Don’t Switch Back — Fusionless Mew VMAX is BDIF?

There’s a lot to talk about with regards to [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] in the Silver Tempest format. Although it only gets one card from the new set, and that card doesn’t change a whole lot for the deck, there are a lot of interesting meta interactions with Mew VMAX. [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card]’s introduction into the meta is largely good for Mew, as it is a favorable matchup. However, Lugia VSTAR can tech for Mew VMAX to swing the matchup back into their favor, but Lugia VSTAR can do that for any matchup. Lugia VSTAR can be built several different ways, and it won’t always be teching for every matchup. Other decks can still tech [card name=”Drapion V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card], but Mew VMAX  can deal with it in a few ways, which I will talk more about below. It will always be a meta call if other players include Drapion V, and if Mew VMAX players need to worry about it. The Latin America International Championships will be the next major event with Silver Tempest legal, and that will likely set the precedent for the meta share of decks like Lugia VSTAR and Mew VMAX.

Fusion Strike Energy Build or Fusionless Build?

[cardimg name=”Fusion Strike Energy” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”244″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Overall, Mew VMAX is insanely strong and consistent. It has a solid game plan and win condition in every matchup, and can only be unfavored against decks that specifically tech against it. Mew VMAX’s only weakness is that many decks can easily tech against it. Some people are discussing that switching back to the [card name=”Fusion Strike Energy” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”244″ c=”name”][/card] version might be better. After all, Mew VMAX now has [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] to improve its consistency. However, that is only one card, so it is a small buff to consistency overall. The better argument is that [card name=”Meloetta” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] offers a secondary attacking option to avoid losing a Prize trade against Drapion V. With Silver Tempest’s release, I don’t think anything changes with regards to the Fusion Strike Energy vs. Fusionless debate.

The two are very different decks. Fusion Strike Energy Mew VMAX has always been a luck-based, high-roll deck due to its ability to get the explosive turn 1 attack. However, it isn’t consistent and ends up bricking quite often in most matches. I much prefer the consistent Fusionless version. Not only am I very risk-averse when it comes to my personality, but I don’t think the risk of the Fusion Strike Energy version is even worth it. The Fusionless version is so good anyway, that it is past the point of diminishing returns to commit to the high-roll nature of the Fusion Strike Energy build.

In my opinion, the best way to utilize Forest Seal Stone is to simply incorporate it into the regular list for Fusionless Mew. However, as this format is brand new, that is subject to change. This wildcard can most commonly be used as an extra out to turn 1 [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”name”][/card], or to find a combo piece on any of the three attacking turns. Mew VMAX commonly wins with a 2-2-2 line, taking two Prizes on every attacking turn, and Forest Seal Stone sometimes finds that missing Serena or [card name=”Cross Switcher” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”230″ c=”name”][/card]. Also, against Lugia VSTAR, it can find the fourth damage modifier for a crucial KO. Furthermore, an unused Forest Seal Stone is a get-out-of-jail-free card against [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card]. Here’s my current list:

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Fusionless Mew VMAX Deck List

[decklist name=”mew” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Oricorio” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”42″][pokemon amt=”12″]3x [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Mew V” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Genesect V” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”42″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”44″]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=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cyllene” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”150″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Power Tablet” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”236″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Cross Switcher” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”230″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rotom Phone” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”64″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Cram-o-matic” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”229″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Hero’s Medal” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch Cart” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Echoing Horn” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Lost City” set=”Lost Origin” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Hero’s Medal” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”201″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Mew VMAX is basically the same as it has been for the past few months. However, I’ve opted to include two copies of [card name=”Hero’s Medal” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card], and I’ll explain why.

Mew VMAX is fairly linear, partly due to how consistent it is. This leads to a lot of games that come down to a simple flow chart. In said flow chart, Mew VMAX has two main losing conditions. One is that the opponent goes first and wins a Prize trade by taking three KO’s before Mew VMAX can. The other is that the opponent can OHKO two Mew VMAX, even when they are forced to go second (usually with the help of Drapion V). Hero’s Medal lowers the chances of that lose condition occurring.

Two Hero’s Medal are needed to consistently find them. Furthermore, some decks can get around a single copy with something like [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card]’s Star Requiem. To make space for the Medals, I cut [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card]. Although Roxanne plus Path to the Peak is a potential comeback condition in games where things go off the rails, it is a bit unreliable and inconsistent. Furthermore, both cards are huge liabilities for most of the game. They are difficult to get rid of, and with a draw engine based around [card name=”Genesect V” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card]’s Fusion Strike System Ability, such dead cards are unwelcome. They create a self-fulfilling prophecy of needing a comeback option in the first place. If Mew VMAX is able to function, it will usually win the Prize trade anyway, so being consistent eliminates the need for Roxanne. On top of that, Hero’s Medal is useful in the same matchups that Roxanne is, that being matchups where the opponent can OHKO Mew VMAX.

The addition of [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card] is even better now because of how strong it is in the [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] matchup. Oricorio forces them to have all four [card name=”Powerful Colorless Energy” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] to KO a Mew VMAX. Oricorio also improves the overall win rate with regards to one of Mew VMAX’s losing conditions. When you’re forced to go second, retreat into Oricorio to prevent the opponent from winning the Prize trade with a 2-2-2 line. For every deck besides the mirror, it just isn’t feasible to find a gust KO every turn starting on turn 2. However, I see a lot of players go for Oricorio when they just don’t need to. Unless the math is particularly relevant (such as against Lugia VSTAR), I usually ignore Oricorio when I’m going first.

The deck is built to be as consistent as possible, because it is inherently ridiculously powerful and only needs to function. I initially had two copies of [card name=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card], since you are gusting Pokemon V more often than not anyway, and the draw power can be quite helpful. Serena’s draw function is especially useful before your full board is set up, as you can draw some cards, then fill up the Bench, and get more value from Genesect V. However, I think it makes more sense to play one copy of Serena and one copy of [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card]. Although we do have [card name=”Cross Switcher” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”230″ c=”name”][/card] to target single-Prize Pokemon, we also have [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card] already in the deck. The versatility here is valuable, and we rarely use Serena to draw cards anyway. The lone copy of Boss’s Orders is particularly strong in the Regi matchup, and makes the matchup very playable combined with [card name=”Lost City” set=”Lost Origin” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card].

The Stadium count is fairly standard, as the deck needs to have enough counters to Path to the Peak and [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card]. Lost City is favored in order to deal with [card name=”Drapion V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] and Regis, but you don’t need three. I prefer [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] as the third Stadium because it is a powerful consistency boost. You do have to be careful with it sometimes, and carefully evaluate what might happen if you use it. Another thing to note is that Temple of Sinnoh increases Mew VMAX’s damage output by 20, so it is sometimes correct to not bump it, and simply attach another Energy card.

The deck includes [card name=”Switch Cart” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] for some relevant healing against [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] or other chip damage. It can only mess you up if you don’t play around it. If it’s still in your deck, promote [card name=”Mew V” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] instead of Mew VMAX after a KO. The rest of the list is straightforward, nothing to see here.

Matchups

Lugia VSTAR — Favorable

[cardimg name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

I think we are all expecting [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] to be a big deal. The deck is receiving tons of hype and is certainly no joke. The Lugia VSTAR matchup is good for Mew VMAX, though it can depend on their list. I’ve found that if Lugia VSTAR has Drapion V, [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Shining Fates” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], and multiple copies of [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card], they are favored. If they don’t have all of those, then Mew VMAX is favored. It seems like Yveltal is in several lists currently, whereas Drapion V is only in a few. Deck lists are split between Lost Vacuum and [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] when it comes to Stadium counters. However, there is plenty of time for the meta to shake out and for lists to stabilize.

If they have only one of the two Darkness-type Pokemon, then their only two ways to OHKO Mew VMAX are with the Darkness-type and with the quad [card name=”Powerful Colorless Energy” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card] play. Oftentimes, a Powerful Colorless Energy ends up among the Prize cards, in the hand, or in the discard pile at some point. The same thing can happen with [card name=”Aurora Energy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card]. However, with the easy Drapion V play, they only need to find one of the two high-maintenance options.

Whether or not you prioritize [card name=”Hero’s Medal” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] depends on their list and the situation. Yveltal and Lost Vacuum can get around Hero’s Medal, but it still is useful if they are threatening Drapion V or quad Powerful Colorless Energy. The downside to Hero’s Medal is that it takes away the option to use [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card], which is sometimes required to OHKO a Lugia VSTAR with [card name=”V Guard Energy” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card]. However, it is easy to evaluate whether or not that will be needed on the current turn, so it’s often fine to attach the Hero’s Medal. If they aren’t able to counter it, you will probably just win from there. It’s difficult for Lugia VSTAR to gust three times in a row, so they usually are forced to deal with the Mew VMAX.

If they are able to go with an early Yveltal, you may be forced to KO it in order to avoid losing instantly. This delays your victory by a full turn, and you have to respond with Hero’s Medal. They are then forced to find both Lost Vacuum and a way to OHKO the Mew. If this Mew VMAX list had Roxanne, they might have a higher chance of bricking, but with [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card], they have a higher chance of drawing double Powerful Colorless Energy and being unable to OHKO. If they have [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] in play, you could be extra safe and take that out with a quadruple modifier Psychic Leap. This is a bit rare, but it allows you to win with a 2-2-2 line and prevents the opponent from winning with a 3-3 line.

Aside from that, you want to focus on winning the Prize trade, and Hero’s Medal is very situational. Aside from Yveltal, your route to victory usually involves sniping one basic Pokemon V, be it a Lugia V, [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], or Lumineon V. [card name=”Echoing Horn” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] takes care of another two Prizes, and the other two usually come from OHKO’ing a Lugia VSTAR with four modifiers, or from their initial Drapion V (if they have it). Of course, the exact Pokemon you KO and the order in which you do it depends on the game, but it is often a 2-2-2 line.

Early on, you want to try and identify where your Prize cards are coming from. Use and conserve the appropriate resources. Their most consistent way to win is if they go first, get the turn 2 attack, then get the response KO with Yveltal, then get the gust KO to finish off the game. This is best case scenario for Lugia VSTAR, and they need a lot to go right. However, in that situation, there’s nothing you can do to avoid losing. The matchup is quite favorable overall.

Giratina VSTAR (no Drapion V) — Favorable
With Drapion V — Slightly Unfavorable

Pre-Silver Tempest release, more than half of [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] lists played Drapion V, which was an auto-loss for Mew VMAX. With Hero’s Medal, the matchup becomes a lot better, but it’s still tough. Ideally, you take a 2-2-2 line and win with speed and consistency. You usually don’t need Oricorio, and it can sometimes be a liability. Even when going second, you can risk the two Prize KO without it negatively impacting the big picture. Sometimes they whiff the Lost Impact turn 2 attackespecially when they go first, and then they can’t get any value from their attack. Hero’s Medal protects from an early Drapion V, unless they get Drapion V and Lost Vacuum together. However, many lists don’t play Lost Vacuum, and the ones that do only play one (with no way to search it). Furthermore, Giratina VSTAR has a hard time using multiple gust effects. This means that Giratina VSTAR will be forced into a 3-3 line in most games, unless they get a cheeky turn 2 KO. Their fast, easy KO option is Drapion V, but if they aren’t using that for three Prize cards, they lose a lot of value from it.

Hero’s Medal doesn’t help against Giratina VSTAR’s Star Requiem attack, and you need lots of modifiers (such as Choice Belt) to take out multiple Giratina VSTAR. Therefore, be careful with how you use Hero’s Medal. It is usually best early, but you do need it whenever you anticipate a possible Drapion V. They can play around your 2-2-2 lines with cards such as [card name=”Thorton” set=”Lost Origin” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card], or by filling their Bench, and there’s really nothing you can do about that. However, they do need two Prize Pokemon in play to use meaningful attacks, and you take advantage of that by aggressively targeting them down.

They can also win if they get the first KO (usually with Drapion V), into a gust KO, into Star Requiem to finish. This is best case scenario for them, and is just tough luck when it happens. [card name=”Genesect V” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] can survive a Drapion V attack with [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card] on the board, but it’s usually not worth the trouble of setting that up in preparation for the game going a super specific way. If they play [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], that tactic is useless anyway.

Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR — Slightly Favorable

Whoever goes first is at a huge advantage, but Mew VMAX is way more consistent. They want to win with either a 2-2-2 line, or with a 3-2-1 line involving [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] attacking into Oricorio, or by using [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] at the end of the game. They can sometimes pull off a 3-3 line if they play [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”180″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] Quick Shooting, but you can play around that. Since [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] has all of these different ways to win, the matchup is somewhat close. When you go first, you basically win automatically with the 2-2-2 line of your own. Drapion V is quite rare in an Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR deck, but it can swing the game in their favor if they get a turn 1 attack with it. When going second, retreat into Oricorio as a turn 1 sacrifice. Other than that, only put down Oricorio if you need to prevent the OHKO on Mew VMAX from their Choice Belt plus Quick Shooting or double Galarian Zigzagoon. Even then, that OHKO with Galarian Zigzagoon only matters if they are on an odd Prize count. You definitely need to look at their possible lines and evaluate what you need to do from there.

If it’s possible to preserve Forest Seal Stone to play around Roxanne and Path to the Peak combo, do so. If not, thin the deck as much as possible and preserve important cards such as Stadiums and damage modifiers. You may also want to use [card name=”Rotom Phone” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] to play around Marnie plus Path to the Peak combo in the early- to mid-game. Trying to keep a low Bench is an exercise in futility. Although it’s nice to limit Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR’s damage output, they usually have Echoing Horn anyway, and you need a full Bench to operate with maximum consistency. It is worth looking for spots where limiting the Bench size is a viable strategy, but those spots are quite rare.

Mew VMAX Mirror — Slightly Unfavorable

We do not play any of the cards that are good in mirror match such as [card name=”Meloetta” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card], Drapion V, Roxanne, or Path to the Peak. That said, the mirror has always been a high-roll luck-fest anyway, and it’s close enough to 50-50 that I am fine gambling on it. Maxing out on consistency and taking overall good matchups elsewhere is worth having no versatility in the mirror. For the Lost Origin meta, Mew VMAX was not even a top three deck in terms of popularity, though that may change with it getting access to Forest Seal Stone. Anyway, play as normal. Take the 2-2-2 line, and try to play around Roxanne and Path to the Peak combo against the Fusionless version. Sacking Oricorio in the Active Spot is good even if you go first, as you don’t know if they will be playing the Fusion Strike Energy version.

Kyurem VMAX — Favorable

If they have Drapion V and Lost Vacuum, the matchup is more competitive, but it is still slightly favorable. This is the matchup where Hero’s Medal has the most value. When going second, sacrifice Oricorio on turn 1. This way, they still must find Lost Vacuum at an opportune time, as well as back to back KO’s. You go for a 2-2-2 line just like most matchups, and if they happen to beat you in a Prize trade, tough luck. This matchup is very much a flow chart or simulator, where Mew VMAX wins more often than not. Just like with Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR, if you go first, you automatically win if you draw well. The exception is if they draw the absolute nuts and get a turn one Drapion V KO followed by back to back KO’s. If they go first, they have a decent chance of winning, but they still need a few things to go well. [card name=”Kyurem VMAX” set=”Lost Origin” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] is not a very dynamic deck. It has few options and doesn’t see many cards. However, it can easily OHKO Mew VMAX, which is why Hero’s Medal is quite useful. Of course, if it looks like they won’t be able to hit for 310 damage on the next turn, there’s no need for you to use Hero’s Medal and lower your own HP. That goes for any matchup, but it’s usually an easy judgement call to make. Most of the time, Kyurem VMAX will be threatening the OHKO.

Conclusion

Overall, I think Mew VMAX might be the best deck in the format. It is a little bit linear and predictable, but it is also absurdly fast and consistent. Mew VMAX has solid matchups, despite the fact that decks can tech for it. Hero’s Medal and clean smart play can help a lot against techs, making them less problematic than they otherwise would be. I think Mew VMAX’s speed and consistency also gives it an edge over most other decks, as they occasionally brick and don’t draw as many cards. I am strongly considering playing Mew VMAX at LAIC.

That’s all I have for now. Thanks for reading!

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