Prehistoric Perfection — Finalizing Lugia VSTAR / Archeops

Hello PokeBeach readers! Isaiah here, and I am happy to be writing another article for you all! Last time, I talked about Xander Pero’s latest [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] technology: [card name=”Dreepy” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]. This new tech saw some success at the Vancouver Regional Championship two weekends ago, but the event was largely dominated by more tried-and-true ideas. The two highest-placing Mew VMAX decks were both the [card name=”Aerodactyl VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] variant of the deck, and they finished in the event’s Top 16. However, there were no Mew VMAX in Top 8.

Furthermore, this event saw no top placements for conventional Lost Zone variants such as [card name=”Rayquaza” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Kyogre” set=”Celebrations” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]. Instead, in a story that we have seen many times before, the majority of Top 8 — six of the eight spots — was made up of [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card]. There was also one player playing [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 another playing [card name=”Hisuian Goodra VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] with the Lost Zone engine. While both of these decks made it to the Top 4 and one made it to the finals, it was ultimately Lugia VSTAR that won in the hands of the now-five-time Regional Champion Ian Robb.

The list Ian Robb played has been one of the most successful Lugia VSTAR lists recently. Ian and I both played it for the last two Regionals, racking up a total of three Top 16 finishes in addition to his big win in Vancouver. In order to understand what made our list so strong, though, one has to look at how Lugia VSTAR decks have evolved over the last few months.

The Evolution of Lugia VSTAR

The last time I wrote about Lugia VSTAR was shortly after the Arlington Regional Championship, which was won by Connor Finton. His list was relatively uninteresting, but was essentially the standard at the time, with two [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] and two [card name=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] as well as a [card name=”Bird Keeper” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] for [card name=”Articuno” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card]. The one thing that was not super standard was [card name=”Raikou” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card], even though it had seen some success in the past. This event marked the return of Raikou into the mainstream, though, so it is certainly worth mentioning.

The next TPCi Regional was held in San Diego in early January. This event was one of Lugia VSTAR’s weakest Regionals to date, with just one in the entire Top 8. However, amusingly, this Regional also ended up being one of the most important Regionals for the deck yet. This event was won by Gibby Archer-Tang and his [card name=”Vikavolt V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Aerodactyl VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] deck, which dismantled several Lugia VSTAR decks throughout the tournament.

The threat of Aerodactyl VSTAR going forward was enough to make people start considering potential answers. With only one good answer in Standard, [card name=”Canceling Cologne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], that was the natural conclusion for many players, and at the Liverpool Regional Championship the next weekend, many players included one or more Canceling Cologne in their deck lists. However, adding Canceling Cologne to your deck only helps if you can find it when it matters.

There were two schools of thought when it came to searching for Canceling Cologne. The first of which was [card name=”Skyla” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”166″ c=”name”][/card], which was a good option for finding any Trainer card needed throughout the game. On the other hand, some players chose to play [card name=”Irida” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card], which was good for finding an Item and then a [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] as well. Both options saw success in Liverpool, but Irida became considered the stronger of the two cards, largely thanks to its Top 4 finish in the hands of Raz Wolpe, and it became the go-to option for many players.

The following weekend in Orlando, Andrew Hedrick took down the tournament with Lugia VSTAR, giving the deck its second Regional Championship win of the season. His list was unremarkable, but he chose to include Irida despite excluding Canceling Cologne, changing the card’s role from a tech to a staple. Additionally, Andrew played a [card name=”Wash Water Energy” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card], which was an ultimately short-lived tech that was intended to help out against Lost Zone decks that played [card name=”Raikou” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card]. With a relatively uninteresting list, many were left wondering about what was going to happen at the next big event: the Oceania International Championship.

[cardimg name=”Escape Rope” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”163″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

When it came to the Oceania International Championship, Lugia VSTAR’s development only stagnated further. The highest-finishing list, piloted by Regan Retzloff, looked remarkably similar to Isaiah Bradner’s list from the Orlando Regional Championship. However, Raz Wolpe came back again with a Top 8 finish with one of the most surprising innovations yet: [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card].

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Raz is a good friend of mine, but even I was surprised when he told me about Escape Rope in his deck list. I quickly grew quite fond of the inclusion, though. By playing Escape Rope, Irida now becomes a pseudo–[card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Lost Origin” no=”TG24″ c=”name”][/card], meaning that you can more reasonably pare your list down to just three in some combination of Boss’s Orders and [card name=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s also an out to paralysis, meaning that you no longer need [card name=”Bird Keeper” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card], so it essentially fills the role of two cards at the expense of one slot. Aside from this seemingly basic change, Raz’s list was fairly standard — but little did we know, it was slowly becoming the standard.

The following weekend we saw a Regional Championship in Bochum, Germany and another in Knoxville, Tennessee. In Bochum, Raz and others all played a similar list to Raz’s list from the Oceania International Championship, but each of them had slight variations. Raz, notably, was the only one of his acquaintances to play Escape Rope at that event, but he was not the only believer in the card that weekend. In Knoxville, Ian Robb and myself joined him in playing a list that was just one card off of his list from the week prior, removing the second [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] for a [card name=”Dunsparce” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”207″ c=”name”][/card]. While Raz did not make Day 2 at his event, both Ian and I finished in the Top 16 at Knoxville, showing that the list was well positioned overall. Different Lugia VSTAR deck lists did win both events that weekend, one with [card name=”Vikavolt V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] in the hands of Miłosz Dyrlica and one relatively standard list in the hands of Andrew Hedrick (once again).

At long last, we come to Vancouver. At this point in the format, it is hard to claim whether there is an “optimal” form of most decks, with so many choices coming down to player preference. The two best decks at this point are pretty clearly Lugia VSTAR and Regis, in my opinion, and it’s hard to go wrong when you’re playing either of those two decks. While Ian and I teetered between which of these options to play, we eventually decided on our exact same 60 cards from Knoxville, as we both felt the deck list was nearly ideal for what we wanted to do with Lugia VSTAR. Fortunately, neither of us regretted this decision: I finished in the Top 16 once again, and Ian won the entire tournament. This result was a huge deal, as it was the first proof that the list was really something special. It had a remarkable level of consistency with its results! But it brought to mind the ultimate question: can it get better?

This past weekend, there was a Special Event in Utrecht, Netherlands. The Lugia VSTAR lists that came out of this event were overall uninteresting, showing that there is not really that much left to be done with the deck. I think this result shows that the answer to my previous question might simply be no; the deck cannot get much better. Maybe a slight tech change here or there, but now the deck list has made it to at least 58 cards perfect, and probably 59 or even 60.

Without further ado, how about we take a look at what makes this Lugia VSTAR deck list so special?

Perfect Lugia VSTAR

At this point, the basic strategy of [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Archeops” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] is well documented. Turn one, get a [card name=”Lugia V” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] in play (or sometimes two if you are going second), and some number of Archeops in the discard pile if possible. On the following turn, evolve into Lugia VSTAR, use Summoning Star for (ideally) two Archeops, and then power up the appropriate attackers to run through the opponent. This consistent and powerful strategy has been strong enough to remain the centerpiece of the format for a remarkable four (almost five) months, with nothing coming even remotely close to challenging its title. The deck truly is one of the best that we have ever seen, currently holding the title for the highest-earning deck of all time, and witnessing a deck that is this dominant is something that is always truly special to see.

Deck List

[decklist name=”lugia finale” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Archeops” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”147″][pokemon amt=”19″]4x [card name=”Archeops” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Lugia V” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Stoutland V” set=”Battle Styles” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Raikou” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”50″ 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=”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=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”25″]3x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Irida” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”237″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”16″]4x [card name=”Aurora Energy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Powerful Colorless Energy” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”176″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Heat Fire Energy” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”174″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Speed L Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”V Guard Energy” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

Card Inclusions

Two Lugia VSTAR and Three Lugia V

This line has become the standard for Lugia VSTAR lists, but it is worth mentioning nonetheless. For most of the Sword and Shield block, the standard has been to play a 4-3 line of any Pokemon VMAX or Pokemon VSTAR, so seeing a 3-2 line feels a bit odd, but the reason makes enough sense. More often than not, you do not want to use two Lugia VSTAR anyway because your most powerful attackers are single-Prize Pokemon, and they lose a lot of their value if you have a bunch of two-Prize Pokemon in play. Additionally, while Lugia V is typically your preferred starter, you seldom want a second copy in play because the first one is so likely to survive, especially if you go first. As a result, the line is slimmed down to 3-2 in order to maximize extra space while still giving yourself substantial odds of getting the VSTAR in play on turn two.

Two Lumineon V

Another topic that I discussed in the past was the inclusion of two copies of [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]. While this was pretty standard in the early days of the format, double Lumineon V has become an almost absolute inclusion in an overwhelming majority of Lugia VSTAR deck lists. With the ability to find any Supporter you may need and a reasonably good attack, it’s hard to argue against playing two copies of the fish. In this list, though, double Lumineon V is even more important because it makes [card name=”Irida” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] much stronger. Now you can Luminous Sign for Irida for whichever Item you need and the Lumineon V for the following turn, guaranteeing that you will be able to access the Supporter card that you need next turn to make the plays you need.

Dunsparce and Manaphy

[cardimg name=”Manaphy” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG06″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Another card that has grown increasingly popular as Lugia VSTAR lists develop is [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]. Thanks to the threat of [card name=”Raikou” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] in the mirror, it is essentially so you can protect your Bench and not get completely steamrolled by a Raikou on a turn where [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Shining Fates” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card], or any other low-HP Pokemon is in play. Furthermore, as Regis becomes more popular, it is important to have an extra layer of protection, since both [card name=”Regieleki” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] EVS and [card name=”Regieleki” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] ASR threaten the Bench. Regis is also the reason that [card name=”Dunsparce” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”207″ c=”name”][/card] is becoming more important. Now, Lugia VSTAR needs to include Dunsparce to have a realistic chance of consistently beating Regis, or else you get completely rolled by a [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] Teraspark one-hit Knock Out on a Lugia VSTAR.

Three Boss’s Orders and Zero Serena

At first glance, this count might seem a bit weird, but the explanation is quite simple. Can [card name=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] pull up single-Prize Pokemon? No. Can [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] pull up single-Prize Pokemon? Yes.

This is the end of that discussion. Boss’s Orders is just so much better that it is worth playing a card that can be useless early to have one that always fills the role it needs to. Across both Regionals, totaling 29 rounds of play, I have maybe missed having Serena over Boss’s Orders in exactly one game, and I can’t even guarantee that the Boss’s Orders that was in my hand would have been a Serena anyway. It just makes more sense to make the Supporter lineup more generally reliable and depend less on hitting cards in the right order.

Three Marnie

Another count that I have grown on a lot recently is three [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card]. Hand disruption is really, really good in Standard right now — so good that even in a field full of [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card], it is really difficult to justify going any lower than three Marnie. The card is also a nice utility option to put Energy in a place where you can’t redraw them, which opens up the possibility of more powerful Primal Turbos throughout the game.

Marnie is really able to shine against Lost Zone Box, though, as that deck needs to build up absolutely gigantic hands — not just to execute its normal game plan, but also to have a chance against [card name=”Stoutland V” set=”Battle Styles” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card]. In many cases, if Stoutland V goes unchecked for a single turn against Lost Zone Box, it wins the game instantly. Marnie maximizes the odds that this ends up happening.

Irida

I have already talked about why [card name=”Irida” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] is so good, but I want to reiterate that the card is absolutely absurd. Being able to search out a Lumineon V or a Manaphy in addition to the Item you need in that particular situation for just one card is incredible, effectively accomplishing what [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] is typically trying to accomplish. If anything, I sometimes find myself wanting a second copy, much like William Azevedo had in his list at the Natal Regional Championship in Brazil.

The Tech Energy: Heat Fire, Speed Lightning, and V Guard

A point I made in my previous article is that in Lugia VSTAR, the Energy can be split up into multiple categories, with the most varied category being the tech Energy. In my opinion, [card name=”V Guard Energy” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] is the least qualified Energy to be in this category, as it is a borderline staple at this point (so much so that I have considered a second copy), but the other two Energy are a bit more debatable.

In this deck list, we opted for a copy of [card name=”Heat Fire Energy” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”174″ c=”name”][/card] and a copy of [card name=”Speed L Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card]. Generally, I think that Heat Fire Energy is the more important of these two (I would even venture to say that it is more of a staple in the deck) because it provides Energy for both [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Shining Fates” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], which is the only instance of Energy cost overlap in the entire deck. Fortunately, the effect of Heat Fire Energy comes up a surprising amount of the time, especially against Regis, as [card name=”Regidrago” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] hits for exactly 160 damage, which means it misses the Knock Out. While this situation is somewhat niche, as [card name=”Regice” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”37″ c=”name”][/card] can just Knock you Out anyway, it is important to consider the potential application.

As for the other Energy, I think Speed Lightning is slightly better than the alternative options of [card name=”Hiding Darkness Energy” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Wash Water Energy” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card]. Wash Water Energy is not particularly strong right now with the decreasing popularity of Raikou variants of Lost Zone Box, and Hiding Darkness Energy’s effect is much less likely to matter than Speed Lightning Energy’s when it does come up, so it is just slightly better to play Speed Lightning for that reason alone. Notably, while it did not matter much at all in Knoxville, Speed Lightning Energy was very impactful on three separate occasions at Vancouver, offering enough of a reason to make the inclusion.

Conclusion

As we work towards the end of the Silver Tempest format, it is hard to want to do anything but continue to play Lugia VSTAR. As I’ve said, the deck has had a period of unprecedented dominance in a way that is quite special to see, and the fact that it has won three of the five American Regional Championships in this format is certainly eye-catching. As for what list to play, I would continue to recommend the list that we covered today, as it has consistently felt nearly perfect. Every card serves its purpose well and every card has been impactful in every tournament. I cannot think of any good changes to make to the list, and it might be the closest we can get to a truly perfect 60 cards for this format.

With that, this article comes to a close. As always, I hope you enjoyed giving this article a read. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out in the Subscriber’s Hideout, on Twitter (@ICheville), or on Facebook (Zaya Lee).

Until next time!

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