GLC Part 2 – Animal Control and Amazing Surge
Hello everyone! It’s time for another Gym Leader Challenge article!
The GLC Format
[cardimg name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This interesting format is no less fun and exciting than when I first wrote about it, so if you’re unfamiliar with what I’m talking about, check out my previous article about the format!
There are still tournaments being run with this format and some interest in it among the community online, so I thought I’d write another article on it.
While my last one was more of an introduction to the new format, today I’m going to be covering two decks specifically.
The two decks that I believe are the strongest in the format and honestly quite broken: Colorless Control and Amazing Rare [card name=”Kyogre” set=”Shining Fates” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card].
Let’s get into it!
Colorless Control
[decklist name=”colorless control” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″][pokemon amt=”10″]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Munchlax” set=”Unified Minds” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Snorlax” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”131″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ditto” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”108″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Minccino” set=”Next Destinies” no=”84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pidgey” set=”Flashfire” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Delcatty” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Skitty” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”47″]1x [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Peonia” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sightseer” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ingo and Emmet” set=”Team Up” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hapu” set=”Unified Minds” no=”200″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Milo” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ball Guy” set=”Shining Fates” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mars” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Winona” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lt. Surge’s Strategy” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Scarf” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Trick Shovel” set=”Flashfire” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Chip-Chip Ice Axe” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Galar Mine” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”160″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sky Pillar” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tropical Beach” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW28″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”3″]1x [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Recycle Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”212″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”XY” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Playing the Deck
Control as an archetype benefits greatly from the singleton rule, though the monotype rule restricts it to Colorless. No other type has the options and tools that Colorless does, though the thought has crossed my mind to try Lightning or Psychic-type control variants. Anyway, this deck is broken. It functions almost exactly like the [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] Control deck that has had success in past Standard formats. If you’re unfamiliar with this strategy, it may look confusing and complicated at first, as you’re basically playing a completely different game. Like most GLC decks I’ve played with, I built this one with some help from my friend Chip.
[cardimg name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
The goal of the deck is to lock your opponent out of the game — this is accomplished by turbo drawing through the deck so that you have no cards left, and then using [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]’s Resource Management to ensure you draw into exactly what you want on the following turn. Your aim is to take away your opponent’s hand, and this deck also has the capability to chain [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] if needed. Most decks have a support Pokemon for draw, such as [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Musharna” set=”Next Destinies” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card], etc., so Hex Maniac is needed to hand lock those decks.
Once, you’ve drawn through most of your deck, you need to start piecing together the hand lock combo between your own hand and deck. The combo cards consist of [card name=”Lt. Surge’s Strategy” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card], Hex Maniac, [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Chip-Chip Ice Axe” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card], and sometimes [card name=”Galar Mine” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card]. Once you hit your opponent with all of these at once, they are completely locked and can never come back into the game. Depending on the situation, you may not need all of these cards at once, however. This may seem like a lot to ask for, but this deck can and will consistently find the lock to enforce against the opponent, and there’s plenty of time to dig through the deck and find this combo, as the format is slow and you also have plenty of stalling cards.
Once your opponent is locked, you use Oranguru’s Resource Management to recover [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] and Chip-Chip Ice Axe every single turn. Scoop Up Net lets you use [card name=”Delcatty” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]’s Ability every turn, usually recovering some combination of Hex Maniac, Lt. Surge’s Strategy, [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card]. This way, you can use Hex Maniac every turn, and some turns you’ll be afforded the opportunity to use a second Supporter as well, which will usually be Bellelba and Brycen-Man. The third card you recover off Resource Management will usually be [card name=”Trick Shovel” set=”Flashfire” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card].
At this point, you’ll be using Trick Shovel every turn. If the opponent’s top card is a card that helps them escape the lock, such as a draw Supporter, you’ll discard it. If the opponent’s top card is useless, like a Pokemon, leave it. Only if you discard the top card will you have to use Chip-Chip Ice Axe. With the Chip-Chip Ice Axe, look at their top three cards and select the most useless one for them to have.
If the opponent’s top four cards are all useful, they may be able to temporarily escape the lock, however, this is an incredibly rare occurrence. If you wish to avoid this possibility, include [card name=”Hiker” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] in your list — given how rare the occurrence is and how fast you can mill the opponent, I’ve found Hiker to be unnecessary, however, if you’re risk-averse, you do have the option to include it. Even if they can temporarily escape the lock, they do not automatically win because you typically can lock them while they’re at two or three Prize cards left. Furthermore, thanks to the Chip-Chip Ice Axe, you’ll have advance notice of what they’ll draw, and you can plan your Resource Management accordingly.
Because of the mill effects of Trick Shovel and Bellelba and Brycen-Man, you win the game when the opponent reaches seven cards in their deck, as you’re able to discard all of them at once. To put it simply, this deck’s win condition is getting the opponent down to seven cards in deck. Lt. Surge’s Strategy allows two uses of Bellelba and Brycen-Man, but you won’t do that until the very end of the game.
[premium]
Card Inclusions
Now that we’ve gone over the deck’s strategy, I would like to discuss some of the cards whose purpose might not be obvious.
Munchlax and Ditto
[cardimg name=”Ditto” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”108″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
[card name=”Munchlax” set=”Unified Minds” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ditto” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] are similarly useful in three ways.
- They are good to start with, and therefore decrease the odds of starting with something undesirable.
- They act as a pivot. For example, in and out of [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]/[card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card].
- They nobly offer themselves as a sacrifice if needed, as you’d rather them be KO’d than [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] if it comes down to that.
Munchlax, of course, has Snack Search. This is a supremely useful Ability throughout the early and mid-game, but completely useless later on.
Ditto has Transform, which makes it act as a placeholder for any of the evolving Basic Pokemon. This is especially useful along with Delcatty, as you don’t necessarily need [card name=”Skitty” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] in play to have the option of using Delcatty out of nowhere. Ditto can also help if [card name=”Pidgey” set=”Flashfire” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Minccino” set=”Next Destinies” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] are prized, as you can retrieve them from the Prizes and then evolve them in the same turn.
Draw Supporters
The draw Supporters for this deck are carefully chosen to dig through the deck as fast as possible — this is why cards that you’d typically think of as good draw Supporters, like [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], are cast aside in favor of ones like [card name=”Milo” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Sightseer” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card]. After all, the goal is to shrink the deck size as efficiently as possible. Throwing away resources with these aggressive draw Supporters is completely fine, as this deck can easily recover any cards it wants. Sightseer and [card name=”Ingo and Emmet” set=”Team Up” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] are like mini-Sycamore, and I’ve enjoyed using them.
Prize Control
Since this deck relies on several singleton cards to enact its strategy, [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Peonia” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] are absolutely essential. With these cards, you have perfect control over your Prize cards. As long as Gladion and Peonia both aren’t prized, you can usually deal with any sort of prizing situation. Gladion isn’t actually that useful, but it’s needed in case Peonia is prized. You usually aim to use Peonia twice throughout the game, so that you can perfectly rig your Prize cards. [card name=”Town Map” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] is a consideration for the deck because it makes it so that you only have to use Peonia once, but it is actually gimmicky and provides only marginal value, so it is certainly not worth a deck slot.
Tag Team Engine
[card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] helps with early-game consistency because [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”name”][/card] can find both [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Tropical Beach” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW28″ c=”name”][/card], and Tag Call also thins out the other Tag Team Supporters that you can use later. [card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t so powerful as a draw Supporter, but it has great synergy with [card name=”Lt. Surge’s Strategy” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], and being able to recover any Supporter can be useful in a variety of situations. The Tag Team package simply helps with overall consistency and deck thinning.
Faba
[card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] is a multipurpose tool that is useful because there are several random situations where removing a Tool or Special Energy can be helpful. Examples would be against [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], random [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], opposing stall or control decks, or problematic attackers that rely on Special Energy like amazing rare [card name=”Raikou” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card], amazing rare [card name=”Kyogre” set=”Shining Fates” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Guzzlord” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card].
Pokemon Ranger
[card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] allows you to win against Item lock cards like [card name=”Luxio” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Cryogonal” set=”Unified Minds” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], which can otherwise be quite problematic. Lightning and Water are popular archetypes, so you will run into Item lock every once in a while. That said, Luxio is much more common than Cryogonal in their respective archetypes.
Mars
[cardimg name=”Mars” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”128″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
[card name=”Mars” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] packs a disruption card and draw Supporter into one!
If you’re going to lock your opponent when they’re at one Prize card, doing so with Mars instead of [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] is much more efficient.
Furthermore, Mars is better if you ever need to reset the lock for some reason.
Mars also gives you the opportunity to hand lock when they’re at four Prizes by using it and Delinquent along with Lt. Surge’s Strategy, but that almost never happens.
Overall, I think it’s clear that Mars is the better option.
Team Flare Grunt
[card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] gives this deck an additional win condition — running the opponent out of Energy. Team Flare Grunt also helps you deal with opponents who try to be cheeky by not playing any Pokemon down on their Bench. It offers a solution in case there’s no Pokemon to drag and stall into the Active position.
Dolls
[card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] simply buy you more time to set up and dig through your deck. Their purpose is simple and effective.
Rescue Scarf
[card name=”Rescue Scarf” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] almost always gets attached to [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card], so that you can easily chain Oranguru. This deck also plays [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], but that card is usually used to piece together or recover Stage 1 lines. Rescue Scarf also provides this deck with a Tool that can be found with Guzma and Hala.
Target Whistle and Captivating Poke Puff
[card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] are two helpful Items that help ensure that the opponent always has some target that can be stranded with [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Galar Mine” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card].
Captivating Poke Puff has the added benefit of scouting their hand — if their hand is dead at any point in the game, you can start locking them right then and there. Of course, you could play [card name=”Echoing Horn” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] instead of Target Whistle, I don’t think there’s any functional difference between the two for this deck.
Escape Rope
[card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] is a neat option for both mobility and disruption. The reason why it’s included in the deck is to counter [card name=”Galarian Weezing” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], which is a prominent threat in the meta. Galarian Weezing doesn’t do much damage, so you usually have time to get to the Escape Rope, and it can be reused infinitely thanks to Oranguru. By forcing Galarian Weezing to the Bench, you can reactivate Abilities, as Ability-lock is no fun for this deck to deal with. The same applies against [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card]; but you’re much more likely to encounter Weezing.
Sky Pillar
There are a variety of spread and snipe attacks in the meta, and [card name=”Sky Pillar” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] (along with [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card]) does a great job of countering them. Without Sky Pillar, this deck would have a lot more weaknesses: amazing rare Kyogre, amazing rare [card name=”Raikou” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Dragapult” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Beheeyem” set=”Noble Victories” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] to name a few.
Fire Energy
This deck plays one copy of basic Energy to not lose against [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card], especially against opposing Colorless decks. Fire seems to be the only useful type for this, but you could play any type you want. Against Fire (or some Colorless) decks, you can make use of opposing [card name=”Heat Factory Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card], which I have done before.
Threats
This deck more or less operates the same way against every opposing deck, and it has a frightening win percentage. Potential threats include spread damage, Ability lock, and Item lock, but I’ve built the list to have answers to all of those. The biggest issue with this deck is its complicated nature, and the number of actions and decisions it forces the user to make, especially in a timed environment. One tiny error, be it in gameplay or sequencing, can cause you to automatically lose. This deck is absolutely not one that can be played without practice, but the reward and payoff for learning it are huge.
[cardimg name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
There’s one other issue with this deck, and that’s [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. Contrary to what you might think, the opponent having the ability to recover resources isn’t a big deal, the problem is that Lysandre’s Trump Card is that it forces your entire discard pile back into your deck, so you must restart the process of thinning out the deck. This is extremely annoying. Random Lysandre’sTrump Card-plays in the mid-game can completely screw everything up, and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it, and there’s no real counter to this. The silver lining here is that Lysandre’s Trump Card is a card with only middling popularity in the meta. This is because Lysandre’s Trump Card isn’t actually good. It’s quite a bad card in a vacuum, however, some people do play it just to mess with control.
That’s not to say that Lysandre’s Trump Card is an automatic loss. It comes down to several gameplay progression factors, but it is certainly the main way that Control has the potential to ever lose. It’s only fair. Without Lysandre’s Trump Card’s existence, the Control deck would be nearly unbeatable. [card name=”Stoutland” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] may come to mind as a potential solution here, but it doesn’t really work — it’s difficult enough to set up a 1-1-1 Stage 2 line, and Stoutland will be KO’d rather quickly. Simply put, Stoutland won’t be in the Active for the vast majority of the game, so it’s not an effective counter.
Amazing Kyogre
[decklist name=”kyogre” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Kyogre” set=”Shining Fates” no=”21″][pokemon amt=”10″]1x [card name=”Kyogre” set=”Shining Fates” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Remoraid” set=”Battle Styles” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Milotic” set=”Flashfire” no=”23″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Feebas” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”28″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Drizzile” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sobble” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Articuno” set=”Team Up” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”41″]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ball Guy” set=”Shining Fates” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Peonia” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Raihan” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lt. Surge’s Strategy” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tate and Liza” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Shining Fates” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Battle Styles” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Timer Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor’s Letter” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Energy Spinner” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”170″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Revive” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cape of Toughness” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”160″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]2x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Blend Energy WLFM” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Splash Energy” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Aurora Energy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
[cardimg name=”Kyogre” set=”Shining Fates” no=”21″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Amazing rare [card name=”Kyogre” set=”Shining Fates” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] is my favorite attacking deck in the format, and it’s also one of the most brutal and unfair.
This deck is built completely around one Pokemon, and that’s Kyogre itself as you’ll win almost every game with only two Amazing Surge attacks.
Kyogre is a bit picky with regards to Energy cost, so [card name=”Milotic” set=”Flashfire” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] is the preferred and only viable partner for it.
I’ve been working on this list quite a bit, but I’m not sure if it’s completely optimized yet, and there are probably some refinements yet to be made. Specifically, [card name=”Raihan” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] is a new and experimental inclusion. Raihan is a strong card in the format in general, and it seems to make sense in a deck with access to Shady Dealings for searching capability.
Card Inclusions
Amazing Rare Kyogre
Kyogre is a busted attacker that takes advantage of the Water support-Pokemon such as [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card]. Alolan Vulpix is an extremely strong setup Pokemon, so much so that the deck feels crippled when it’s prized. Shady Dealings is broken in this format, especially in a combo-oriented deck like Kyogre. Inteleon is also an important backup attacker, being able to deal 120 damage with a 20 damage snipe. This is perfect for cleaning up anything left in the wake of Kyogre’s devastating tsunami.
Articuno
[card name=”Articuno” set=”Team Up” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] is a useful defensive tool that can help prevent your setup from being disrupted. Its attack is nice on occasion as well, dealing some chip damage and reallocating the Energy back to Kyogre before Articuno goes down.
Peonia and Gladion
Similar to Control, this deck has excessive reliance on specific one-of cards, so it requires both [card name=”Peonia” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] as insurance against bad Prize cards. Most of the Pokemon are essential to have access to.
Recovery Cards
Additionally, due to the singleton rule, this deck is forced to play several recovery cards. As well as [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], you’ll notice that the list also has [card name=”Splash Energy” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Revive” set=”Black and White” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]. This is because most games require multiple uses of both Milotic and Kyogre.
Comeback Cards
Because Milotic knocks itself out, and because this deck doesn’t start taking Prizes until later on, the deck can make use of all sorts of powerful comeback cards. Specifically, [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lt. Surge’s Strategy” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] greatly increase the power of the deck as a whole. I’m also considering adding [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card] to repeatedly use powerful Supporter cards, though I think it may be difficult to pull off.
Silent Lab and Hex Maniac
[card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] shut off Bench-protection effects such as [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Machoke” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card], and various other Pokemon that protect themselves while on the Bench. Of course, Silent Lab is useless against evolved Pokemon, so it seems worse than Hex Maniac, but it’s much easier to use.
Other Cards
[card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] removes defensive Tools that may otherwise allow Pokemon to survive two Amazing Surges, [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] allows extra uses of Shady Dealings, and [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] is here for the same reason it’s in Control – as a [card name=”Galarian Weezing” set=”Shining Fates” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card] counter.
This deck’s general win condition is to successfully use Amazing Surge twice. Of course, various situations will force you to adapt and make improvisations on the go. Oftentimes, Inteleon is a powerful and easy-to-use backup attacker that can clean up games.
In Summary
[cardimg name=”Tropical Beach” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW28″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I hope you enjoyed reading about this relatively new and interesting format! If you haven’t gotten a chance yet, I definitely encourage you to give the format a shot.
If Control is your thing, or even if it isn’t, give my list a try! It has a bit of a learning curve, but it’s ridiculously strong in the format! However, [card name=”Tropical Beach” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW28″ c=”name”][/card] is quite important for the deck to function…
Amazing rare Kyogre is also a fun and powerful deck in the format. It’s considerably more typical in terms of deck composition and play style, and it doesn’t require Tropical Beach (though that is a consideration for the list)!
Thanks for reading!
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