Lugia Joins the Battle — An Introduction to Lugia VSTAR
Silver Tempest is releasing in about a week, and it still feels to me like Lost Origin is a brand new set. However, time stops for no man. Looking ahead to the Latin America International Championships and December’s Regional Championships, we will be playing with Silver Tempest legal, so it’s time to start looking at the new stuff! In the each of past few sets, we’ve gotten one ridiculously overpowered card to have its own archetype: [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] are prime examples. Silver Tempest has one of these cards that is on everyone’s mind – that being Lugia VSTAR.
The Basics
At first glance, Lugia VSTAR isn’t too crazy. Its attack deals 220 damage, but requires four Colorless Energy. Even with [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card], this is a steep cost for an attack that “only” does 220 damage. It has a side benefit of allowing you to discard any Stadium card in play. This attack looks okay, but it really shines due to its synergy with Lugia’s VSTAR Power. Summoning Star allows you to put two non-rule box Colorless-type Pokemon directly from your discard pile onto your Bench. This wouldn’t be that great, if it weren’t for Lugia VSTAR’s new partner in crime – Archeops from Silver Tempest.
Archeops allows you to search your deck for any two Special Energy cards and attach them to one of your Pokemon. It’s a Stage-2 Evolution Pokemon from a fossil, so the only way you will realistically put it into play is via Lugia’s Summoning Star. Summoning Star will always be used to get two Archeops into play, as Archeops is the only reason why Lugia VSTAR actually works as an attacker. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that these two Pokemon have perfect synergy with [card name=”Powerful Colorless Energy” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card]. With several of those and a [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card], Lugia VSTAR can easily one-shot any Pokemon in the format. Lugia VSTAR has 280 HP to begin with, and now gets the new V Guard Energy, making it difficult to be KO’d. Archeops can also find [card name=”Gift Energy” set=”Lost Origin” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card], which helps against [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card].
The fun doesn’t stop there! Archeops can also search out [card name=”Aurora Energy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] and attach them to any Pokemon you want! This opens the door to play any type of Radiant Pokemon or Amazing Rare Pokemon. However, since Lugia VSTAR itself is so strong, there isn’t a much of a reason to get wildly creative. It would be cool to experiment with other Colorless Pokemon that Lugia VSTAR can summon, but since you can only use Summoning Star once per game, you always need to grab two Archeops. I have played a few games with only one Archeops in play, but that is only for emergencies when I cannot find the second Archeops and need to start attacking.
Unfortunately, the Lugia VSTAR deck is rather linear and one-dimensional in terms of gameplay. You activate Summoning Star as fast as possible and swing for tons of damage. It is surprisingly easy to get two Archeops in the discard pile, thanks to [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] being an easy search out. Once you have the Archeops in hand, there are tons of ways to discard them. The deck is a fast and powerful beatstick deck. Playing it is very reminiscent of [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]. The main difference between the two decks is that Mew VMAX constantly draws cards and needs to find combos, while Lugia VSTAR plays from the board once it is set up. Due to Archeops’s Ability and Gift Energy, the deck is incredibly low-maintenance once you’ve started attacking. It basically runs itself. You could argue the same for Mew VMAX, because [card name=”Genesect V” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] always gets you exactly what you need anyway. Mew VMAX is like Lugia VSTAR with extra steps.
There are a few ways to build the Lugia VSTAR deck, and there does not seem to be a consensus list for it yet. Lists from tournaments in Japan have shown a variety of ways to play the deck. Most builds have [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] and Aurora Energy, because Radiant Charizard attacks for a low cost late in the game. This is good because Lugia VSTAR consumes a lot of Energy, so you might not always have enough for three attackers. Some versions play a toolbox of Aurora Energy attackers with cards like [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Shining Fates” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Raikou” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card]. Another version focuses more on Lugia VSTAR itself and consistency, playing cards like [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card]. And of course, some builds mix and match these elements.
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Lugia VSTAR Deck List Breakdown
Here is my current list. I do not know for sure if it’s the best way to play the deck, but it’s what I have the most experience playing with so far. In testing, the deck has shown to be viable into both the current meta, as well as a meta that develops around it with decks including [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card]. Credit for the original list to Ethan Hegyi, who made Top 8 at a Japan City League with it.
[decklist name=”Lugia VSTAR” amt=”60″ caption=”Lugia VSTAR” cname=”Lugia” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”132″][pokemon amt=”19″]4x Lugia VSTAR (SWSH12 #139)4x Lugia V (SWSH12 #138)4x Archeops (SWSH12 #147)1x [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Drapion V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lugia” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dunsparce” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”207″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”27″]4x Serena (SWSH12 #164)4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Shining Fates” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/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]4x [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”14″]4x [card name=”Powerful Colorless Energy” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”176″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x V Guard Energy (SWSH12 #169)3x [card name=”Aurora Energy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Gift Energy” set=”Lost Origin” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Twin Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”174″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
[cardimg name=”Lugia” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”132″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This list is fairly straightforward. Since Lugia VSTAR itself is so good, I don’t see a need for too many tech attackers. I mentioned that Radiant Charizard has value as a low-cost option, and that card is just absurd in general. We play three copies of [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] so Radiant Charizard can easily hit that magic 280 damage benchmark. The baby [card name=”Lugia” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] is a card I’m not too sure about. It does ridiculous damage and is easy to power up. 250 damage base, plus a Choice Belt attached and as many Powerful Colorless Energy as you need is enough to easily one-shot anything in the current Standard format. However, the opponent needs to have at least six cards in their hand. I’ve found that many decks naturally have that many cards in hand, but if they are aware of the baby Lugia threat, they can easily play around it. If they have five or fewer, baby Lugia’s attack does nothing. Therefore, Lugia is best right after they KO a Lugia VSTAR, because the Prize cards they take will increase their hand size. Also worth noting is that baby Lugia’s presence decreases the chances of starting with something bad, which is particularly annoying in this deck. The ratio of bad starters to good ones is abnormally high in this deck.
The additions of [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] are crucial as Stadium counters. An early [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] must be removed immediately in order to activate Summoning Star, and [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] can be annoying at any point in the game. Pumpkaboo is sometimes inconvenient because you can inadvertently start with it, and it can be a liability on the Bench. However, since this deck already plays four [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”237″ c=”name”][/card] and four [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] as search options, Pumpkaboo is incredibly reliable. Lost Vacuum is the next best Stadium counter because it can also be used to remove defensive Tools such as [card name=”Big Charm” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Tool Jammer” set=”Battle Styles” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], as well as an opposing Choice Belt. [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] was a consideration because it can remove liabilities such as [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], however it was very inconvenient in testing. It is detrimental if you draw it early, as you want to fill your Bench. Overall, Lost Vacuum is more reliable and versatile.
To cover Lugia VSTAR’s Weakness against Lightning-type Pokemon, this deck has [card name=”Dunsparce” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”207″ c=”name”][/card], which is particularly helpful against [card name=”Regieleki” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]. Other Lightning-type Pokemon may also see play because they hit both Lugia VSTAR and [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] for Weakness. Even if the Regi deck spends a turn to take out Dunsparce, it’s worth it. From that point, you can trade single-Prize Pokemon against them. [card name=”Drapion V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] is obviously a tech for [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card], because that matchup is tough. However, I’m not sure if Drapion V is worth it. It only improves a few percentage points. The idea is to KO one Mew VMAX with Drapion V and the other with quadruple Powerful Energy plus Choice Belt on Lugia. This wins you the game, but it is difficult to pull off. The matchup with Drapion V is much more competitive than without, but it still isn’t favorable overall. Worth noting is that this deck can easily attack with Drapion V against anything, and it is no slouch with V Guard Energy equipped. Drapion V is usually worthless against non-Mew VMAX decks, but has slightly more utility thanks to the new Archeops.
Most of the consistency cards are run as four-ofs. I want the deck to be consistent, but even with the high counts of consistency cards, it still bricks sometimes. There’s always the option to be greedy and cut cards like the fourth Archeops or fourth Lugia VSTAR, but you’d better make sure the replacement cards offer a lot of value.
This deck includes [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] as a one-of because you sometimes get awkward hands that you do not want to discard. It can be found easily thanks to [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] is basically just a fifth copy of Serena. The option to gust a non-Pokemon V is nice, but it’s not very important. Serena is strictly the superior card in my opinion. Many games are won by using a gust Supporter several times, so you want more than just the four Serena. Gift Energy and Crobat V help refill your hand when you are using Supporter cards to gust rather than draw.
The Energy counts simply reflect each individual Energy card’s importance. Three [card name=”Aurora Energy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] may be slightly excessive, but you always want the option to attack with Radiant Charizard at the end of the game. This deck often burns through its early-game hands, and has no way to recover resources. I’ve found Aurora Energy’s discard effect useful from time to time, as it can discard Archeops, which helps with setting up. V Guard Energy is surprisingly relevant in most matchups. In particular, Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR, [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card], and Mew VMAX do not appreciate it when all of your high-HP Pokemon are further defended by V Guard Energy.
Overall, this deck is very good. I do not think it is as broken as some are hyping it up to be, and counters to it do exist. The deck fits nicely into the current metagame as yet another “big numbers” deck. It operates like similar existing decks, and therefore has competitive matchups. Some are favorable, some are unfavorable, yet none of them seem too lopsided. This is how things mostly were for the Lost Origin format. I expect Lugia VSTAR to be a fairly popular Tier 1 deck, so it is worth familiarizing yourself with it. Lugia VSTAR has the potential to become more dominant as lists evolve, but it also may sink to Tier 2 as players and lists adapt to it.
Matchups
Giratina VSTAR — Favorable
[cardimg name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This deck matches up well into Giratina VSTAR, but the matchup becomes closer if they play multiple [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card]. If they do not play any Temple of Sinnoh, the matchup is basically free. They have an extremely hard time dealing with Lugia VSTAR because of V Guard Energy. Some Giratina VSTAR lists are currently playing one Temple of Sinnoh, but that is not enough to swing the matchup in their favor. For one, a single copy of Temple of Sinnoh isn’t very consistent. Even if they draw it at an opportune time, it will probably get bumped immediately. Two copies of Temple of Sinnoh makes the matchup competitive. It seems that Lugia VSTAR is slightly favored, but the matchup could be considered even.
The thing about Temple of Sinnoh is that they need it at several points in the game against Lugia VSTAR. Giratina VSTAR needs an early Temple of Sinnoh so that it can take a KO through V Guard Energy. Otherwise, they are not getting enough value from any of their attacks. They also need it on their [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] turn to shut off [card name=”Powerful Colorless Energy” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card], or Aurora Energy if you’re going in with [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card]. For them to have a chance in a normal game, they will have to play two Temple of Sinnoh in their list and draw them both at opportune times.
On the Lugia VSTAR side of things, you more or less play the game as normal. A fast Lugia VSTAR can rip the Giratina VSTAR deck apart. I typically like to allocate two Powerful Colorless Energy to two different Lugia VSTAR. With [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] and two Powerful Colorless Energy attached, Lugia VSTAR can one-shot Giratina VSTAR. However, sometimes you whiff Choice Belt, or want to save it for Radiant Charizard. It is okay to commit three Powerful Energy to take a crucial KO. Also, if you are sniping down a regular [card name=”Giratina V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], you can attack without committing any Powerful Colorless Energy, and wait to see what your opponent does from there.
You always want V Guard Energy on Lugia VSTAR, as the math works great against Giratina VSTAR’s Lost Impact attack. I am always looking for spots to use the single-prize [card name=”Lugia” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] to take a big KO while investing minimal resources. However, that play is inconsistent because it depends on the opponent’s hand size, which is something they have control over.
Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR — Favorable
The [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] matchup is quite good, especially because they typically do not run more than one Temple of Sinnoh. The dynamics of Temple are similar to that of the Giratina VSTAR matchup. They want Temple of Sinnoh on multiple turns, but if they only play one, they can only do so much. Turning off V Guard Energy is important, but they also want to use it on the Roxanne turn. That said, Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR can easily find Temple of Sinnoh thanks to [card name=”Drizzile” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]’s Shady Dealings Ability, whereas Giratina VSTAR cannot.
One tool that Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR has in the matchup is [card name=”Echoing Horn” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], which is quite important and difficult for Lugia VSTAR to play around. If Echoing Horn is an imminent threat, you can try to fill your Bench with single-Prize Pokemon. However, due to the limited supply of those, that play isn’t always available. If you’re able to set up without using [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] or Lumineon[card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], the matchup is way easier. Lugia VSTAR runs through the Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR deck, and they have no reliable way to win the Prize trade. If Lumineon V does hit the board, you may consider using its attack to return it to the deck. This seems questionable, but it actually denies them four Prizes. Palkia VSTAR really struggles with taking out Lugia VSTAR, so they will try to KO Crobat V or Lumineon V, use Echoing Horn, and repeat. Using Lumineon V’s attack results in a loss of tempo, but potentially eliminates their win condition. Don’t do this if you don’t have any Energy on your Lugia VSTAR though, as they will simply KO Archeops if you ever leave your board without Energy.
If they play two copies of Temple of Sinnoh, I imagine the matchup becomes slightly more difficult. I have not tested against double Temple yet. Only time will tell if that actually becomes a thing in Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR decks.
Mew VMAX — Slightly Unfavorable
I touched on the [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] matchup when I discussed the [card name=”Drapion V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] tech. You can win a Prize trade against Mew VMAX if you set up quickly and get the quad Powerful Colorles Energy KO play. Unfortunately, it is difficult to line that up, as Powerful Colorless Energy may get stuck in the Prizes, discard pile, or hand at any time, which you have no control over. If for some reason they do not prioritize getting [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench, then you only need three Powerful Colorless Energy and a Choice Belt. The line is to KO two Mew VMAX, one with an easy Drapion V KO, and the other with the loaded Lugia VSTAR. If they do not limit their hand size, then baby Lugia can pick up the KO much easier. You should look for that play, as most Mew VMAX players probably won’t play around it. However, it is very easy for them to do so if they know about it.
Your other line to win is to go first, take a two Prize KO on turn 2, then two more consecutive two Prize KO’s with gust effects. This relies on some luck, but if you pull it off, you will always win the Prize trade. Basically, Lugia VSTAR can win Prize trades against Mew VMAX, but Mew VMAX is more consistent and lower-maintenance. This is why Mew VMAX has a slight edge in the matchup. I guess it’s possible that the Mew VMAX player’s skill level and familiarity with the matchup also makes a difference.
You also want to keep Echoing Horn in mind in case you can fill your Bench with single-Prize Pokemon, but using Lumineon V’s attack in this matchup is not advisable. You cannot afford the tempo loss from that.
Kyurem VMAX — Slightly Unfavorable
This matchup is basically the Mew VMAX matchup, but you don’t get value from Drapion V. The Prize trade lines are the same, except the Drapion V one-shot is replaced by 2HKO’ing one of the [card name=”Kyurem VMAX” set=”Lost Origin” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card]. This is obviously a lot worse, as Kyurem VMAX easily obliterates Lugia VSTAR in one shot. Losing Drapion V’s utility is more or less offset by the fact that Kyurem VMAX is less consistent than Mew VMAX. They don’t always draw exactly what they need, as they see way fewer cards than a Mew VMAX deck.
Kyurem VMAX also takes out Lugia VSTAR more often than sniping with gust effects like Mew VMAX, but that doesn’t really matter. It just means that you need to preserve Powerful Colorless Energy for the turn where you get all four copies, and I would advise doing that against Mew VMAX anyway. You also don’t have to play around Echoing Horn, but again, that’s difficult to do in the first place.
I don’t expect Kyurem VMAX to play Temple of Sinnoh, as there isn’t a reason for them to. They won’t be able to consistently pair Temple of Sinnoh and Roxanne together, and they have a favored matchup anyway. If they do, it will probably be a minor annoyance at worst. I don’t expect one or two Temple of Sinnoh from Kyurem VMAX to change many percentage points. Kyurem VMAX has no way to find them anyway!
Other Matchups
I haven’t tested against other matchups yet. I imagine that the [card name=”Regigigas” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] matchup is slightly unfavorable. You need to get value from [card name=”Dunsparce” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”207″ c=”name”][/card] and try to win a Prize trade. That matchup would just be a slugfest that Regi has a slight edge in. The [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] matchup doesn’t seem too bad. There’s nothing in the deck for Sableye to actually kill. If Lumineon V ever takes damage and is danger of being KO’d, you should probably use Aqua Return to take a Prize and heal it. Lugia VSTAR is so ridiculously powerful that it should be able to steamroll other matchups if it sets up fast enough.
Conclusion
That’s all I have for now! The Lugia VSTAR deck is incredibly strong. I do not look forward to playing against it in tournament because it is a tempo monster. My current list is a good starting point for the deck. It may or may not be the optimal way to play the deck. The format hasn’t even begun yet, so there’s a lot of exploring left to do. I encourage you to try the list, and also to try other ideas that you have. I don’t think Lugia VSTAR is broken, and I think it actually fits into the meta quite well. I didn’t see any other Pokemon from Silver Tempest that I think will be terribly strong. I briefly tested Regidrago VSTAR, and it was very underwhelming. As for any of the other cards, I’m often wrong about predicting what will be good, so time will tell.
Thanks for reading!
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