Another One? — An Alternate Take on Mewtwo V-UNION

By: Isaiah Cheville · Posted Posted onAug 9, 2022 at 7:00 PM · 4 Comments

Hello PokeBeach readers! Isaiah here, and I am happy to be bringing you all another article! Last time I talked about the return of [card name=”Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] in the Standard format with reference two different variants of the deck, one with [card name=”Mewtwo VSTAR” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] and one with [card name=”Solrock” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card]. Since then, Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX has seen some moderate success in the online tournament space, putting up decent results with many Top 8 finishes. However, the deck is still far from achieving its former glory: being the borderline uncontested best deck in the format. Speaking of the online tournament space, that is where we are seeing the Pokemon GO expansion fully develop leading into the World Championship later this month. As of right now, the meta is pretty significantly different from how it was at the North America International Championship, so how about we take a look at the complete Standard format metagame?

A Brief Meta Snapshot

In the months since the North America International Championship, the meta has shifted a fair amount, partly due to the community’s reaction to the results of that event, but also due to the release of the Pokemon GO expansion in early July. In order to discuss the meta in full, though, we must first start with a map of the meta, which I will put in the form of a tier list.

When I make a tier list for Pokemon, I generally break it down into several tiers, but for the sake of this article, I will be focusing on my uppermost tiers, Tier One and Tier Two. I prefer to omit an “S Tier” or “Tier Zero” because I think that term should be reserved for only the most dominant of decks, such as [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] in the 2018 Expanded formats. To me, Tier One represents the top decks of the format — the decks to beat, so to speak. Decks in Tier One are typically the decks at the front of everyone’s mind when they are preparing for a Pokemon TCG tournament. On the other hand, Tier Two decks are the decks that are a little less popular, but are able to prove that they are powerful through consistently strong results, even if they are unable to put up several Top 8 finishes at a single event like a Tier One deck typically does.

Tier One

  • [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] / Inteleon
  • [card name=”Mewtwo V-UNION” set=”Sword and Shield Black Star Promos” no=”SWSH161 ” c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Miltank” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] *

Tier Two

  • Arceus VSTAR / [card name=”Flying Pikachu VMAX” set=”Celebrations” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Bibarel” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] / Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR
  • [card name=”Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Arceus VSTAR / Mewtwo V-UNION

A lot of this tier list should come as unsurprising to most players, but some of the other placements may seem a bit questionable. I am going to address each of these decks at least briefly, so be prepared!

[cardimg name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

First, [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] is far and away the best deck in Standard right now. The deck can easily handle almost anything the format throws at it, not even consistently taking losses against decks that should be favored. Between its nearly unmatched aggression, explosive game plan, and one of the strongest late games in the format, it should be easy to see why Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR is the number-one deck in the game right now.

Next on our agenda is [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] / Inteleon, which has one of the most straightforward game plans in the format right now. It pretty much entirely relies on looping [card name=”Cheren’s Care” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] in order to slowly beat down the opponent with Trinity Nova each turn, and unlike many decks in the format that like to win the game quickly, Arceus VSTAR / Inteleon prefers to see the game last longer in order to maximize the value it gets from Cheren’s Care. I am not a huge fan of this deck myself, as I have found it a bit frail against Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR, as well as fairly boring to play, but I do think the deck is strong if it can execute its game plan properly. Additionally, the deck is flexible, and can fit in [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] and more [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] to shift to a more aggressive game plan rather than focusing on attrition.

You may have noticed the asterisk next to [card name=”Mewtwo V-UNION” set=”Sword and Shield Black Star Promos” no=”SWSH160 ” c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Miltank” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card]. I put it there because, while Mewtwo V-UNION has the matchup spread of a Tier One deck, it is not nearly as popular as the actual Tier One decks. Many players avoid playing it due to a fear of tying, as the deck is prone to taking 25 minutes or more to win a game. With that said, the deck is extremely strong, with solid game plans against almost every other deck in the game.

Moving into Tier Two, we see Azul Garcia Griego’s North America International Championship–winning Arceus VSTAR / [card name=”Flying Pikachu VMAX” set=”Celebrations” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Bibarel” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] deck. This deck has fallen a bit out of favor since Azul’s big win, but the deck is still strong for all the same reasons. As always, the combination of [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] proves to be a powerful means of slowing the opponent down, while your deck, which has very basic needs when it comes to setting up, is able to continue doing what it needs to do while feeling minimal effects from its own Marnie.

[card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] is an oddity in the Standard format. The deck did not really lose anything per se, but as more Pokemon VSTAR enter the format, the format has started to catch up to Mew VMAX’s power level, turning the deck into a fairer choice than it was in the Fusion Strike format. Still, the deck is in a decent spot, with the potential to beat the opponent down with consistent aggression and the potential to win games against some of the highest-HP Pokemon in the format, such as Mewtwo V-UNION and [card name=”Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], through one-hit Knock Outs. Just hit an out to a Stadium card after a [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card]–plus–Path to the Peak combo and you should be in great shape!

Speaking of Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX, pairing it with Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR has started to become more popular lately, largely thanks to the lower HP of the average Pokemon VSTAR. An Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX with a [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] can make quick work of multiple attackers, where other decks struggle to chain together so many Knock Outs. Unfortunately, this deck can sometimes struggle with consistency, but it is one of the most powerful decks in the format if it can get itself off the ground.

Next, we see one of the more strange choices to include on my tier list: [card name=”Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]. Many players would claim that this deck is much worse than Tier Two, and in some ways they may be right. However, I think this largely stems from the deck’s inconsistency rather than any true failing of the concept, much like the old [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] deck. Star Chronos remains one of the strongest attacks in the game, and taking advantage of it is quite easy in the current metagame, filled to the brim with Pokemon V that it can easily Knock Out. In my opinion, Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR is also an incredibly strong play for the World Championship because the deck’s games go extremely fast, making ties an extremely rare occurrence — perfect for Day One in particular.

Finally, the last deck on my tier list may come as a bit of a shock. I mean, Arceus VSTAR with a partner is very typical right now in Standard, but partnering it with Mewtwo V-UNION, a card best known for its stall abilities? How does that work? Well, allow me to explain this in depth with the remainder of this article.

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Arceus VSTAR / Mewtwo V-UNION

In the online tournament space, [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Mewtwo V-UNION” set=”Sword and Shield Black Star Promos” no=”SWSH160 ” c=”name”][/card] has really taken off as a way to take advantage of healing cards in the current format, which is largely made up of two-hit Knock Outs. The deck’s goal is extremely simple, playing much like Arceus VSTAR / [card name=”Duraludon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] in a lot of ways. First, you need to get an [card name=”Arceus V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] in play, which, unlike most Arceus VSTAR decks, you have a 100-percent chance of starting with, since Mewtwo V-UNION is not treated as a Basic Pokemon. From this point, you need to power up Arceus VSTAR (how original!) and then use Trinity Nova.

This is where things can get confusing, as you have three options with Trinity Nova. First, you could throw extra Energy onto the attacking Arceus VSTAR. Doing this allows you to play some [card name=”Hyper Potion” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”166″ c=”name”][/card] on it in order to guarantee multiple attacks. The second option would be to power up a second Arceus VSTAR, which is strong since the deck’s ideal games force the opponent to take two Knock Outs on Pokemon VSTAR before being forced to get through Mewtwo V-UNION, effectively making them work for seven Prize cards.

However, sometimes the perfect game plan is to just power up Mewtwo V-UNION out the gate. It can be difficult to achieve a turn-two Mewtwo V-UNION, so this game plan is generally reserved for matchups where you know that your opponent cannot feasibly deal enough damage to handle it, such as against [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]. Once Mewtwo V-UNION has achieved a pseudo-checkmate on the opponent by establishing a board where they cannot deal damage to it, it is time to move to spamming Super Regeneration. Much like the stall variant of Mewtwo V-UNION, Super Regeneration continues to be a critical part of the game plan, but instead of running the opponent out of cards, the goal is to assemble pieces for powerful swing turns while the opponent is unable to break the wall. Through this plan, the deck is able to end the game in just a few major turns, even if there could be several turns of Super Regeneration in between. Now that we have explored how the deck works, how about we get into the deck list.

Deck List

[decklist name=”arc mewtwo” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″][pokemon amt=”11″]3x [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Arceus V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo V-UNION” set=”Sword and Shield Black Star Promos” no=”SWSH159 ” c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo V-UNION” set=”Sword and Shield Black Star Promos” no=”SWSH160 ” c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo V-UNION” set=”Sword and Shield Black Star Promos” no=”SWSH161 ” c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo V-UNION” set=”Sword and Shield Black Star Promos” no=”SWSH162 ” c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Shining Fates” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Adventurer’s Discovery” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”224″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cheren’s Care” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Peonia” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”237″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trekking Boots” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”215″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Hyper Potion” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”166″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Suspicious Food Tin” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tool Jammer” set=”Battle Styles” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”168″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”13″]4x [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]9x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Card Inclusions

Arceus VSTAR Line

Despite the guarantee of starting with [card name=”Arceus V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], we still play four copies (and a plethora of Pokemon search like [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card], but I will explain those later), as it is critical to find a second Arceus V in the early turns to avoid the opponent Knocking Out our only Pokemon in play. In addition, if we are fortunate enough to open with a [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card] while going second, we always want to be able to maximize the value off of Trinity Charge if possible.

As for the [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] count, it is extremely standard for an Arceus VSTAR deck, sitting at a comfortable three. Three is enough that you typically do not have to worry about finding it, but not so many that they will not clog up the hand. As always, Starbirth is one of the most incredible Abilities ever printed on a Pokemon card, and in this deck it is extra important to find the pieces to assemble Mewtwo V-UNION.

Mewtwo V-UNION

There is not much to say about Mewtwo V-UNION itself. At this point, most players are familiar with its attacks, but there are two points in particular that I want to address.

First, unlike in Mewtwo V-UNION Stall, Final Burn is the main game-closing attack here, rather than Psysplosion. This is because you are trying to use damaging attacks as infrequently as possible due to having limited burst turns and needing to make the most of them. Final Burn is able to take the most advantage of burst turns since it almost always takes a one-hit Knock Out, meaning that most games will need at most three of these turns to end the game.

The second point is about why we use Mewtwo V-UNION over any other V-UNION, which is pretty straightforward, as no other Pokemon V-UNION has Super Regeneration. Even though Zacian V-UNION has Dance of the Crowned Sword, that damage reduction does not matter if your opponent switches out of the Active Spot, meaning that your Zacian V-UNION could easily take full damage multiple turns in a row.

Two Adventurer’s Discovery, Four Ultra Ball, and Four Quick Ball

In a deck with only eleven Pokemon, I am sure this level of Pokemon search may seem weird. It comes down to the fact that their purpose is not just finding Pokemon. In this deck, or really in any deck that would include a Pokemon V-UNION, having a lot of cards to get your pieces in the discard is critically important. That’s why this deck plays so many [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card]. In addition, [card name=”Adventurer’s Discovery” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”224″ c=”name”][/card] finds a home as a great card to fill the hand with multiple pieces before discarding them.

One Boss’s Orders

Just one [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] is a bit of a weird choice in the Standard format, outside of decks that take advantage of [card name=”Cross Switcher” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”230″ c=”name”][/card], but in this deck just one copy is perfect. Most of the time, this deck is perfectly content taking a Knock Out on whatever is in the Active Spot at any given time, meaning that Boss’s Orders is pretty much unnecessary. However, much like [card name=”Malamar” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] decks when they did not play Boss’s Orders, this deck can struggle if the opponent feeds it multiple single-Prize Pokemon in a row, so having a Boss’s Orders to speed up the game if needed is critical. In my opinion, this card is still more a want than a need, but at the same time I do not know if I would ever give it up.

One Peonia

As with any V-UNION deck, Prize cards can be scary. That’s why [card name=”Peonia” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] is an essential piece of the puzzle. In this deck, however, we only play one Peonia because, in the event we fail to hit what we need off of Peonia, taking a couple Prize cards with a mono-Arceus VSTAR game plan should fish it right out.

Three Hyper Potion and One Suspicious Food Tin

[cardimg name=”Suspicious Food Tin” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”66″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This card count may be one of the weirder choices in this list, but rest assured, it is sensible. [card name=”Hyper Potion” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”166″ c=”name”][/card] is an absolutely essential piece of this deck, providing the main healing for the burst turns that I have mentioned. On these turns, you will usually expend surplus Energy on Mewtwo V-UNION (which will be attached in the turns leading up to the burst turn) to heal a Mewtwo V-UNION with Hyper Potion rather than with Super Regeneration. Doing this gives your Mewtwo V-UNION a window to attack, survive a hit, and return to using Super Regeneration as normal, going dormant until the next burst turn. As such, multiple Hyper Potion are needed in order to make sure that this can happen safely, and especially that it can happen more than once.

You may still be wondering about the [card name=”Suspicious Food Tin” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]. That card is just as simple, but unlike Hyper Potion, it only requires you to discard one Energy instead of two, opening up some clever plays where you can be more efficient with your Energy. I do not know if the Suspicious Food Tin is actually necessary in the list, but as of right now I feel that it is worth the inclusion.

Tool Scrapper and Tool Jammer

Having a split of these may seem odd, but the reason is pretty simple, as they serve different purposes. Much like the stall variant of Mewtwo V-UNION, [card name=”Tool Jammer” set=”Battle Styles” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] is for added survivability, negating the opponent’s [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] and reducing the overall damage that you take. On the other hand, [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”168″ c=”name”][/card] is critical in the Mewtwo V-UNION Stall matchup. where it can remove the Tool Jammer off an opposing Mewtwo V-UNION, allowing you to use Final Burn for 330 and end the game pretty much instantly.

Conclusion

[card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] / Mewtwo V-UNION is an incredibly strong deck in the Standard format, even if it does not reside in Tier One. Between impressive consistency, a massively bulky body, and a plethora of healing options, the deck is excellently equipped to handle anything that the format may throw at it (except maybe a [card name=”Darkrai VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] deck…).

With that, this article draws to a close. I hope you enjoyed reading about this unique deck and found the format analysis insightful. As always, if you have any questions please reach out in the Subscriber’s Hideout, on Twitter (@ICheville), or on Facebook (Zaya Lee).

Until next time!

– Isaiah

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