The Darkest Day Again — The Return of Eternatus VMAX
Hello everyone, and Happy New Year! The year may be different, but when it comes to the Pokemon TCG, the format is still the same as it was at the end of 2022 — no changes yet! In a few weeks, we’ll get a couple of new cards with the release of Crown Zenith, but if you’re playing at the upcoming Regional Championships in San Diego or Liverpool, you’ll still be in the same Silver Tempest format as Arlington, Toronto, and Stuttgart. In Arlington, [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] proved itself to once again be the dominant deck of the format, and it should continue to be the deck to beat going forward. The other top-tier decks ([card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] and Lost Box) are making up a solid but not overwhelming meta share, and a variety of Lugia VSTAR counter decks have continued to pop up. In Arlington, there were three other archetypes that managed to get more than two Day 2 placements: [card name=”Regigigas” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], and the deck I’m going to talk about in this article, [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Lost Origin” no=”TG22″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Galarian Weezing” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card].
Going into the Arlington Regional Championships, our local playgroup had a few different decks that we considered to bring. I was among the group that chose to play [card name=”Regigigas” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], which, while it went well for some of us, did not go so great for me! The other option I was considering was a version of Eternatus VMAX that we had been working on, which I regrettably ended up switching off a few days before the tournament. The players who did end up staying on Eternatus VMAX ended up doing well; a few folks made Day 2, while the rest still did well enough to earn some Championship Points. All in all, Eternatus VMAX / Galarian Weezing managed to make five Day 2 spots, despite a quite low meta share. Eternatus VMAX made a few splashes with its strong results in Japan’s Champions League Kyoto, but it had actually come on to our radar a touch earlier, as a result of Alexandre Gosselin’s 38th place performance at the Toronto Regional Championships. Our list ended up resembling that one closely, with a few changes, as we felt it was stronger and more consistent than the lists we were seeing coming out of Japan. While it may have been one of the more unexpected archetypes to make a comeback, the recent results have shown that Eternatus VMAX is indeed a strong deck, and it’s one that has a good chance of being added to the short list of predictable meta decks. It plays into the top meta decks well, and it has the kind of baseline stats needed to give it an edge into the wider Standard format. In this article, I’ll be going over why Eternatus VMAX has been able to make this comeback, my list for the deck, and how to play it well.
The Eternatus VMAX / Galarian Weezing Combo
Why Eternatus VMAX?
[cardimg name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Lost Origin” no=”TG22″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
When I decided to play [card name=”Kyurem VMAX” set=”Lost Origin” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] for the Peoria Regional Championships, the philosophy behind my deck was this: if I can get OHKOs, and not get Knocked Out myself, then I’ll win the game. With Eternatus VMAX, the philosophy is close to the same. Even now, managing to get a OHKO on an Eternatus VMAX is nigh impossible without hitting for Weakness, and without many Fighting-types in the meta right now, that leaves Eternatus VMAX in an excellent position to be able to tank at least one hit. On the flipside, Eternatus VMAX can get KOs quite easily, as it can OHKO every VSTAR with either a [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] or a single ping from [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card]’s Headbutt Tantrum. The route to get to those OHKOs is slightly different from what you’d see when playing Kyurem VMAX, but the underlying idea is the same; I’ll KO you, you won’t KO me.
Eternatus VMAX has had a bit of a rough run since it came out, mostly due to the fact that the format has been far less than ideal for it up until now. After two sets of Eternatus VMAX being a decent option, Battle Styles came out, and with it, [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]. Since then, Eternatus VMAX has also struggled with popular decks like [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], plus the popularity of [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card]. It isn’t until now that a format has come along that actually allows the strengths of Eternatus VMAX to shine through. Eternatus VMAX has the kind of aggression needed to hang with decks like Lugia VSTAR and [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]. With Fighting-type decks and Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR decks also being kept down by those two, it turns out that the Standard format meta as a whole is quite nice for Eternatus. For those that aren’t quite as ideal, such as single-Prize decks like Lost Box or Regigigas, well, that’s where the Galarian Weezing part of this deck really makes an impact.
Why Galarian Weezing?
Ever since it came out in Rebel Clash, [card name=”Galarian Weezing” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] has been a potent anti-meta card — in theory. Neutralizing Gas is an incredible Ability, one which has the potential to win games single-handedly if up against the right opponent. In our current metagame, Abilities are incredibly important, especially for the top-tier decks. Lugia VSTAR relies on Abilities for Energy acceleration, Mew VMAX relies on them for draw power, and Lost Box relies on them for both consistency and attack power. If you can shut down those Abilities early on, then each of those decks turns from rather formidable to rather weak. Even outside of the big three meta decks, most decks don’t function well without being able to use any Abilities. Many matchups can be won by Galarian Weezing itself — in fact, you can even play quad-Weezing as its own stand-alone deck — but even if it doesn’t go that far, Galarian Weezing can still do an excellent job of slowing down your opponent so that you can get in a position to win.
By combining Galarian Weezing and Eternatus VMAX, you get a deck that can take two very different approaches to winning. If the Galarian Weezing strategy of hindering your opponent works, such as against Lost Box, then that’s all you need to do. Likewise, if you can win by taking an aggressive tack, you can forgo the Galarian Weezing and simply rush your opponent down with Eternatus VMAX. In most cases though, what you can do is to start with Galarian Weezing to slow your opponent down, then beat them with the “I KO you, you don’t KO me” strategy of Eternatus VMAX. This flexibility allows you to take on a wider range of decks, and helps to solve the problem that straight Weezing has of being a bit too meta reliant. Likewise, Galarian Weezing counterbalances the matchups of Eternatus quite well, as it tends to be great into the single-Prize decks that would traditionally give Eternatus VMAX trouble. The problems that a Galarian Weezing deck tends to have are mostly solved by the Eternatus VMAX part of the deck, and the problems that Eternatus VMAX tends to have are mostly solved by Galarian Weezing. The end result is that you are more or less playing two decks in one, but with an excellent synergy between the Pokemon that makes them far better than either would be individually.
[premium]
My Eternatus VMAX List
To start, let me share the list that I was going to play in Arlington; it is the same as the one that was actually played by our group at that tournament, with the notable addition of [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card], a card that I do believe is necessary in this deck. Here’s the list:
[decklist name=”eternatus” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″][pokemon amt=”20″]3x [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Eternatus V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Galarian Weezing” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Koffing” set=”Shining Fates” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Hisuian Sneasler” set=”Lost Origin” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”31″]3x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Bird Keeper” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”159″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ 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=”Fusion Strike” no=”237″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Big Parasol” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”157″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Boost Shake” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”142″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]8x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]1x [card name=”Hiding Darkness Energy” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”175″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
[cardimg name=”Galarian Weezing” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”113″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg]
The Pokemon lines in this deck aren’t anything crazy, simply our [card name=”Galarian Weezing” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], and a typical Eternatus support lineup with [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card]. By playing one less copy of [card name=”Eternatus V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card], you slightly increase your chances of starting with [card name=”Koffing” set=”Shining Fates” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], while also opening up another card slot. With Galarian Weezing, [card name=”Radiant Hisuian Sneasler” set=”Lost Origin” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] becomes the Radiant Pokemon of choice. Radiant Hisuian Sneasler makes it so that you can apply a bit more pressure than you’d otherwise be able to in matchups where Galarian Weezing is an important opener (such as against [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card]); it also improves your math against [card name=”Regigigas” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card].
The four copies of Crobat V reduce this deck’s reliance on draw Supporters and other consistency cards, but I still like having eight of those draw Supporters in the list. Less than that, and you can start to get some awkward hands in the mid-game, particularly if you haven’t been able to find Eternatus VMAX and you’re stuck with a full Bench of only 5 Pokemon. [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] is going to be your go-to Supporter when using Galarian Weezing, whereas [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] is best when you want to aim for a quick Eternatus VMAX opening strategy. The [card name=”Bird Keeper” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] helps by giving you another switching option; this improves your chances of being able to use Koffing’s Ascension on turn 1, and can likewise help you switch out of Galarian Weezing when it comes time to use Eternatus VMAX instead. The [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] gives you even more powerful late-game disruption, and while it is a good card in general, it is included in this list specifically to improve your matchup against Lugia VSTAR. Using Roxanne together with [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] can be quite strong (against Lugia VSTAR or any other decks that rely heavily on Special Energy cards), and when you combine that with the anti-[card name=”Yveltal” set=”Shining Fates” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] protection of [card name=”Big Parasol” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card], you can make it so that the opposing player needs multiple cards to get a win, but only have few cards with which to do that. Marnie alone can’t quite pull this off, especially if the opponent can keep one of the cards they need on top with [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”TG12″ c=”name”][/card], but Roxanne tends to get the job done.
Despite being an Eternatus VMAX deck, you don’t actually need a ton of Pokemon search as you’ll naturally draw into your Pokemon frequently by using Crobat V’s Dark Asset Ability. You do want to be a bit careful when using [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] to find any Basic Pokemon, since you will likely need it to find one Eternatus VMAX. The [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] makes it so that you don’t mind discarding Darkness Energy (in fact, it is a good idea to pitch an extra one early so that you can use your Dark Patch later), and help you to easily power up Eternatus VMAX, so that you can flow from one to another without any trouble. If you played Eternatus VMAX back when it came out, you’ve probably encountered problems where if you missed an attachment or got hit by your opponent’s [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card], Eternatus could easily fall behind. Thankfully, with this deck, that problem is gone thanks to the Dark Patch. As for our other Items, this list does play a single copy of [card name=”Boost Shake” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card], as it is an awesome card when you go first against an Ability-reliant deck like Lost Box or [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]. Even with only one copy, you can find it fairly often, thanks to the two [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] that this deck also plays. This list plays no Pokemon VSTAR, so having Forest Seal Stone is like having some copies of [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], which naturally helps the consistency of the deck immensely. Thanks to the ruling where Forest Seal Stone can be used while under [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card], it effectively increases your counter-Stadium outs to six, and against non-Path to the Peak decks, it functions as a wild card, capable of finding whatever you might need in that particular moment. You can only use it once, so you don’t really need more than two copies. But by having two, you can increase your chances of having it when you do need it. If you don’t want to use it right away, the second copy can also give you some peace of mind, so that you don’t have to worry about [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] when you attach it and don’t use it. That is, since you have another one in the deck, you don’t need to always use it right away — you can wait until it’s more important. It’s typically better to attach it to Crobat V as opposed to Eternatus V, since you may need to attach Big Parasol to the Eternatus instead, but either works in most scenarios.
The single copy of [card name=”Hiding Darkness Energy” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card] is quite good, but it can be a bit awkward when you play so many copies of Temple of Sinnoh. In most cases, it isn’t a big deal, but against matchups like Lugia VSTAR where you want to be attacking with Galarian Weezing while also having Temple of Sinnoh in play, Hiding Darkness Energy can be a liability. As a result, I’ve opted to play only one of them. With one copy, you have it to attach to something to give you a pivot option for after your Pokemon get KO’d, but you don’t have multiple bogging you down when your Stadium is in play. Since we have a copy of Bird Keeper in the deck, we also reduce the need for the extra free retreat effect. Finally, our Stadium of choice in this deck, Temple of Sinnoh, is meant to be a strong anti-meta card to give us even more of a chance to win. Lugia VSTAR, Mew VMAX, Regigigas, and [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] are all affected by Temple of Sinnoh, and by playing four copies, we can force the opponent to have to find counter after counter. If we can buy even one additional turn with it, that tends to be enough to win, especially if we’re at the stage in the game where we’re using Eternatus VMAX.
Other Deck Options
While this is the list that I would recommend, there are a few other options that are worth considering. In the other Eternatus VMAX lists from Arlington and Japan, there were a few Pokemon that were somewhat common — [card name=”Crobat VMAX” set=”Shining Fates” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Drapion V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] — as well as a few Trainers, such as [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Judge” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”235″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card]. All of these cards can be useful depending on the meta, and while I chose not to include any in the above list, they are certainly worth considering. In particular, I’m a big fan of both Judge and Choice Belt. Judge can help give this deck even more disruption when using Galarian Weezing, and is more useful than Marnie in the late game when you’re up against an opponent who is using [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card]. Choice Belt makes things easier for the Eternatus VMAX side of the deck. Heading into Arlington, our thinking was that the Choice Belt wouldn’t be entirely necessary, since the meta share of other Pokemon VMAX decks (which it would be good against) wasn’t all that high, and so we chose to cut it to open up another card slot. This ended up being accurate, but if the format were to shift in a way where people are playing more Pokemon VMAX, or if people start playing cards like [card name=”Big Charm” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] to get out of Eternatus VMAX’s KO range, then you would want to add Choice Band into the deck. This Eternatus VMAX / Galarian Weezing deck thankfully has some room for flexibility; if you want to try any of the above cards, you can cut the fourth copy of Temple of Sinnoh, or one draw Supporter to make the room you need.
Deck Matchups and Strategies
How you pilot this deck varies depending on what matchup you are playing into. Against some, you will play as if this is an aggressive [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] deck, where the goal is to take three quick KOs and win on turn 4. In others, you’ll utilize a slow and steady strategy of [card name=”Galarian Weezing” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] and disruption. In most though, you’ll do both, starting with the Galarian Weezing to slow the opponent down, then using Eternatus VMAX once you’re confident you can win the Prize race. What Pokemon you start with, whether you go first or second, and how each player sets up in the early game can also change your approach. Part of the fun of this deck is that it isn’t necessarily linear — your strategy can change from game to game, even against the same opponent.
Vs. Lugia VSTAR
Despite having the advantage of Galarian Weezing, the [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] matchup tends to be rather close. There are two ways to approach it: you can either be aggressive with Eternatus VMAX, or you can play a slow game with Galarian Weezing. If you go first, and can OHKO their only [card name=”Lugia V” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card], then you’ll definitely want to do that, as you’ll win pretty easily from that point. Most games aren’t that easy though, as nice as that would be! How I like to approach this matchup most of the time is to play the first part as if you’re a straight Galarian Weezing deck, then later transition to playing as an Eternatus VMAX deck. If you go into Eternatus too early, you can put yourself in danger, particularly if you don’t have a second Eternatus VMAX ready to go. The biggest threat that the Lugia VTSAR player has is their [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Shining Fates” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], which they can use to immediately turn around the Prize race, even if the Eternatus player happens to be winning. The tough thing about Yveltal is that you can’t gust around it, or else you’ll immediately lose when they attack a second Eternatus VMAX, so you have to KO it and go to an odd number of Prizes. Effectively, by using Yveltal, they’ll not only be able to take half of the Prizes they need to win, but they’ll also get a bonus turn, since the Prize that you get for it won’t actually get you closer to winning. You can defend against this by using [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Big Parasol” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card], but if they can get around those, then things become quite dicey. The game against Lugia VSTAR will typically come down to whether or not you can disrupt them properly to keep your Eternatus VMAX protected long enough to win.
[cardimg name=”Big Parasol” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”157″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Whether you go first or second against Lugia VSTAR, you’ll want to try to get your Galarian Weezing into play and into the Active Spot, so that you can prevent your opponent from using Summoning Star. If your opponent only has one Lugia V in play, then you can use Eternatus VMAX to KO it quickly and end the game. If they have two in play, then you’ll want to stick with Galarian Weezing for a bit, unless you are confident that your opponent won’t be able to retaliate with Yveltal (for instance, if they’ve discarded it). In addition to your Galarian Weezing, you’ll want to find your [card name=”Radiant Hisuian Sneasler” set=”Lost Origin” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], so that you can apply a bit more pressure with your Galarian Weezing and shorten the amount of time that your opponent has to find a way out of the lock. Having Radiant Hisuian Sneasler in play effectively cuts the amount of time it takes to KO a [card name=”Lugia V” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] by a turn, which adds up quickly. Once you’re in the Galarian Weezing lock scenario, you’ll be applying pressure with Poison, while your opponent will be trying to power up a Lugia V (so that they can attack and KO your Galarian Weezing), as well as trying to find a [card name=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] to get around your Neutralizing Gas (if you have a Bench target in play). Likewise, your goal is to keep Galarian Weezing in the Active Spot as long as you can, until you’re ready to transition to an Eternatus VMAX gameplan. If you’ve managed to start with a [card name=”Koffing” set=”Shining Fates” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] (and thus have no Serena targets in play), then you’ll want to keep only Galarian Weezing in play until your opponent gets to the point where they can start taking a KO. At that point, what you’ll want to do is to put multiple [card name=”Eternatus V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card] onto the Bench and use [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] (or [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card], if possible) to disrupt your opponent, with the idea that you’ll be attacking with Eternatus VMAX on the following turn. If you have started the game with a Eternatus V or a [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], then you’ll want to go into the Eternatus a touch sooner, since your opponent will be able to get around Neutralizing Gas earlier as well. It is typically a good idea not to evolve your Eternatus V until you’re ready to attack with it, as you’re otherwise at risk of getting hit by Yveltal on the same turn that your opponent gets around Galarian Weezing. Again, when you do start attacking with Eternatus VMAX, you’ll want to use Marnie, Temple of Sinnoh, and Big Parasol to minimize the risk that your opponent can respond by attacking with Yveltal. If you can prevent that, then you should win; if you can’t, then the match tends to end in a loss unless you’ve managed to get well ahead with Galarian Weezing.
Vs. Lost Box
Against any Lost Box variant, you’ll want to pretend that you only play Galarian Weezing. Try to get two or more Galarian Weezing into play as fast as you can, so that [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t an out for your opponent to get around your deck. One can get the job done, but it isn’t impossible for them to find a way to slowly take a KO on that one, so more than one copy on your board is ideal. With that said, since Escape Rope is a threat, it can be a good idea to focus on one at first, then later switch back to a Koffing and use Ascension. That way, you never give your opponent a chance to get out of the lock. This is, of course, assuming you start with Koffing; if you don’t, then you’ll want to find as many Koffing and Galarian Weezing as you can. When you have Galarian Weezing in the Active Spot, you’ll want to use Marnie anytime that you aren’t confident that your opponent has an unplayable hand. For instance, if they’ve just played a [card name=”Colress’s Experiment” set=”Lost Origin” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card], then it is quite likely that they will have something to improve their position on the following turn, so you should disrupt them by playing Marnie. On the other hand, if they’ve done nothing but draw and pass, then you won’t want to help them out by refreshing their hand. Without Abilities, the consistency of Lost Box decks drops severely, and without those Abilities, they won’t be able to get enough cards into the Lost Zone to use their [card name=”Mirage Gate” set=”Lost Origin” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] attackers. You’ll want to watch out for [card name=”Snorlax” set=”Lost Origin” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card], as they can potentially power it up manually to attack you; if you see them going for that move, use [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] to attack it first if you can.
Vs. Mew VMAX
In theory, the [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] matchup should be a great matchup. In practice, it isn’t necessarily an autowin. It is possible for Mew VMAX to outrace you to six Prize cards if they can get the first KO, especially if they are playing the [card name=”Meloetta” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] build, or if you happen to miss a turn of attacking on your end. It is quite difficult for them to actually KO an Eternatus VMAX, as doing so requires a [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] and all four copies of their [card name=”Power Tablet” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”236″ c=”name”][/card], so the Mew VMAX player will typically try to attack your Crobat V or any unevolved Eternatus V instead. They certainly can’t do so twice, which means they will always need three attacks in order to win. This means that even if you don’t get the first attack, you can still outpace them by taking a KO on two Mew VMAX. If you do get the first attack, then the matchup tends to go quite well.
If you’re up against the non-Meloetta build, then I’ve found it best to simply ignore Galarian Weezing, and play as if you’re an aggressive Eternatus VMAX deck. The exception to this is if you can’t find multiple Eternatus V on turn 1 when going second, in which case you’ll want to use Galarian Weezing to hopefully slow them down and prevent them from gusting up that Eternatus V and leaving you without an attacker. If you happen to be going second and can naturally get a Galarian Weezing in the Active Spot, then it certainly isn’t bad, but it shouldn’t be something that you prioritize over your Eternatus VMAX. Against the Meloetta build, you have to be a bit more careful, since they can use Meloetta to force you to attack three times to win. If you go first against that build, then again, pure Eternatus VMAX is the way to go, though you’ll want to try to have a non-Pokemon V in the Active Spot in case they get off a turn 1 Melodious Echo. If you can manage to use [card name=”Boost Shake” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] in that scenario, even better. If you go second, then you’ll definitely want to try to slow them down with Galarian Weezing, so that either you can get the first attack off, or you can force them to attack into that Galarian Weezing. If they do have to attack into the Galarian Weezing, then you’ll want to KO the Meloetta; then you can win the Prize trade by taking a KO on a Mew VMAX and any other Pokemon V, whereas they’ll need to somehow manage to OHKO a Pokemon V and an Eternatus VMAX in order to win. This is of course still possible even without the extra damage from Meloetta, so you’ll want to use Temple of Sinnoh and Roxanne to disrupt them if you can. Temple of Sinnoh is particularly fun in this matchup — not only does it make it harder for the Mew VMAX player to attack, but it prevents [card name=”Fusion Strike Energy” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”244″ c=”name”][/card] from giving your opponent a way around Neutralizing Gas. Overall, this matchup is favorable, especially when going first, but you still will want to be smart about it.
Vs. Regigigas
Like against Lost Box, you’ll want to focus on using Galarian Weezing. Eternatus VMAX is notably not good in this matchup, as it can be OHKO’d by [card name=”Regirock” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. If you can keep a Galarian Weezing in the Active Spot however, you can prevent your opponent from using Ancient Wisdom, which means they will be unable to attack. If you can, avoid putting down either Eternatus V or Crobat V, so your opponent can’t get around Galarian Weezing by using Serena. Aside from multiple Galarian Weezing, you’ll also want to find your Radiant Hisuian Sneasler, as it effectively allows you to KO their Regis with only one attack. By using Galarian Zigzagoon, you can KO them on your turn, allowing you to attack a different Regi to keep the pressure on. The [card name=”Regigigas” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] player will typically try and manually power up a [card name=”Regidrago” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] or a Regigigas on the bench, so if you can, you’ll want to use your Boss’s Orders to bring up and attack those Pokemon to set them even further behind. You will also want to keep Temple of Sinnoh in play, so that it’s even harder for them to do anything. Like the Lost Box matchup, the Regigigas matchup tends to come down to whether or not you can keep the Neutralizing Gas lock active, and whether or not you have enough Galarian Weezing to get through them even if they are able to power up a Regi or two. In general, this matchup tends to be rather favorable, though your odds of winning are a bit dependent on whether you have to start with a Pokemon V or not.
Vs. Arceus VSTAR
In our current format, [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] tends to be paired either with [card name=”Duraludon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] or with [card name=”Espeon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] and other counter-meta cards such as [card name=”Flying Pikachu VMAX” set=”Celebrations” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Aerodactyl VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. Arceus VSTAR itself isn’t too much trouble — you can one-shot it, and it can’t one-shot you, so this matchup tends to come down to whether or not their other Pokemon can take on Eternatus.
Galarian Weezing can be good at times against Arceus VSTAR, particularly if you go second, but in many cases, you’ll want to use Eternatus VMAX as fast as possible. Against Arceus VSTAR / Duraludon VMAX (the most commonly played Arceus VSTAR deck at the moment), you can trade 2HKOs with the Duraludon VMAX even if they use a [card name=”Hyper Potion” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], but keep in mind that still means you’ll have to attack five times to win, whereas they can win with four attacks against Eternatus VMAX, or three if they’re able to repeatedly use Boss’s Orders to KO three Crobat V. You can shorten things up by one attack if you’re able to use Serena or Boss’s Orders to bring up and KO an unevolved [card name=”Duraludon V” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card]. Another trick is to use Galarian Weezing to soften up the Duraludon VMAX with your first attack, instead of using Eternatus VMAX to do so; this still leads to a 2HKO, but will give them fewer Prizes if they can’t gust around the Galarian Weezing. Keep in mind you’ll have to do this twice, as otherwise they can still win in four attacks by taking a KO on a Crobat V at some point.
Other Arceus VSTAR matchups tend to be a bit easier, especially if you can OHKO whatever the partner Pokemon is. In each case, you’ll want to aim for quick KOs against their [card name=”Arceus V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] when going first, and to try to use Ascension to slow them down when going second.
Vs. Other Matchups
One of the best parts about this Eternatus VMAX / Galarian Weezing deck is how strong it is into the wide variety of decks that you might run into. Off-meta decks made up nearly 30% of the field in Arlington, so even as large as [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] is, you’re as likely to hit a deck that isn’t one of the above meta decks as you are to hit Lugia. So, by having a deck that’s good into that wide field of non-meta decks, you’ll have a nice advantage over the course of an event. Most opposing decks will end up being weak to either the Eternatus VMAX half or the Galarian Weezing half of this deck, it just tends to be a matter of figuring out which to prioritize. When playing into something rogue, you’ll want to evaluate how reliant your opponent is on Abilities — the more reliant they are, the better Galarian Weezing will be. In general, if you’re up against a single-Prize deck, you’ll want to focus more on Galarian Weezing as well, and vice versa. Against Pokemon V decks, Eternatus VMAX tends to be stronger, especially when you’re going first. If you’re going second, or if the matchup is such that it might be a bit slower, then starting with Galarian Weezing and then going into Eternatus VMAX later is a reliable strategy.
Conclusion
Going forward, I’m anticipating [card name=”Eternatus VMAX” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] to be a solid deck up until it rotates out in April. Nothing out of Crown Zenith changes things much for the deck, as there shouldn’t be any new additions to add to Eternatus VMAX, nor is there anything obvious on the horizon that would make me worried for its future. So, if you’re looking for a deck that is a bit off-meta, but is still strong and should stick around for a bit, then I highly recommend giving Eternatus VMAX / [card name=”Galarian Weezing” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] a try!
We’ve now come to the end of this article, but as always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to message me, ask me in the comments, or ask all of us writers in our PTCG Subscriber’s Hideout! Best of luck everyone, and stay safe!
Thanks for reading!
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