Why Stop At One? — My Top Four Standard Lists

Hello all PokeBeach readers! It’s Gabriel Semedo again with another Pokémon TCG article, and this time, I’m going to talk about my favorite lists for the four best decks in the format.

Many tournaments are still taking place around the world, but the format has essentially stabilized, with four great decks in prominence: [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card], Regis, Lost Box, and [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]. Other decks like [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Duraludon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Vikavolt V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Aerodactyl VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] have been doing well here and there, but most of the good results have been achieved by just four decks, something that has become increasingly rare recently. Usually, there are many decks with good chances of success, but due to the absurd power of Lugia VSTAR, many decks have had to retire. [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] and Arceus VSTAR / [card name=”Flying Pikachu VMAX” set=”Celebrations” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card], once staples of Tier One, can no longer compete the way they used to.

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

This is also a metagame that will see few big changes, as the four top decks really are at a different level of quality. Lugia VSTAR, Regis, Lost Box, and Mew VMAX are completely different decks from each other, but all manage to sustain themselves in Tier One on account of their strengths.

The strongest deck of the four is Lugia VSTAR. It is the easiest deck to play as well, but the most expensive to build. Regis, on the other hand, is the cheapest to build, but the hardest to play. Lost Box is also difficult to play and has balanced matchups against everything. Mew VMAX is easy to play and as strong as Lugia in many ways, but a counter exists in the form of [card name=”Drapion V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card], which is very common in the metagame. Some players run up to two copies of Drapion V in their deck to make sure they have a good matchup.

In today’s article, I’m going to share the lists I’m using from these top four decks, and give you my take on them. It is very important to understand why these four decks stand out more than the others in the metagame, both for players who like to use metagame decks and for players like me with a creative profile, who like to bring a different option to go head-to-head with the stabilized metagame. Usually, when we see a very different deck stand out, such as Vikavolt V / Aerodactyl, the creator of the deck dedicated a lot of time to understanding the metagame in order to create a deck with strong responses. That’s why, before creating anything, the ideal is to study the decks that already exist in depth.

Lugia VSTAR

[decklist name=”Lugia VSTAR” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″][pokemon amt=”19″]3x [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Lugia V” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Archeops” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Shining Fates” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dunsparce” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”207″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Stoutland V” set=”Battle Styles” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”26″]3x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Celebrations” no=”24″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”200″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Bird Keeper” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”159″ 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]2x [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”15″]4x [card name=”Powerful Colorless Energy” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”176″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Aurora Energy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”V Guard Energy” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Heat Fire Energy” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”174″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]Lugia VSTAR is the best deck in format for a number of reasons. [card name=”Archeops” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card]’s Ability offers incredible possibilities, the deck has high offensive and defensive power, and most lists can afford solid consistency. There is still no great deck in the format that can consistently beat Lugia VSTAR, so for me it’s the best option among metagame decks to use in a tournament. I see no reason to stop using Lugia VSTAR in favor of any other deck.

Regis, Lost Box, and Mew VMAX are always balanced matchups. Lugia VSTAR puts pressure on the opponent, and that in itself is a point in its favor. While you only have to worry about executing your game plan—discarding Archeops, evolving Lugia VSTAR, and bringing the right Pokémon into play—your opponent has to scramble to stop your big threats. They know that a well-timed [card name=”Stoutland V” set=”Battle Styles” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], Amazing Rare [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Shining Fates” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] in the Active Spot can be almost impossible to stop, since Archeops can find you up to four Special Energy a turn.

If there is a reliable way to beat Lugia VSTAR, perhaps it is to stop its strongest Pokémon from attacking through [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card]. Lugia dedicates a good part of its deck space to strong attackers for different situations, so some lists have few resources for dealing with Stadiums. If Path to the Peak comes in before Lugia VSTAR can use its VSTAR Power, Archeops doesn’t come in and all the deck’s magic doesn’t happen. [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]  is the best way to remove this Stadium when that happens, but in return the Lugia player will have to live with Pumpkaboo until the end of the game. Temple of Sinnoh can also cause problems, especially late in the game after a [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card]. With Temple of Sinnoh on the field, Yveltal and Radiant Charizard cannot attack, while Lugia hits only 220 and Stoutland only 40 damage. Many Lost Box lists use this gambit.

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Regis

[decklist name=”Regis” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Regigigas” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”130″][pokemon amt=”14″]3x [card name=”Regigigas” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Regidrago” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Regirock” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Regice” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”37″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Registeel” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”108″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Regieleki” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Regieleki” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Celebrations” no=”24″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Trekking Shoes” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]4x [card name=”Aurora Energy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Speed L Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Twin Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”174″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Gift Energy” set=”Lost Origin” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Regigigas” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”130″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Regis may appear to be a simple and easy deck, but it is one of the hardest decks to play. It takes a little time to learn to sequence at a competitive level. One of the things that took me the longest to learn was how to manage the retreating issue. Whenever a Regi is Knocked Out, you need to promote another one, preferably [card name=”Regidrago” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] because of its draw Ability. However, practically all the Regis have a Retreat Cost of three; that is, even with [card name=”Air Balloon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card], you need an Energy to retreat. Regigigas’s Ability allows you to attach three Energy cards to the same Pokémon, and this is where you often realize if you or your opponent is really a good Regis player: many times, an inexperienced player will spend a [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] to retreat their Regidrago, but this is not always the best option. If you use Scoop Up Net on Regigigas instead, you reset its Ability and can use it again. Therefore, in many cases, the right play is not to promote Regidrago to the Active Spot following a Knock Out, but Regigigas, as you guarantee your retreat and get two uses of its Ability that turn.

The reason for this deck’s success is simple: it has a good matchup against Lost Box and balanced matchups against Lugia VSTAR and Mew VMAX. One problem for is Flying Pikachu VMAX, but fortunately Flying Pikachu VMAX is not very popular at the moment, so Regis has a clear path ahead. Duraludon VMAX is a problem in theory, but with four copies of Path to the Peak and three copies of Choice Belt, you can easily deal 330 damage to Duraludon VMAX with Regigigas.

For any of this deck’s matchups, there is a big difference between an inexperienced opponent and an experienced opponent. If they don’t know how to play the matchup well, it tends to be very smooth, but if they have practiced it, it will be a long and tense game, regardless of the deck they are using. A Lugia VSTAR player will take care to attack with as many single-Prize Pokémon as possible, a Lost Box player will try to string together combos like Roxanne and Temple of Sinnoh, and the Mew VMAX player will try very hard to put two copies of the same Regi in the Lost Zone with [card name=”Lost City” set=”Lost Origin” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card].

Having success with Regis depends a lot on your skill as a player and the skill of each of your opponents. Regardless of whether you play the deck in tournaments, it’s worth practicing both with it and against it to develop those skills.

Mew VMAX

[decklist name=”Mew VMAX” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Oricorio” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”42″][pokemon amt=”12″]3x [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Mew V” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Genesect V” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”42″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”44″]1x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ 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″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cyllene” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Rotom Phone” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”64″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Cram-o-matic” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”229″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Cross Switcher” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”230″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Power Tablet” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”236″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Echoing Horn” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Big Parasol” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”157″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Lost City” set=”Lost Origin” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]Mew VMAX is one of the strongest and most consistent decks of all time, and its biggest strength has yet to falter. From the second turn, you can Knock Out any Pokémon you want. Most single-player games with Mew VMAX have the goal of Knocking Out three Pokémon V in three turns. In more than ten years of the Pokémon TCG, I’ve never seen anything like it, but while Mew VMAX is absurdly strong, the format has built-in ways of beating it—like Kryptonite to Mew VMAX’s Superman.

[cardimg name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”269″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Until recently, Path to the Peak was Mew VMAX’s biggest weakness, but now with [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] and draw Supporters like [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Avery” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card], it’s increasingly rare for Mew VMAX to lose to a Stadium by itself. Now, the most effective counter is Drapion V. Since it requires no Energy, there is no way to stop it, and if your opponent is smart, they will keep Drapion in their hand for the entire game and drop it only when you attack with Mew VMAX. They know that you play Lost City and that they will only have one opportunity to attack with it.

It is precisely because I know that there is no way to stop Drapion V that I prefer this version of Mew VMAX, because the sooner I can bring the opponent’s Drapion V to the field, the sooner I can play Roxanne and Lost City and try to turn the game. Even if you lose a Mew VMAX right at the beginning of the game and the opponent is three Prizes up, Roxanne is useful: as the game is only in the third turn, the opponent’s deck will still have many cards with little filtering, increasing the chance even more of them getting a dead hand.

There are other cards worth mentioning in this list, like [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card]: in many games, you want three [card name=”Genesect V” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] and three [card name=”Mew V” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] on the field, and if two copies of either of these Pokémon are in the Prizes, your field is no longer the way you want it. Marnie is a cool card for Lost Box and Regis, because you prevent the opponent from accumulating too many cards in their hand, consequently moderating the power of their moves. [card name=”Cross Switcher” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”230″ c=”name”][/card] is okay; it helps you make some strong moves with [card name=”Cyllene” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] and Roxanne. [card name=”Echoing Horn” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] is a useful card in games where you start behind on Prizes, as it can help you shorten your path to victory by one turn by returning an opponent’s Pokémon V to the field. It’s a useful Item against Lugia VSTAR, for example, because the opponent will only want to play one or two Pokémon V on the field during the whole game, forcing you to Knock Out single-Prize Pokémon instead. And speaking of Lugia VSTAR, one card in this list just for this matchup is [card name=”Big Parasol” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card], since you can use it to prevent the effect of Yveltal’s attack.

There are two versions of Mew VMAX right now. One plays [card name=”Meloetta” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Elesa’s Sparkle” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”233″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Fusion Strike Energy” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”244″ c=”name”][/card], and the other is the one presented here, without any of that but with a wider variety of Trainer cards. The advantage of the Meloetta version is having a single-Prize attacker that swings for a lot of damage as early as your first turn, while the version without Meloetta uses its deck space on strong Trainer cards like Marnie, Roxanne, Avery, Cross Switcher and Echoing Horn. This version may not be able to rely on single-Prize attackers, but it is more consistent.

Lost Box

[decklist name=”Lost Box” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″][pokemon amt=”17″]4x [card name=”Comfey” set=”Lost Origin” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Cramorant” set=”Lost Origin” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Snorlax” set=”Lost Origin” no=”TG10″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Drapion V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Raikou V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”48″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”30″]4x [card name=”Colress’s Experiment” set=”Lost Origin” no=”155″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ 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=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch Cart” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Mirage Gate” set=”Lost Origin” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”13″]3x [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist]Unlike the other three decks in this article, there are many versions of Lost Box, and the lists are not as well defined. Some versions have Amazing Rare [card name=”Rayquaza” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card], while others have Amazing Rare [card name=”Raikou” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card], and still others have [card name=”Kyogre” set=”Celebrations” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]; in short, there is a lot of variation, because [card name=”Mirage Gate” set=”Lost Origin” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] allows you to power up a lot of good Pokémon. However, my favorite version of Lost Box is very simple, and makes use of only easy-to-power-up attackers. If you’re not already an experienced Lost Box player, then I suggest starting your practice sessions with a version of Lost Box like mine. This list focuses more on consistency than strength, meaning that in exchange for strong attackers like Rayquaza and Kyogre, you have the stamina to play longer matchups against decks like Regis and the mirror.

[cardimg name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Regardless of the version of Lost Box, I believe that all of them should make use of [card name=”Cramorant” set=”Lost Origin” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card]. In Cramorant’s case, it’s about making sure you can always attack the first turn you can. As for Sableye, because it needs ten cards in the Lost Zone and uses Psychic Energy, not all versions use it or have the consistency to pull it out at the right time, but I believe it is too good a Pokémon not to play.

After Cramorant and Sableye, Lost Box lists vary greatly. Drapion V does a good job against Mew VMAX and guarantees three Prizes in that matchup, but the other three Prizes you have to find a way to get with your single-Prize Pokémon. [card name=”Raikou V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”48″ c=”name”][/card] is a great answer to Lugia VSTAR, but if the opponent plays [card name=”Dunsparce” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”207″ c=”name”][/card], you’ll need to KO it first with Sableye. Roxanne and Temple of Sinnoh are other cards that I think every Lost Box list should play, as together they form a very strong play against Lugia and Regis, two matchups that are otherwise very difficult for the deck.

Like with Regis, one issue I see with Lost Box is the duration of a match, since often it can be hard to finish a best-of-three in 50 minutes. Regis suffers from this due to the single-Prize nature of all its attackers, but the turn duration of a Regis deck is generally shorter, because the sequencing is simpler and there is less important decision-making. In Lost Box, if you choose the wrong card with [card name=”Colress’s Experiment” set=”Lost Origin” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Comfey” set=”Lost Origin” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], that card has no return from the Lost Zone. You need to constantly be aware of the cards in your deck. The whole process of playing Lost Box takes time, and even the most experienced players suffer from it.

Final Thoughts

That’s my breakdown of the top four decks in the format! I believe that even with Crown Zenith‘s arrival, these four decks will remain the best, so this article gives a good overview of what you will face in the format’s coming months. Significant changes should happen again only in April, with the rotation and arrival of Scarlet & Violet, so until then, learn everything you can about Lugia VSTAR, Regis, Lost Box, and Mew VMAX to succeed.

In my next article, I will talk about the good decks of the format that are not so popular and are not part of this select group of four decks. Vikavolt V / Aerodactyl VSTAR, Arceus VSTAR / Duraludon VMAX, Palkia VSTAR / [card name=”Articuno” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card], and Arceus VSTAR / Flying Pikachu VMAX are examples of unpopular decks that can still easily win a Regional.

That’s all for today guys. I hope you enjoyed it, and see you next time!

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