GLC Part 3 – The Best and Most Fun Deck

Apparently, it’s been over a year since my last installment in the Gym Leader Challenge series, and that’s just a crime. GLC is debatably more popular than Expanded these days, but that’s not exactly a high bar. In the past year, I’ve gotten cards banned from Colorless Control and Amazing [card name=”Kyogre” set=”Shining Fates” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card], so those are unfortunately not playable anymore. I still have some ideas for Colorless Control, but most of my efforts have been put toward a new monstrosity; today I will be sharing GLC Shock Lock with you all. This is my favorite deck to play in recent memory (across all formats), though I’m sure opponents do not enjoy the experience.

If you need a refresher on GLC, check out this article and this webpage.

If you’ve been around for a while, you may remember an Expanded deck known as Shock Lock — this is a deck based around paralyzing the opponent every single turn with [card name=”Raichu” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]. The original version of the deck used [card name=”Stoutland” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] to lock Supporters, while also getting access to [card name=”Lillipup” set=”Black and White” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card]’s attack to infinite your resources, but the Lightning-type in GLC happens to have the perfect blend of cards to replicate the Shock Lock strategy, though we don’t have the Supporter-locking capability of Stoutland.

I’ve spent a bit of time playing and refining this list, and am quite proud of the result. I wouldn’t be surprised if this deck ended up being deemed too strong and getting banned, even though there are plenty of counters that exist.

[cardimg name=”Lanturn” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”74″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Lanturn” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] has the most broken attack in the game, recovering four Items at a time, allowing us to go infinite, and [card name=”Raichu” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] evolves and devolves every turn, leaving the opponent paralyzed again and again. Every other card in the deck is dedicated to the goal of achieving the perfect setup.

Lanturn’s Salvage attack prioritizes recovery cards, [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Devolution Spray” set=”Fates Collide” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] — this allows you to infinitely use the Abilities of Raichu and [card name=”Manectric” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card] allow you to play [card name=”Lt. Surge’s Strategy” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] and any two Supporters every turn, so if you aren’t using [card name=”Thorton” set=”Lost Origin” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] to stabilize, you’ll be using two [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] to deck the opponent out and get rid of their resources.

The deck revolves around Lanturn. Lanturn is the only way to infinite your resources, and [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] are your only ways to recover Lanturn. Fortunately, Lanturn can recover those cards, mitigating the risk of you running out of Lanturn, however, if, at any time you have Rescue Stretcher, Super Rod, and Lanturn unavailable, you lose. These cards sometimes therefore need to be protected, or at the very least, you must be careful and considerate when deciding how to use or discard them.

By extension, [card name=”Chinchou” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] is the Basic Pokemon that I value most highly — I want to put it into play quickly so that it can evolve into Lanturn and start using Salvage. This bails me out of situations where I had to discard Rescue Stretcher or Super Rod. I don’t want to leave an unevolved Chinchou in the Active where it is most vulnerable to being KO’d.

Raichu gets used every turn during the end-game lock, but you also want to use it aggressively throughout the game. Using Raichu while you set up can disrupt the opponent’s tempo and buy you time. Even if they have a switch card to get out of it, that’s completely fine — switch cards are the only way for the opponent to escape Paralysis, so if they use them before you’ve established the lock, that’s not even a problem. Furthermore, using Raichu allows you to get value out of Scoop up Net and Devolution Spray as you draw into them throughout the beginning of the game.

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Deck List

Here is the latest terror of GLC:

[decklist name=”sL” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Raichu” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”41″][pokemon amt=”11″]1x [card name=”Raichu” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pikachu” set=”XY” no=”42″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lanturn” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Chinchou” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Manectric” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Electrike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”82″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Blitzle” set=”Noble Victories” no=”35″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Electrode” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Voltorb” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”46″]1x [card name=”Arezu” set=”Lost Origin” no=”153″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ball Guy” set=”Shining Fates” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Gloria” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hapu” set=”Unified Minds” no=”200″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ingo and Emmet” set=”Team Up” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lt. Surge’s Strategy” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Peonia” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Thorton” set=”Lost Origin” no=”167″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Bicycle” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Capturing Aroma” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”153″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Devolution Spray” set=”Fates Collide” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Devolution Spray Z” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”166″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Evosoda” set=”XY” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Battle Styles” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Carrier” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Roller Skates” set=”XY” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Timer Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Trekking Shoes” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Xtransceiver” set=”Noble Victories” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Stormy Mountains” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”3″]1x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”XY” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Recycle Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”212″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]This beautiful mess of a list is indeed 60 different cards, all hand-picked with love and consideration. The goal is to rush toward the bottom of the deck with indiscriminate speed while getting every Pokemon in the deck on the board — your fully set-up board should have every single Pokemon in play, and it doesn’t even take too long to get to this point. Once you have set up and drawn through your entire deck, the lock is complete.

Card Explanations

Support Pokemon

[card name=”Electrode” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card] are vanilla Support Pokemon that help you draw through the deck. It’s possible to go an entire game without one or the other, but it’s ideal to have both. Manectric is the most valuable of the three, although it seems weaker because its Ability is conditional on it evolving it is deceptively crucial for the deck. For one, its free Retreat Cost comes in handy often, and it can also gain value from randomly drawing Devolution Spray or Scoop Up Net (similar to Raichu).

Manectric serves two purposes in the end game; firstly, if the opponent bumps [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] and takes a KO at the same time, Manectric can draw the rest of your deck while also allowing you to use [card name=”Thorton” set=”Lost Origin” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card] instead of [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card]. Lusamine is the Supporter of choice for when the opponent gets rid of PokeStop, but if they also take a KO, you’ll need to use Thorton instead.

[cardimg name=”Manectric” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”52″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Secondly, Manectric enables Pal Pad plays. After using Salvage for four, you draw for turn and use PokeStop to draw the entire deck. You can then use Pal Pad to recover Lt. Surge’s Strategy and Bellelba and Brycen-Man (for example), use Manectric to draw into them, use play them both (with zero cards left in deck), and then use VS Seeker for another Bellelba and Brycen-Man. In this scenario, you are fully set up and used Salvage to recover VS Seeker, Scoop Up Net, Pal Pad, and Devolution Spray. You can then use double Bellelba and Brycen-Man, and also reset Manectric and Raichu.

[card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] is great in the early game; it serves as a meatshield for the squishy fellas, and its attack draws cards! It even has free retreat! Tapu Koko also serves as a convenient Thorton target in the late game — you always need a spare Basic Pokemon in play so that you can use Thorton!

Peonia and Gladion

Unfortunately, this deck requires that you check your Prize cards. You must check for all of the Pokemon and combo pieces, and you also need access to cards such as [card name=”Thorton” set=”Lost Origin” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card] and PokeStop. You don’t care if consistency cards are prized — if only one crucial card is prized, you can use [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] and call it a day. The same thing applies if one Basic Pokemon is prized (for [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card]), or if one Basic and any other card is prized (Hisuian Heavy Ball and Gladion).

There are still many instances where you must use [card name=”Peonia” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card], however. Sometimes, Peonia followed by Gladion is enough, but if you’re exceptionally unlucky, you’ll have to use Peonia twice. This is fine, but it makes the deck a little bit slower. The worst case is having to play Gladion for Peonia, and then having to use Peonia twice — if Gladion and Peonia are both prized, along with something like [card name=”Lanturn” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], you simply laugh it off. In any case, you need to check your Prizes so that you know the most convenient route to accessing the Prize cards that you need.

Marnie

[card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] is a pretty good draw Supporter as it lets you save cards such as [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] while also drawing cards. Marnie’s disruption trait is valuable as well — if the opponent catches on to your strategy and tries to stockpile switch cards, Marnie will destroy them.

Thorton

Thorton is the most beautiful piece in the deck. It solves all of your problems! If the opponent uses a switch and KO’s Lanturn, no problem. Simply use Thorton for [card name=”Chinchou” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] and recover Lanturn with Rescue Stretcher. [card name=”Recycle Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”212″ c=”name”][/card] saves itself, so you can continue happily using Salvage. If the opponent thinks they are clever by taking out [card name=”Pikachu” set=”XY” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card], you can use Thorton and continue paralyzing them. Before Thorton was released, this deck had to use unhinged shenanigans like [card name=”Will” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”208″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Wally” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], but Thorton makes things way easier.

Opponents have limited switch cards and limited draw power in GLC, and you shouldn’t have to use Thorton that often, but even if you do, it’s no problem. If you aren’t using Thorton, you can use [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] to try to mill switching cards.

Counter Catcher

[cardimg name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] serves a few purposes; if the opponent attacks with something that is resistant to Paralysis, such as a Pokemon that can evolve out of Paralysis or has some sort of Ability, you can use Counter Catcher to target anything else. You can also use Counter Catcher to drag up something with a high Retreat Cost. This is useful when setting up and whiff a turn of paralysis — Counter Catcher-stalling something is akin to paralyzing it.

Counter Catcher is also great against [card name=”Galarian Weezing” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card]. The main reason it is included in the deck, though, is because of [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card]. Zoroark is a fairly common card in GLC, and it can auto-win Paralysis strategies by itself, however, if you use Counter Catcher to bring Zoroark into the Active and then paralyze it, you win.

Enhanced Hammer

[card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] is a tech to deal with troublesome threats such as [card name=”Raikou” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Guzzlord” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card]. Fortunately, Enhanced Hammer is efficient at slowing those Pokemon down, and Lanturn can reuse it infinitely.

Escape Rope

This card is mainly included to use against the aforementioned Galarian Weezing and Wobbuffet. Its dual purpose as a switch card is useful as well. Sometimes you need a switch card, as the only other option for that is Scoop Up Net. I think [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] also wins you the mirror if they do not have it, but I could be wrong.

Doll and Robo Substitute

[card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] can be useful for buying some time in case you have a slow start, however, since this deck is so fast, you don’t always use them. They are sometimes used as a [card name=”Thorton” set=”Lost Origin” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card] target, or as fodder off an opponent’s Escape Rope.

I’ve also used [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] to prevent myself from decking out in some weird situations. For the most part, I just feed my opponent these cards while I am setting up.

Lightning Energy and Recycle Energy

Basic Lightning Energy allows you to play the game in case something happens to [card name=”Recycle Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”212″ c=”name”][/card]. The worst-case scenario is that your opponent has [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] — you want to be careful with using [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] until the [card name=”Recycle Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”212″ c=”name”][/card] is safe and sound. Recycle Energy goes on [card name=”Lanturn” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] so that you can easily chain Lanturn once you are set up. Ideally, your opponent will be paralyzed, so you won’t need Recycle Energy too many times, but it is still an important card. If something happens to Recycle Energy, you can still infinitely recover your Energy with Super Rod and the basic Lightning Energy.

Lightning Energy also allows Lanturn to attack. Lanturn’s attack does 50 damage and confuses, and I don’t think I’ve had this come up before, but it can theoretically be useful. If you ran into something like [card name=”Cryogonal” set=”Unified Minds” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Luxio” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card], you would be forced to KO it. The Lightning Energy also allows some of the various Basic Pokemon to use paralysis attacks, which can be good when you have nothing better to do.

Hex Maniac and Sidney

[cardimg name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

These are two cards that I would consider playing in the deck depending on the meta, but at the current time are not needed.

[card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] is a powerful card that can slow down any deck, and it can shut down threats such as [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] or the aforementioned [card name=”Zoroark” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Sidney” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”241″ c=”name”][/card] is the best counter I can come up with for [card name=”Lost City” set=”Lost Origin” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card]. Fortunately, Lost City isn’t prevalent in the current meta, and you can still use [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] or Belleba and Brycen-Man to try and keep it out of your opponent’s hand.

If the GLC meta were to sway in this direction, I would start including Hex Maniac or Sidney to best suit these changes.

Why Paralysis works

You may be thinking that the Paralysis strategy is too fragile. After all, anytime that the opponent has a switch card and a functional attacker, the Lanturn dies. While that’s true, there are no decks in GLC that are capable of doing this enough times to win the game. Every time they KO Lanturn, you use the cards you recovered with Salvage to reset Paralysis and get Lanturn back into play via Thorton. Even if they get one or two Prize cards for free while you set up, they still have to switch four times.

Furthermore, this deck is much faster than the average GLC deck. It’s not uncommon for this deck to set up before the opponent can even take one Prize card, however, even if you have a poor start, you have some leeway to give up a Prize card or two, and you also have Robo Substitute and Lillie’s Poke Doll.

[card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] is a major part in denying the opponent from switching multiple times — even if they have enough switch cards in their list ([card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Bird Keeper” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Tate and Liza” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card], etc.), Bellelba and Brycen-Man will almost certainly hit some of them. If the opponent stockpiles switch cards, such as with Shady Dealings [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card], you can use Marnie.

The GLC format is considerably slow, and Shock Lock takes advantage of that — your opponents won’t be able to consistently and aggressively draw into all of their switch cards, and they may expend some of them early on. Overall, they may be able to escape Paralysis a couple of times, but it’s never enough to win the game.

Matchups

The main reason why Shock Lock is so good now when it wasn’t before is that it had an auto-loss to Amazing Rare [card name=”Kyogre” set=”Shining Fates” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card]. With Kyogre banned, Shock Lock is now unstoppable. Against the average GLC deck, such as vanilla Grass, Water, or Metal, you will have a field day and easily win. There are some decks that are a bit more difficult, but I would say that every matchup is favorable overall, if only slightly.

Lightning is the most troublesome of the main decks due to Amazing Rare [card name=”Raikou” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card]; Raikou can take out [card name=”Lanturn” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pikachu” set=”XY” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card] at the same time. This is the biggest problem in the format. Raikou relies on Special Energy, so we try to spam [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] to prevent it from ever setting up. Unfortunately, Lightning has no access to Bench Barrier, and [card name=”Sky Pillar” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t great because we need PokeStop.

[cardimg name=”Galarian Weezing” set=”Shining Fates” no=”SV077″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

If they pull off the Raikou play, we use [card name=”Thorton” set=”Lost Origin” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card] to bring Pikachu back and evolve it into Raichu while also recovering [card name=”Chinchou” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] and putting it onto the Bench. We reset the Raichu, remove the Energy from Raikou with Enhanced Hammer, and ideally promote a [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card]. If they have the follow-up attack after that, you probably lose because they KO Chinchou. You should have access to [card name=”Devolution Spray” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card], so you can afford to whiff Salvage for one turn while never losing a turn of Raichu Paralysis.

Dark is annoying to play against, but it is a completely fine matchup. They have [card name=”Galarian Weezing” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] to lock Abilities, which slows us way down. Fortunately, it applies little pressure, and we will eventually get to [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]. If they have only Galarian Weezing in play and refuse to bench anything else, we have to start attacking with Lanturn. Lanturn wins the 1v1 because it 3HKO’s, and can escape Poison one time thanks to Escape Rope. That said, running into that situation is exceptionally rare. I’ve never seen it happen.

Dark also has [card name=”Zoroark” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card], which we discussed earlier. You must use [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] on it and continuously paralyze it. They will likely not evolve into it right away, so they get one get-out-of-jail-free card for Paralysis. Dark can also threaten with [card name=”Guzzlord” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], which takes two Prizes per KO, however, we have Enhanced Hammer to keep Guzzlord out of commission. Dark has the worst draw support in the format, so they will not be able to consistently find threats such as switch cards or Energy.

Dragon and Psychic are worth mentioning because [card name=”Dragonite” set=”Team Up” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Gallade” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] can search for switching Supporters on demand. This can be annoying, and you have to set up fast and be aggressive with [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] mills. [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] would be quite useful in those matchups.

Conclusions

Overall, I think that Shock Lock is the best deck in GLC. It is fast and fun to play, however, it is easily countered. If the GLC meta ever becomes more developed and this deck becomes popular, it will have to adapt to its many possible counters.

I definitely encourage you all to try out this format and this deck! Thanks for reading!

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