Blizzard Rondo — Suicune V Finds Its Footing in SSH-EVS

Hello everyone! I’m happy to be bringing you yet another article!

Last time, we discussed the poster child of Evolving Skies, [card name=”Rayquaza VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card], and its strengths in the then-upcoming Team Up to Evolving Skies format. Since that article, Rayquaza VMAX has generally fallen off in tournament results, but I still think it has a place in the metagame. If the format begins to move away from the current focus on spread damage, it couldn’t be better positioned.

However, Evolving Skies brought much more than just Rayquaza VMAX. Since the set’s debut and the rotation to Sword & Shield-on, six of the eight evolutions of Eevee have seen competitive success, with only [card name=”Espeon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Flareon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card] missing out. Notably, [card name=”Sylveon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Umbreon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Jolteon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] have all won online events with at least 300 players in attendance, with Umbreon VMAX’s biggest win coming from an event with over 500 players!

Furthermore, another card that’s had a massive impact on the format is the new Supporter [card name=”Raihan” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card], which also happens to be my second favorite card in the set. Raihan is the critical form of generic Energy acceleration that decks have been missing over the past few years. This Energy acceleration has provided an excellent buff to already-good decks, like [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card], and it has also brought old contenders, such as [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], back into the spotlight.

But if Raihan is my second favorite card in the set, which card takes the number-one spot? Look no further than the topic of this article — my favorite card in all of Evolving Skies is [card name=”Suicune V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card]!

Why do I like Suicune V so much?

When I first saw [card name=”Suicune V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card], I wasn’t impressed. I thought the Ability was mediocre at best (I mean, it’s just a worse version of [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card]) and the damage seemed lacking. While it was probably decent enough to make a splash, it wasn’t likely to be anywhere near a top deck.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

A while back, at the 2021 Japan National Championships, Suicune V had a stellar performance with a number of top finishes. While it didn’t take home the gold (the event was actually won by a [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] variant of [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] that included [card name=”Umbreon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card]!), it proved to be a great card in its own right that a lot of players had overlooked. With solid HP (even better with [card name=”Cape of Toughness” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card]!), good Weakness, and an efficient attack, it’s continued to build on its success since then, with two different variants leading the metagame. One uses [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], and the other focuses on [card name=”Ludicolo” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card]. For me, it’s too early to say which variant is better, but I love the Ludicolo version — so how about we take a look at that variant first?

Suicune V / Ludicolo

[cardimg name=”Ludicolo” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”34″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

When [card name=”Suicune V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] decks were first popping up in Japan, my favorite build was one that used [card name=”Ludicolo” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] to reach for massive one-hit Knock Outs on Pokemon VMAX. I didn’t expect much to come of it, though, as the Stage 2 Evolution line seemed problematic for the deck’s consistency. Fast forward to the first weeks of the Sword & Shield-on format and, much to my surprise, we saw Suicune V with Ludicolo take down a massive online event (490 players in attendance!) in the hands of my fellow PokeBeach writer Gabriel Pino Semedo. You can read about his take on the deck here!

In Gabriel’s build, he uses the infamous Inteleon line, focusing on [card name=”Drizzile” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card], to fill the Bench and find the critical pieces needed to ensure that the deck is always functioning at its best. Gabriel’s Ludicolo line was quite slim, a 2-1-2 line with two [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”180″ c=”name”][/card], but that proved to be plenty as he took down Pokemon VMAX deck after Pokemon VMAX deck to win the tournament. I think that Gabriel’s deck list borders on perfection for the archetype, so this list will be almost identical to his. Without further ado, let’s take a look at it!

Deck List

[decklist name=”SuiDiTeleon” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Suicune V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”31″][pokemon amt=”20″]4x [card name=”Suicune V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”43″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/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=”Sword and Shield” no=”55″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Ludicolo” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”34″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lombre” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”8″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Lotad” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”30″]3x [card name=”Melony” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Shining Fates” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Raihan” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Battle Styles” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Capacious Bucket” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cape of Toughness” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”160″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”180″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]6x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]4x [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

Card Inclusions

Four Suicune V

As the main attacker in the deck, it should come as absolutely no surprise that we include four copies of [card name=”Suicune V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card]. Suicune V is far and away the best starter in this deck as well, with its powerful Fleet-Footed Ability offering an extra draw every turn. While this may not seem like a lot, over the course of a game, this can turn into four, five, or even more cards total, which is a massive difference. If you start with Suicune V, you essentially get an eight-card opening hand, which is a huge advantage as well, often allowing you to get out more [card name=”Sobble” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] or locking up a turn-one Energy attachment. I can’t overstate how insane Fleet-Footed is as an Ability.

But the real reason we play Suicune V is for its attack, Blizzard Rondo. Ranging in damage from 20 to 220 (with your Bench alone it caps at 120), Blizzard Rondo acts as a powerful way to lock up a two-hit Knock Out on almost anything, and in some cases, you might even grab a one-hit Knock Out on various Pokemon V, especially support Pokemon like [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Kricketune V” set=”Battle Styles” no=”6″ c=”name”][/card]. All in all, Suicune V stands to be an extremely powerful threat on its own, and this strength goes even further as we continue to examine this deck’s Pokemon line.

Inteleon Line

[cardimg name=”Inteleon” set=”Shining Fates” no=”SV027″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

At this point, you should be familiar with the Inteleon line, or rather, the [card name=”Drizzile” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] line.

I’ve said this in the past, but I still continue to be blown away by how much the Inteleon line exploded in popularity after the release of [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] CRE, and to this day I continue to wonder if we were just missing a clearly good hidden gem in [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] SSH prior to Chilling Reign‘s release.

In this deck, the Inteleon line is fairly standard: 4-4-2/1, split between the Chilling Reign Inteleon and the Sword & Shield one. The most important part here is obviously going to be Drizzile, as it allows us to find the pieces for critical combos, whether it be a [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] + [card name=”Capacious Bucket” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] + [card name=”Melony” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] combo in the early game or a [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”180″ c=”name”][/card] into [card name=”Ludicolo” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] power play later on. Considering its importance, it only makes sense that we include a full four copies of the card so that we can make sure we find it when we need it and get as many uses out of it as possible. Naturally, the inclusion of four Drizzile means that we have to include four Sobble. Lately, thanks to the emergence of [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], I have been choosing [card name=”Sobble” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] SSH 55, which has 70 HP, over [card name=”Sobble” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] CRE, which only has 60 HP, in order to maximize the odds of my turn-one Sobble surviving until turn two.

As for the actual Inteleon split, I have stuck to two Inteleon CRE and one [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] SSH 58, much like Gabriel’s original list. At this point, this split feels correct, but at some points I wish I had a second copy of Inteleon SSH. Inteleon CRE draws most of its value from Quick Shooting, as is typical, but in the case of Suicune V, it has the double purpose of forcing the opponent to put a Pokemon on their Bench, and as a result, we can convert it into a massive one-hit Knock Out on a Pokemon VMAX out of nowhere. As for Inteleon SSH, it’s huge for searching our big combo plays, notably the combo of Rare Candy + Evolution Incense (to find Ludicolo) to grab a big Knock Out. I end up using Inteleon SSH’s Shady Dealings way more frequently than I ever expected to, and as a result, I would love to add another copy, but I have been unable to find the space.

Ludicolo Line, Two Rare Candy, and Two Scoop Up Net

Finally, the man himself, [card name=”Ludicolo” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card]. When Ludicolo was first announced, I immediately fell in love with the card and its incredibly unique Ability. Many people were immediately drawn to [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] as a partner, but Zacian V builds never really panned out. As if out of nowhere, though, Ludicolo found a place with Suicune V, guaranteeing itself a spot at the front of the metagame.

As for the card itself, Ludicolo is simply perfect. It happens to add the perfect amount of damage, 100, just enough for Suicune V to take a one-hit Knock Out on some of the most important Pokemon VMAX in the game, such as [card name=”Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. Additionally, an aspect of Ludicolo that frequently goes underappreciated is that its Ability does not say “You can’t use more than 1 Exciting Dance Ability each turn,” meaning that you can use two or even three at once to make ludicrous damage pushes out of nowhere. Despite its strength, though, we only play a slim 2-1-2 line of Ludicolo, partially due to space and partially due to a thicker line being unneeded. Most games you only use Exciting Dance once or maybe twice, and you frequently just reuse the same one with one of your two [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card].

When it comes to getting Ludicolo in play, we have two options: [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”180″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lombre” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”8″ c=”name”][/card]. The former is far safer, far more reliable, and far more frequently used. However, if you’re exceptionally lucky, you can occasionally hit Lombre off the top of your deck and use its Top Entry Ability to threaten a Ludicolo out of nowhere. In some games, I wish I had a third Rare Candy, as it also lets you turbo an Inteleon into play, but I have never missed it so much that I wanted to make the space for it.

[premium]

Three Melony and One Raihan

With the release of [card name=”Raihan” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card], a lot of [card name=”Melony” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] decks have shifted to the three-Melony-one-Raihan split that I run in this deck, with the theory that Raihan is essentially a fourth Melony anyway in the late game. I personally don’t always agree with this philosophy — you may notice that a later list in this article sticks to four Melony — but I understand it, and I do appreciate it in this version of Suicune V in particular. In this deck, you need a lot of massive combos, so having Raihan as both Energy acceleration and a means of finding one of your many combo pieces (notably the Rare Candy or the Ludicolo!) is excellent, especially considering that it is easily searchable with Shady Dealings anyway.

Two Cape of Toughness

[cardimg name=”Cape of Toughness” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”160″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Cape of Toughness” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] is absurd. I cannot possibly overstate how good it is in the current Standard format. Boosting Suicune V from a relatively solid 210 HP to a massive 260 HP makes a huge difference: It requires a Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX player to have nine Energy in play rather than seven, requires an [card name=”Alcremie VMAX” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] player to discard five Energy instead of four, and makes it outright impossible for a Zacian V to take a one-hit Knock Out at all — and that just barely scratches the surface. Still, though, I don’t think you need more than two. Maybe three if you find the space, but the two copies that you do have are enough to be absolutely game changing in a majority of matchups.

Potential Inclusion: Tool Scrapper

Directly relating to Cape of Toughness, one card that I have wanted time and time again is [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”168″ c=”name”][/card]. I have thought long and hard about what card I would cut for a single Tool Scrapper, largely due to its importance in the mirror and in the Zacian V matchup, but I still have not figured out what to do. To this day, Tool Scrapper remains my 61st card.

Suicune V / Inteleon

Lately, I have been playing in a lot of events with the aforementioned [card name=”Suicune V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Ludicolo” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] variant, and in my time playing, I have come across a few alternate takes on Suicune V decks. One that I was particularly interested in was piloted by a player named Math Liu in an event with 248 people in attendance. In one of my rounds in that same tournament, I played against Math Liu, and they quite frankly destroyed me. Here is their deck list.

Math Liu’s Suicune V / Inteleon Deck

[decklist name=”mathliu” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Suicune V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”31″][pokemon amt=”18″]4x [card name=”Suicune V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”43″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/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=”Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ice Rider Calyrex V” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”45″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]3x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Melony” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Shining Fates” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Battle Styles” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Capacious Bucket” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cape of Toughness” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”160″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Echoing Horn” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”168″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]7x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]2x [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Math Liu’s list is a much more linear version of Suicune V / Ludicolo. It removes the Ludicolo line in favor of more tech Trainers, and also includes a thin [card name=”Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] line to make up for the lost power from cutting Ludicolo. While I’m a big fan of this list, there are a few changes I would make. For one, I don’t think [card name=”Echoing Horn” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] is worth including due to the nicheness of its uses. Without Ludicolo, you’re going for two-hit Knock Outs anyway, so Echoing Horn will seldom matter. There are a few other changes I would also make, so here’s a look at my decklist for straight Suicune V / Inteleon!

My Version of the Deck List

[decklist name=”SuiTeleon” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Suicune V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”31″][pokemon amt=”18″]4x [card name=”Suicune V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”43″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/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=”Sword and Shield” no=”55″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ice Rider Calyrex V” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”45″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]4x [card name=”Melony” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Shining Fates” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Battle Styles” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Capacious Bucket” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cape of Toughness” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”160″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”168″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]7x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]2x [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

Card Inclusions

One Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX and One Ice Rider Calyrex V

As I mentioned, the thin [card name=”Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] line serves the purpose of dealing a massive amount of damage wherever a Suicune V would be unable to. With Max Lance, Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX is able to exceed Suicune V’s damage cap, and with the help of some Quick Shooting, your Max Lance can even hit the 310 to 330 range, grabbing a pseudo one-hit Knock Out on most Pokemon VMAX. Additionally, Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX offers up some interesting plays when it comes to the Prize exchange. You can set up a board of one Pokemon VMAX after a bunch of single-Prize Pokemon and force your opponent to expend the effort to take a pseudo–seventh or even eighth Prize card to win.

One Oranguru

[card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] is one of the cards that I question the most in this deck, but its purpose is certainly a valuable one. Oranguru is the single best one-Prize Basic Bench-sitter in Standard — and that means free damage for Blizzard Rondo. Additionally, Oranguru’s Primate Wisdom offers a nice option to see an extra card every turn, while also saving critical resources so that they aren’t discarded with [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Shining Fates” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] or bottom-decked with [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card].

Air Balloon

As you may have noticed, this deck makes space for an [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] rather than the [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] that the Ludicolo build chooses to play. At first, I wasn’t sure how much I liked this choice, as I’ve won my fair share of games off of the Escape Rope. However, after some thinking as well as some play experience, it became clear that Air Balloon was a better fit for this deck. It offers the ability to turn anything into a pivot. This can be nice if you want to be able to move your Oranguru, but it can also give you a pivot Suicune V, giving you a free use of Fleet-Footed after every Knock Out!

Two Path to the Peak

In a deck with no set-in-stone Stadium option, there is no better option than [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card]. With Path to the Peak, this deck gets access to a counter-Stadium while also locking down some of the most powerful Abilities in Standard, such as Underworld Door ([card name=”Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]) or Intrepid Sword ([card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card]). You make the minimal sacrifice of losing Fleet-Footed, but that’s a small price to pay to lock down so many more powerful Abilities. Furthermore, don’t dismiss the power of the classic Marnie + Path to the Peak combo — it’s as good a roadblock for most opponents as ever.

Conclusion

To reiterate, out of all the cards in Evolving Skies, [card name=”Suicune V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] takes the cake for my favorite. The power of such a simple card allows for unique deck building options, and with the right choices, I think that the deck can at least have a chance in almost every matchup (though [card name=”Jolteon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] might give it some trouble). While I prefer the [card name=”Ludicolo” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] build for Suicune V, I do think that the straight Suicune V / [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] deck discussed above has a lot of potential to be great as well.

And with that, this article comes to a close. Going forward, I expect to see Suicune V maintain its relatively dominant position at the front of the metagame, and I certainly expect to continue playing it myself! As always, feel free to reach out in the Subscriber’s Hideout, on Twitter (@ICheville), or on Facebook (Zaya Lee) if you have any questions about this deck or anything else related to the Pokemon TCG!

Until next time!

– Isaiah

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