonable, setting up some two-hit Knock Outs. Additionally, if need be, it is a single-Prize Pokemon that can take a one-hit Knock Out on a [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] and can also serve as an excellent counter to [card name=”Decidueye” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card]. Talk about utility!

Energy Retrieval

This inclusion is a bit of an odd one at first glance, but it ends up being a bit more simple than you’d think. As you probably noticed, the original list plays a copy of [card name=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card], but why did I remove it? Well, it comes down to a matter of one simple thing; Options. [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card], unlike Fire Crystal, is capable of getting back our Lighting Energy in the event that we run out or need to find a copy.

Additionally, one point that a friend of mine mentioned is that you can choose to get back only one Energy with Energy Retrieval, making it so you can leave behind Energy for a Spreading Flames or Rose if need be.

Two Energy Spinner, Three Viridian Forest, and No Giant Hearth

One of the biggest problems with any deck that plays multiple Energy types is that you struggle to find the exact Energy that you need when you need it. Thankfully, this problem can be alleviated by an extensive amount of Energy search cards, in the form of two [card name=”Energy Spinner” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card] and three [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card].

Energy Spinner fills an interesting role that goes a bit beyond simply finding some Energy. Interestingly, when you go second, it can grab three Energy, which can do a lot of different things. You can grab Lightning and two Fire for a turn one Spiral Burst from Rayquaza V, you can grab three Energy to discard for Spreading Flames, and of course, you can grab an Energy for Volcanion and two more to Welder on.

As for Viridian Forest, this inclusion is expressly for the purpose of finding Energy whenever needed while also counter [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card]. You may notice, however, that I removed the [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] in favor of more Viridian Forest. Similar to Energy Retrieval, I followed the same logic of wanting options to find the Energy you need whenever it is needed. Unfortunately, this change makes pulling off full effect Welder a bit harder, but I think the consistency boost is far more significant.

Great Catcher

As usual, I am a big fan of [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card] in Welder-based decks, as I think the ability to drag up the format’s most important support Pokemon, [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], is extremely valuable. Great Catcher in this particular deck is extremely interesting, though, as we discard a ton of cards with the deck anyway thanks to Rayquaza VMAX’s Azure Pulse. Great Catcher offers a great way to use these cards that we were going to discard anyway while allowing us to grab some easy Prize cards in the process.

In Summary

In general, Rayquaza VMAX appears to be an extremely powerful and potent incoming threat in the Evolving Skies expansion. This threat is built by the incredible amounts of Energy acceleration for each of Rayquaza’s attacking types; Fire and Lightning. In addition, Rayquaza VMAX’s sheer power, with the uncommon ability to take a one-hit Knock Out on every major threat in the game, is a force to be reckoned with and is sure to have a massive impact instantaneously upon the card’s release.

Personally, I have multiple tournaments in the Team Up to Evolving Skies format, and each of these Rayquaza VMAX variants are looking to be some of my top considerations for these events (assuming I can get the cards, they are looking to be quite expensive…)!

With that, this article draws to a close.

Once again, I believe this deck to be one of the absolute top decks of the upcoming Team Up to Evolving Skies format and expect this strength to continue on into the upcoming Sword & Shield to Evolving Skies format. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out in the Subscriber’s Hideout, on Twitter (@ICheville), or on Facebook (Zaya Lee) if you have any questions!

Until next time!

– Isaiah

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