Is It Finally Time? — How Silver Tempest Transforms the Stage 1 Archetype

Hello PokeBeach readers! Isaiah here, and I am happy to be writing another article for you all! Last time, I talked about the ending Lost Origin format and how to use then-current events to prepare for the upcoming Silver Tempest format. Fittingly, this article is releasing right as we start the Silver Tempest format, with the Latin America International Championship on the horizon. Silver Tempest has been out for a few weeks now, and while no official events have occurred yet with Silver Tempest legal (as it is not legal for competitive play until November 25), the the set has been used for unofficial in-person events and online tournaments for most of that time. In general, most of the metagame has been developing in the way many players expected, with very few surprises. With that in mind, how about we take a look at the current state of the metagame before getting too deep into focusing on a particular deck?

The State of Silver Tempest

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

As I said, the current state of the metagame has few surprises. As many players expected, [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] paired with [card name=”Archeops” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] has proved itself a top tier threat. As of writing this article, Lugia VSTAR has the highest win rate of decks with over 30 plays in online tournaments, sitting at 53.64%. Most of Lugia VSTAR’s strength comes from the combination of its own raw power and the absurdity of Archeops’s Primal Turbo. Thanks to the incredibly diverse pool of Special Energy cards in Standard, and [card name=”Aurora Energy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] in particular, two uses of Primal Turbo can power up pretty much any Pokemon in the game. As a result, many players have started including cards like [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Shining Fates” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Raikou” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card], cards that were pretty much universally recognized as powerful, but that never got to demonstrate their strength due to their bizarre attack costs.

Primal Turbo also allows you to shove several [card name=”Powerful Colorless Energy” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card] and perhaps also a [card name=”V Guard Energy” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] on a Lugia VSTAR to make an effectively 310-HP menace that does 280 damage, or 310 with a [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card], trading favorably with pretty much every Pokemon VSTAR in the format. Lugia VSTAR can also take advantage of [card name=”Dunsparce” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”207″ c=”name”][/card] to remove its Weakness and make itself even more bulky, as well as [card name=”Cheren’s Care” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] to heal up if needed.

The deck has access to pretty much every single thing a deck could want, and it has the potential to maintain dominance in the in-person play space in ways that we rarely see. As a result, Lugia has become the deck to beat in the Silver Tempest format. Still, in my opinion, it’s not even that far ahead of the second-best deck in format.

As is typical with the release of new expansions, many players seemed to forget about the strength of the best decks in the previous format. Leading up to the release of Silver Tempest, the biggest victims of this, at least to me, were the Lost Zone decks from Lost Origin. Both [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] and the more toolbox-style builds, such as with [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card], saw significant success in the Lost Origin format, with the latter winning not one but two Regional Championships (Peoria and Poland). However, as Silver Tempest was coming out, nobody seemed to be talking about them anymore. Perhaps this was because the decks didn’t change much with the new set: there were exactly zero cards in Silver Tempest that referenced the Lost Zone in any capacity, and even most of the strong new Trainers like [card name=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] are not particularly beneficial to either of these decks, at least not in any game-breaking fashion.

With that being said, both of these decks have continued to see success in the new format. Giratina VSTAR has maintained a stable level of play and still continues to be one of the strongest decks right now. On the other hand, Lost Zone Toolbox decks have been seeing an incredible amount of success, winning multiple massive tournaments and maintaining one of the highest win rates in the format, at 51.21%. While the Radiant Charizard version is still the most popular build, interesting new lists have emerged with a variety of new late-game attackers. Two lists that I have grown especially interested in use [card name=”Kyogre” set=”Celebrations” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Rayquaza” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card], but I do not plan on including these lists in this article. However, I think these builds emerging on a grand scale is starting to make players more aware of how far they can take the Lost Zone engine, so it is worth keeping an eye on in the future, as more builds may emerge.

[cardimg name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The final deck that has been making waves in the new format is the tried-and-true [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]. Over the last few months, Mew VMAX has quickly become one of my favorite decks in the Standard format, largely thanks to the development of the [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card]–focused version of the deck, as I was never a huge fan of the [card name=”Fusion Strike Energy” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”244″ c=”name”][/card] build to begin with.

With the introduction of Silver Tempest, not much changes for Mew VMAX. The deck does reasonably well against Lugia VSTAR, having the second-best win rate against it of any deck with more than 30 plays, so its matchups do not change dramatically at all. Forest Seal Stone, while a significant addition, does not change that much for the Double Turbo Energy version in the grand scheme of things, though it does represent a dramatic change for the Fusion Strike Energy version. With a card to effectively guarantee the “missing piece” for a turn-one (going second, of course) [card name=”Meloetta” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] for 210 damage or more, this build got considerably better. Still, I do not think that build is superior to the Double Turbo Energy build, so I would not recommend switching over to it.

Regardless of the build, Mew VMAX is in a great meta position, as the aggression of early Knock Outs and carrying that tempo throughout the game simply cannot be ignored. As of right now, Mew VMAX does not have an exceptionally good win rate in online tournaments, but its generally good matchup spread and powerful game plan make it easily one of the strongest decks in the game.

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Beating the Early Meta

Since the dawn of the first Pokemon TCG metagames, players have always hoped to break them wide open with a rogue deck idea. Through the game’s history, some players have succeeded, with the most famous case of this being Ross Cawthon’s creation of The Truth in 2011, which he used to get second place at the World Championships. Generally speaking, this happens toward the beginning of a new format, where people are already focused on just a couple decks as the most hyped-up decks in the format. At this point in a metagame’s life, it is the most breakable.

In my opinion, the Silver Tempest format is the most breakable format in a long time, and as a result, I have been frantically looking for the deck to do so before the Latin America International Championships — or at least before the Toronto Regional Championship, as that is the next event I will be attending. One card in particular, [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Celebrations” no=”19″ c=”name”][/card], has been a major focus of my ideas, as it is incredibly strong against Lugia VSTAR decks, which generally only run Special Energy. As of now, this idea is on the back burner, but I recommend that you look into the card yourself, as it is a very clear candidate for a card to break the format.

Instead, I have currently shifted the majority of my focus to the [card name=”Zoroark” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] Stage 1 archetype. This deck got a lot of new support with Silver Tempest, so trying to figure out if it is finally time for Zoroark to make a name for itself has been a primary focus of my testing. As such, we must delve a bit deeper into what makes me think all of a sudden that this deck has so much potential.

Why Is This Format Zoroark’s Renaissance?

For a long time, [card name=”Zoroark” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] has felt just a piece short: always so close to being a good deck, but never quite getting there. For a long time, the pool of attackers has always felt too mediocre, too unreliable, etc. While this still remains somewhat true, the deck has gotten a few new attackers over the course of the last few expansions, and they just might turn things around. One of the most significant of these was [card name=”Slowbro” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], which certainly seemed like the card that was going to put Zoroark on the map, but it turned out that the deck could not take the first four Prize cards to let Slowbro close out the game. Thanks to the introduction of [card name=”Mightyena” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] in Astral Radiance, the deck’s irritating Mew VMAX matchup has become significantly easier, offering a reliable way to score a one-hit Knock Out on Mew VMAX.

Unfortunately, [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] came out in the same expansion, and, at least at the time, there were zero reasonable Lightning-type Stage 1s. The situation was so bad that [card name=”Electrode” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] paired with [card name=”Abomasnow” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] was being legitimately considered as the best option — and this option is terrible! Thankfully, the first of the major changes that Silver Tempest brought for Zoroark alleviated this problem to an extent. Thanks to [card name=”Raichu” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card], the deck is capable of taking a one-hit Knock Out on Pokemon with Weakness to Lightning-type Pokemon. While I initially mentioned it for the purpose of beating Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR, Raichu is also, fortunately, exactly what the deck needed to deal with Lugia VSTAR.

[cardimg name=”Braixen” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”26″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Another Stage 1 that makes an unexpected debut in this deck is [card name=”Braixen” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], which allows you to reach 240 damage if you have all four [card name=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] in your discard pile. In the current format, Fire is a largely irrelevant attacking type, but Flare Parade is good for a different reason: at long last, it lets you do a reasonable amount of damage based on circumstances completely in your control. This is much better than cards like [card name=”Appletun” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], which require the opponent to have a certain board in order to do anything meaningful. Fortunately, Serena is also an exceptionally good card, so using the Braixen is a no-brainer exchange for finally having access to a safe attacking option.

Finally, the inclusion in this deck that surprised me the most: [card name=”Radiant Jirachi” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card]. At first, I thought this card was a pretty mediocre attacking option, but I quickly found myself using it all the time. Having the ability to just sit there, with a repeated 25% chance to Knock Out the Defending Pokemon, is incredibly strong when the opponent’s alternative is Knocking you Out and giving you access to up to three cards of your choosing. Depending on the situation, this combo can very realistically be game-winning, so it it forces the opponent to be extremely mindful of their decisions.

With these three changes and a few other tweaks to versions of the deck that have been around for a long time, I believe that this deck is now ready to do exceptionally well in a large tournament, and it is only a matter of time until someone makes the run. As such, the next important part of this article is focusing on a deck list.

My Current Zoroark Build

My current list is fairly standard. It’s heavily based on a list that has been making the rounds online, though I made some major tweaks to arrive where I am currently. The deck’s strategy is simple, essentially boiling down to looking at the Weakness symbol on the Defending Pokemon and then transforming into that type. When it comes to an actual game, though, things can get a bit more complicated. The deck is surprisingly difficult to play on a game-to-game basis, but with some practice, most players should start to get used to it pretty quickly. My build focuses largely on being consistent, as inconsistency has always been this deck’s worst enemy, as well as keeping the attacker diversity lower to make room for the aforementioned consistency.

Deck List

[decklist name=”deck” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Zoroark” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”103″][pokemon amt=”24″]4x [card name=”Zoroark” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Zorua” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Minccino” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Mightyena” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Appletun” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Kleavor” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Braixen” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”26″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Raichu” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Wormadam” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Slowbro” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Jirachi” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hisuian Basculin” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”43″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”29″]4x [card name=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Battle Styles” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Carrier” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Glimwood Tangle” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]4x [card name=”Twin Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”174″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

A Few Notes

Cinccino over Bibarel

While it’s not necessarily deserving of being called a “heated debate,” there does seem to generally be some discourse about whether Zoroark toolbox decks should play [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Bibarel” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]. In my opinion, I think Cinccino is astronomically better, but I could understand playing a single Bibarel as something to transform into. The biggest differences between these two Pokemon that are the most significant to me personally are access to Call for Family and searchability with [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Battle Styles” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card]. While neither of these issues directly affects the functionality of the cards’ Abilities, I think this context is critical in understanding why Cinccino is better in this deck.

Glimwood Tangle Package

In addition to the [card name=”Radiant Jirachi” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card], my deck list also includes two [card name=”Glimwood Tangle” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] and a [card name=”Kleavor” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. This choice is largely rooted in the list that I based my list off of, which played two Stadiums and a [card name=”Hisuian Zoroark” set=”Lost Origin” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]. As I was using Radiant Jirachi more, I found myself wishing more that the Stadium cards were Glimwood Tangle, so I decided to bump it up to two copies. When I did so, I also found that Hisuian Zoroark was almost useless, as the odds of it ever Knocking something Out are so low in the first place that it’s hard to justify ever using Doom Curse. However, with Kleavor, Timber Cleave fills a similar role while also synergizing much better with the increased Glimwood Tangle count.

Metal Wormadam

As of late, [card name=”Kyurem VMAX” set=”Lost Origin” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] has seemed like a much larger threat than [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], and as a result, using the Metal-type option to hit a more relevant Weakness makes the most sense.

Hisuian Basculin

When I was looking at the list that I based my list off of, [card name=”Hisuian Basculin” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] was almost the first card that I cut, but, to be honest, I just thought the card was an amusing inclusion and I decided to keep it in for a couple games. To my surprise, the card ended up being quite good, and has now become a permanent part of my list.

Oftentimes, this deck struggles to set up in the early game. While it is not the perfect solution to the problem, Hisuian Basculin’s Gather the Crew is effectively another way of using [card name=”Minccino” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card]’s Call for Family, except that it is an option that you have access to regardless of what you start the game with. You can retreat any of the Basic Pokemon in this deck into a Hisuian Basculin, whereas you would normally be required to start with Minccino if you wanted the option to fill the Bench.

Conclusion

In the current format, I think [card name=”Zoroark” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] has finally found its place. With strong matchups against pretty much every top deck aside from Lost Zone toolbox, the deck is poised to make a big splash in the metagame if it happens to hit the matchups it needs in a large event. That said, while I cite this deck as a potential format breaker, it is important to consider other options, as, like I said, this format seems like the most breakable format that we have seen in a long time.

With that, this article draws to a close. As always, I hope you enjoyed reading this article, as its main focus is a deck that I am quite fond of. If you have any questions, please reach out in the Subscriber’s Hideout, on Twitter (@ICheville), or on Facebook (Zaya Lee).

Until next time!

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