A Bolt from the Blue — Regieleki VMAX / Vikavolt V

Hello to all PokeBeach readers! Here’s Gabriel again with another Pokémon TCG article, and this time, I’m going to talk about one of the big new cards from the Silver Tempest set, [card name=”Regieleki VMAX” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card], combined with the old well-known [card name=”Vikavolt V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] with Item lock.

With the Latin American International Championship (LAIC) fast approaching, it’s time to try to figure out the best strategies that Silver Tempest has to offer, and one of the most promising decks, besides [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card], is Regieleki VMAX / Vikavolt V. The idea of ​​this deck is quite simple: try for the last time in Standard format to make Vikavolt V into an impactful Pokémon in the competitive metagame.

[cardimg name=”Vikavolt V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”60″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

To this day, [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] is remembered by older players as one of the greatest competitive forces ever seen due to its Quaking Punch attack, which was able to put the opponent under Item lock; that is, prevent them from ever playing Item cards. Since then, whenever a Pokémon with an Item lock effect is released, players around the world try to bring back the absurd impact that Seismitoad-EX once made. Still, they never see success.

As strong as it is to leave the opponent without their Items, however, there are several other factors that contribute to this deck’s Item lock being really effective, as the Item lock without any other major threat, such as dealing relevant damage or removing the opponent’s Energy, is just a way to buy a little time. Until recently, that was the big problem with Vikavolt V, as the Paralyzing Bolt attack only does 50 damage, an insignificant amount when you consider that most relevant Pokémon have 280 HP or 320 HP.

Vikavolt V caught my attention when it was released, but the low damage of the attack made any strategy involving this Pokémon very difficult to conceive. Recently, some world-class players like Tord Reklev decided to use Vikavolt V with [card name=”Ludicolo” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] in the 2022 World Championship in order to triple Vikavolt V’s original damage, but these players ended up unsuccessful in the tournament. I believe the main factor in this is consistency, as Ludicolo is a Stage 2 Pokémon. Now, with Regieleki VMAX, you can add damage using a Stage 1 Pokémon, which takes a lot less work and saves deck space over a Stage 2 option like Ludicolo.

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[decklist name=”zap zap” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Vikavolt V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”60″][pokemon amt=”15″]3x [card name=”Vikavolt V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Regieleki VMAX” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Regieleki V” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Raikou V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”48″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Shining Fates” no=”44″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]4x [card name=”Melony” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Trekking Shoes” set=”Astral Radiance” 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=”Ultra Ball” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”150″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Energy Search” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cape of Toughness” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”160″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Stormy Mountains” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]5x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”5″][/card]2x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Speed L Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Three Vikavolt V

For the whole strategy to be effective, the Item lock has to happen as soon as possible. A late turn means the opponent will have an extra turn to use Items, which can often be enough for them to Knock Out your Vikavolt V. For example, if you’re playing against Lost Box / [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] and the opponent manages to play at least seven cards in the Lost Zone on their one turn of Items, Giratina VSTAR will be able to Knock Out one Vikavolt V per turn, and no amount of Item lock will be able to make up for it.

Once you’ve managed to attack on the first turn and lock down your opponent’s Items, you’ll have time to prepare another Vikavolt V on the Bench. Inevitably, however, the opponent will be able to stabilize their situation even under Item lock, and that’s when you’ll need to put it aside to focus on high damage with the Super Zap Cannon attack. This attack with three Regieleki VMAX can reach 280 damage, enough to Knock Out a Pokémon VSTAR.

Four Regieleki V, Four Regieleki VMAX

Usually Pokémon VMAX are attackers, not Benched support Pokémon offering power or consistency to other Pokémon. Regieleki VMAX breaks that pattern, and with that comes some positives and some negatives. The good part is that if you have some Regieleki VMAX on the Bench and the opponent can’t Knock them Out with an attack, then you can count on having the extra power until the end of the game, because it doesn’t pay for the opponent to keep using [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] to attack your Regieleki VMAX if it’s not for a Knock Out. The bad part is that if the opponent has a Fighting-type Pokémon capable of a one-hit Knock Out, such as [card name=”Galarian Zapdos V” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card], then what would be one of the greatest qualities of Regieleki VMAX becomes its biggest weakness: you can lose the game with just two attacks from a Galarian Zapdos V against your Regieleki VMAX.

During my tests, I rarely saw the need to attack with Regieleki V and VMAX, but that doesn’t mean their attacks are bad. Regieleki V has an interesting attack, very similar to the [card name=”Hisuian Goodra VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] attack, which does 100 damage and decreases the Defending Pokémon’s damage output by 100 on your opponent’s next turn. This attack has potential if explored further, but not for this particular list. If I’m going to focus on this attack, I have a better idea, which is to use the Tool [card name=”Memory Capsule” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] and attack with Regieleki VMAX: that way, you have a 310-HP Pokémon reducing 100 damage, and your opponent must deal 410 damage to Knock it Out.

Regieleki VMAX’s attack is also useful because it does 220 damage and can knock out Pokémon V, and with the advantage of its 310 HP, it can generally withstand at least one attack from the opponent.

One Raikou V

[cardimg name=”Raikou V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”48″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

It’s not just Item lock that this deck needs to do well, because Item lock alone won’t solve all the problems you encounter. Sometimes, you’ll need to focus on damage, and Raikou V is the ideal Pokémon for this, as it only needs two Energy. Vikavolt V also has a strong attack in Super Zap Cannon, but it’s not as good. This attack costs three Energy, so you need at least two turns to set it up. Raikou V is a faster option, which also manages to do 280 or more damage with the help of Regieleki VMAX.

Raikou V will normally be your final attacker in the match, after a few turns of Item lock and after you’ve set up at least a couple of Regieleki VMAX.

One Radiant Greninja

Unlike other decks, like [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], which has [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] as an integral piece of its strategy, or Lost Box, which uses [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] as a fundamental attacker, in this deck there is no intrinsically necessary Radiant Pokémon. Because of that, there are some interesting options that can offer you a little help.

[card name=”Radiant Gardevoir” set=”Lost Origin” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] can help Vikavolt V stay alive for an extra turn, especially with Cape of Toughness. [card name=”Radiant Alakazam” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card], capable of moving 20 damage from an opponent’s Pokémon to another opponent’s Pokémon, can also bring you some creative lines of play, since Vikavolt V’s Item lock does moderate damage ripe for splitting.

But despite these two interesting options, only Radiant Greninja can help in the main mission of this deck, which is to attack with Vikavolt V on the first turn. It’s no use having legal options to help the game progress if the most impactful move isn’t made. It’s possible to win games without Gardevoir or Alakazam, but it’s going to be hard to win if Item lock doesn’t come the first chance you get.

One Crobat V, One Lumineon V

In most cases, you’ll only need these two Pokémon on the first turn to try and set up Vikavolt V’s Paralyzing Bolt attack, because once Item lock is applied, everything is quieter. Even if you have a bad hand, your opponent probably won’t be in good shape either.

If the missing piece is [card name=”Melony” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card], then use [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], but if any other card is missing, then [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] is your best hope.

Four Melony

The strategy is quite dependent on Melony, especially on the first turn, so to increase the chances of success it is necessary to play four copies. You will also need to continue using Melony to prepare your other Vikavolt V in order to keep the Item lock going as long as possible, until the moment you manage to turn the tide of the game decisively in your favor.

Another Supporter option similar to Melony is [card name=”Gardenia’s Vigor” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card], which allows you to attach up to two Grass Energy cards from your hand. In theory this is very good, as it will allow you to attack with Regieleki V and Regieleki VMAX on the turn you play them, which Melony can’t do. However, Melony is much easier to use, as having an Energy card in the discard pile is easier than having Energy cards in hand.

Three Marnie

If everything goes well and the Item lock is successfully applied, you’ll have a little more calm and can work on other things, such as developing your setup or hindering the opponent’s. [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] does both. If the opponent only has one turn to use Items, they will do everything they can to try to gather useful cards in their hand to help with the following turns. Sending them to the bottom of the deck with Marnie is why this card is so good in Item Lock.

Three Boss’s Orders

Serena, a new Supporter in Silver Tempest, gives you the option of drawing cards or bringing an opponent’s Pokémon V into the Active Spot. In my opinion, Serena will be one of the game’s main Supporters, up there with Marnie, [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card], and Boss’s Orders. However, for this specific list, I haven’t felt the need for Serena, and there is a reason for that.

As I explained above, Melony is the fundamental Supporter for this deck, and when you’re in a more comfortable position, Marnie or Boss’s Orders will be the other two Supporters you want to use most. Serena can help, too, but rarely will you find yourself in a position where you need to use Serena to draw cards. If you’re in that situation, you’re probably not doing very well in the game. Boss’s Orders allows you to Knock Out important Pokémon, such as [card name=”Dunsparce” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”207″ c=”name”][/card] in the matchup against Lugia VSTAR, or even bring a Pokémon with a high retreat cost and no Energy into the Active Spot to lock and then perform an easy and smooth Knock Out.

Four Trekking Shoes

If you need to accomplish something big on the first turn, you have to use [card name=”Trekking Shoes” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card], as this is the Item that can decrease your 60-card deck to just 48 cards, if you take into account that in addition to the four copies, each Trekking Shoes can reveal up to two cards from the deck.

Four Quick Ball, Four Ultra Ball, Three Stormy Mountains

[cardimg name=”Stormy Mountains” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”161″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The maximum amount of [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] helps a lot to bring Vikavolt V out on the first turn, and also to evolve Regieleki V throughout the game, but another big reason to play them is that they can discard Water Energy.

Stormy Mountain is the perfect Stadium for the deck, as you want to put as many Regieleki V on the field as possible. The Quick Ball and Ultra Ball are still the priority, though, because in addition to discarding Water Energy, they allows you to bring out your Lumineon V and Crobat V in a pinch.

Furthermore, it’s always worth conserving Stadium cards to take out opposing Stadiums that can hurt your strategy, like [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card].

Two Energy Search

I often see lists that could use fewer Energy and more [card name=”Energy Search” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card], and this is another case. Of course, actual Energy cards are also good, and give you advantages that Energy Search doesn’t bring, such as using Radiant Greninja’s Ability more easily or discarding them more easily with Trekking Shoes or Ultra Ball. However, in competitive Pokémon, any small advantage needs to be taken into account.

With only two Energy, you are already using your main attacks, so there is no need to play so many in the deck. However, you do need to have access to those few Energy cards whenever you want them. Energy Search does this and even thins your deck by one card, improving consistency.

One Switch, One Escape Rope, One Air Balloon

If you don’t start the game with Vikavolt V, then you need a switching card to perform the turn-one attack. I decided to vary the options, as any of these switching cards solves your primary need, but each of them can help you with a different secondary need.

[card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] allows you to exchange a Vikavolt V with damage for one without damage, while Air Balloon you can put on one of your support Pokémon like Lumineon, Crobat, or Greninja, because if the opponent is desperate, they will want to use Boss’s Orders or Serena on them in the hope that you can’t retreat and give them a turn out of Item lock. Escape Rope, on the other hand, can act almost like a Boss’s Orders, promoting a Pokémon to the Active Spot that the opponent doesn’t want there.

Two Cape of Toughness

One of the weaknesses of this deck is that its main attacker is a Pokémon V with only 210 HP; that is, even if the opponent is under Item lock, they may be able to deliver a strong enough attack to take the Knock Out. Palkia VSTAR easily achieves this, for example. Even with the Cape of Toughness, however, there will be attacks that cannot be mitigated, such as those from Giratina VSTAR.

One Choice Belt

The Choice Belt can be seen as an extra Regieleki VMAX if needed, especially for Raikou V to hit high enough damage to Knock Out Pokémon VSTAR or Pokémon VMAX.

One Forest Seal Stone

There is not much to say here. Now, there is a Pokémon Tool card that allows you to use a great VSTAR Power, better than the VSTAR Powers of many Pokémon VSTAR out there. Some lists run two copies of this Tool to make sure you always have a chance to use it, or that you get more consistency and speed.

Energy Count

The Energy count is pretty simple. With five Water Energy, you can be assured of always being able to use Melony; with just four, you can be unlucky enough to prize two or even three copies, setting you drastically behind from the beginning of the game.

Final Thoughts

Regieleki VMAX / Vikavolt V is entering a favorable metagame, as its Lightning type is ideal against both Palkia VSTAR and Lugia VSTAR, the two main Pokémon of the LAIC format. However, even with Lightning-type attackers and Item lock, they are not easy matchups, and if you are a turn late, it could be too late, even with all these attributes in your favor. The Item lock will also have a big impact on Lost Box decks, which rely heavily on Items to be able to quickly put cards in the Lost Zone.

That’s all for today. I hope you liked it, and until next time!

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