The Meta, My Way

After playing many games in this format, I have a mentality for deck selection that is a little different from my usual. After the colossal group failure in London with [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card], I simply want to play a deck that is good. A deck that is consistent, functional, and reasonably strong. Basically, a deck that feels good to play (which Sableye / Radiant Charizard is not). Usually, I am overly concerned with matchups and tech cards, but the straightforward approach is better suited for this format (for now), and it’s probably what most players go with normally. Sableye / Radiant Charizard has a litany of problems that we did not foresee, but that’s neither here nor there.

For this reason, the consistency-focused [card name=”Kyogre” set=”Celebrations” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] deck proved to be good. I think Kyogre’s matchups set it above the rest and qualify it as the best deck in the format, but there are other decks that I’ve been working on with the same mentality. The idea is to be consistent and functional; on average, you will win simply because your deck is better. Since this format is still in its infant stages after the rotation, there is a lot of innovation and optimization to be done with all of the various decks. Decks such as [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] are underexplored at the moment.

What is My Way?

[cardimg name=”Kyogre” set=”Celebrations” no=”3″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

When someone in my testing group (usually me) comes up with our own list for a particular meta deck, that is different from the way the deck is normally built, we have an inside joke that the deck is “my way.” Today I’ll be sharing two decks that I’ve been working on; [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] my way and [card name=”Hisuian Goodra VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] my way. After playing with traditional lists for these decks, I’ve found them to be cripplingly inconsistent and suboptimal. Rather than giving up on the decks entirely, I was curious to see if I could improve the decks by making changes that most players would scoff at.

You will notice quickly that the lists are focused on consistency. We want to go fast and function smoothly. I went over this with the Kyogre deck, and further back, Turbo Dragonite Lost Box and Turbo Miraidon. I’m not making the changes to these decks just for consistency’s sake, but I have played a considerable amount with both versions (traditional and my way) and have noticed substantial improvements in both win rate and consistency with the ‘my way’ builds. Anyway, let’s get into it.

Mew VMAX, My Way

[decklist name=”mew” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″][pokemon amt=”11″]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][/pokemon][trainers amt=”45″]3x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Judge” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”235″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”181″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Power Tablet” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”236″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Cram-o-matic” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”229″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Trekking Shoes” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Feather Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Echoing Horn” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lost City” set=”Lost Origin” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

This list doesn’t introduce any revolutionary concepts, but I’ve tried to optimize it as much as possible and play to the deck’s strengths. The main difference from normal lists is the decreased counts of [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card]. These cards are useless at most times and clog up your hands, making for horrendous openings more often than should be the case for [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]. Not only is Path to the Peak inconvenient for Mew VMAX, but it is an active liability at most points in the game. Frankly, I would prefer to play zero Path to the Peak and zero Lost Vacuum. Unfortunately, Mew VMAX does occasionally have to rely on disruption tactics because it voluntarily enters a losing Prize trade against basically everything. You have no choice in the matter unless you are playing the [card name=”Meloetta” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] version.

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[cardimg name=”Judge” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”209″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Basically, Path to the Peak plus [card name=”Judge” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card] is a tempo tool that Mew VMAX uses to mess with the opponent. They don’t have to brick, but they do need to whiff a combo at least once for Mew VMAX to pull ahead. I’m speaking vaguely as it really depends on the specific matchup, but you get the point… The four-Path to the Peak version attempts to lock the opponent every turn of the game. In theory, this is great. In reality, the list turns out to be a clunky mess that is not the fast and consistent Mew VMAX we know and love. You don’t need to be juggling Path to the Peak and Lost Vacuum every turn, nor do you need to be playing Judge every turn.

Three Judge is excessive, especially with access to [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card]. You can reasonably use Judge four times in a game, and that’s not even particularly valuable besides against Lost Box. Speaking of, Pal Pad is awesome. Mew VMAX often has to discard extra Supporters to set up and draw cards with [card name=”Genesect V” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card], and Pal Pad is an easy and convenient way to protect your resources. This is especially important because cards such as [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] are win conditions. Also, the ability to use back-to-back Roxannes is fantastic. Even if your opponent draws out of the first one, you get another shot.

[card name=”Trekking Shoes” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] is a card that I went over in a previous article, and I think that it is underrated in the current format. I am happy to see some [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] decks start to include the card, but that’s only the start. Playing a smaller deck is always nice, but there are a number of situational cards in this deck that are particularly useless later in the game. Since Trekking Shoes sometimes gets rid of those liabilities, it is especially great in Mew VMAX. This makes it so that Trekking Shoes has synergy with Genesect V’s Fusion Strike System draw engine.

It is absolutely appalling to me that Mew VMAX lists are playing few copies of [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”181″ c=”name”][/card]. Without [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”237″ c=”name”][/card], there are limited options to search out Genesect V. By the way, you need at least three of those on your board for the deck to function. Unless you are stacking double [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”name”][/card] to the top of your deck every game, you’re gonna need Nest Balls to set up. Of course, the counter-argument is that Nest Ball is a liability since it is unplayable when your Bench is full. This, in turn, renders Genesect V’s Ability less effective.

Nest Ball, however, is only inactive when you are fully set up and the opponent hasn’t just KO’d something, both of which are great situations for the Mew VMAX player — in other words, it’s only bad when you are winning. This is a win-win situation. Factor in Nest Ball’s effectiveness at consistently setting up your board, and you can see why it’s a worthwhile inclusion. In practice, this build leads to more playable opening hands and a more smoothly-functional deck. Gone are the days of opening two Path to the Peak, two Vacuum, no way to search Genesect V, and ending your turn with only two or three Pokemon on your board.

That brings me to [card name=”Feather Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card]. Although it’s significantly weaker than the other search cards, it’s still a useful consistency card that, at the very least, is never bad to have. There’s not too much to say here.

[cardimg name=”Cleansing Gloves” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”136″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Cleansing Gloves” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] in Mew VMAX is trolling. Or at the very least, cutting a [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] for it is insanity. I get that Cleansing Gloves has its uses, but Mew VMAX already has four [card name=”Power Tablet” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”236″ c=”name”][/card] and doesn’t even need all of them against Lost Box. The only argument is that it is slightly useful against [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], but this is not a good reason to cut Choice Belt, a card that is highly important in every matchup involving Pokemon V, VSTAR, etc.

Speaking of two-Prize Pokemon, [card name=”Echoing Horn” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] is an insane win condition against literally any deck with a multi-Prize Pokemon, and should never be cut from the list.

[card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] is the preferred switch card because it is a win condition against [card name=”Hisuian Goodra VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card]. This greatly outweighs the value of the other options. Be careful with your Ropes, as many games require you to have them on hand, especially if you don’t have an extra Mew VMAX and have to deal with Techno Blast’s cooldown effect.

[card name=”Lost City” set=”Lost Origin” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card] is absolutely a requirement with Lost Box being the most popular deck, and nearly every list playing one copy of [card name=”Drapion V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] alongside non-zero amounts of [card name=”Klara” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. Without it, your only “strategy” is hoping that your opponent bricks from hand disruption and can’t bump Path to the Peak. Not only is that a cringe and unreliable strategy, but opponents have more than enough time to draw what they need. With access to two Drapion V, they only need two attacks to win the game and are in no rush to do so. Lost City is occasionally useful against other Pokemon too, and functions as a Path to the Peak counter, making it similar to but better than another Lost Vacuum.

Matchups

[card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] has never been a deck known for its good matchups. In fact, Mew VMAX will lose against most decks if they draw perfectly. Of course, Mew VMAX makes up for this in other areas, scoring full marks in consistency, speed, and power. You are usually able to do whatever you want at the cost of relying on a 3-Prize attacker that can be easily teched against. Mew VMAX wants to end the game as fast as possible, so look for KO’s on two-Prize Pokemon, making use of [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] and Echoing Horn whenever possible.

Against [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card], you focus on early [card name=”Judge” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card] + [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] to try to delay the Summoning Star setup. Back-to-back Darkness-type attackers are difficult to deal with, but if they are even a little slow on the start, you can blitz them out of the game. Against Lost Box, look for spots to use Psychic Leap and Judge, and try to keep damage off the board. You control when you are feeding them their one free Drapion V KO, so do so in a spot that is most convenient. Also, make sure to save Lost City for Drapion V.

[cardimg name=”Sky Seal Stone” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”143″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Against Gardevoir ex, the Path to the Peak plus hand disruption combo is best used later on when they are threatening to win. Their most efficient win condition is taking one KO and then using [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Celebrations” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] plus [card name=”Sky Seal Stone” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] to finish things off, so try to play around that to the best of your ability. Sometimes using Boss’s Orders to get a Psychic Leap KO is better than disrupting their hand. Like against Lost Box, you are trying to read what their most likely course of action is, and trying to deny an efficient series of game-winning attacks from them.

Also, don’t discard your Mew VMAX… I kept doing this at a League Challenge because I thought “I don’t need all three.” Wrong. Not only does the extra VMAX alleviate the pressure of Techno Blast’s cooldown (important with only two switch cards), but it also gives you some defense against Escape Rope. There are often situations where you end up losing to Escape Rope if you don’t have an “extra” VMAX on the Bench. Of course, I did not get punished as my opponents were not able to find their entire combo featuring Escape Rope for the win, but that is something that I probably shouldn’t have gotten away with.

Goodra VSTAR, My Way

[decklist name=”goo” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Hisuian Goodra VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”136″][pokemon amt=”12″]3x [card name=”Hisuian Goodra VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Hisuian Goodra V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Comfey” set=”Lost Origin” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cramorant” set=”Lost Origin” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”38″]4x [card name=”Colress’s Experiment” set=”Lost Origin” no=”155″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mirage Gate” set=”Lost Origin” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Switch” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Energy Recycler” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch Cart” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Beach Court” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”167″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]5x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”XY” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”5″][/card]5x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”XY” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”5″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Again, I did my due diligence and tried out various [card name=”Hisuian Goodra VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] lists. For the life of me, I could never hit the Turn two Rolling Iron. Hisuian Goodra VSTAR doesn’t do a whole lot of damage in the first place, and turn-two Rolling Iron is the one thing it has going for it. This list is orders of magnitude more consistent, and as a result, the win rate skyrockets. There are some notable exclusions, all of which are tech cards that make the deck less consistent.

[cardimg name=”Drapion V” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG49″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Although [card name=”Drapion V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] does significantly improve the [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] matchup, I honestly don’t expect the average Mew VMAX player to be able to deal with Hisuian Goodra VSTAR anyway. You can still go fast and OHKO [card name=”Genesect V” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] and/or [card name=”Mew V” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card]. With [card name=”Cramorant” set=”Lost Origin” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] in the mix, you can piece together an easy 2HKO against Mew VMAX anyway. The matchup isn’t great, but it isn’t terrible either. Drapion V is such a massive liability, and it’s a card I honestly dislike playing when I have a choice.

[card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] is not necessary. Lost Box can quite easily play around that card, and it’s also a non-consistency card that often ends up in the Lost Zone anyway. One [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] is sufficient so far, as Radiant Greninja helps close out games when needed, and [card name=”Melony” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] is not bad, but I would always rather be using [card name=”Colress’s Experiment” set=”Lost Origin” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] to get cards into the Lost Zone. Melony is sometimes better once your Lost Zone is filled up, but that’s a win-more situation. Cards that are only good when you are winning are generally useless. [card name=”Mirage Gate” set=”Lost Origin” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] is more than sufficient for Energy acceleration. Of course, Melony can stop the bleeding when your start is poor and you don’t get Colress’s Experiment plus Mirage Gate, but that’s only relevant if your list is bad.

Most of the list is built to maximize consistency — the one argument that could be made is to play more [card name=”Switch Cart” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] instead of [card name=”Switch” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”194″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]. Switch Cart is quite strong against Lost Zone decks to heal damage, but on the other hand, Switch is capable of switching out Hisuian Goodra VSTAR, which is useful against fringe disruption cards like [card name=”Mawile” set=”Lost Origin” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Articuno” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card], or anything that can stop it from attacking. The versatility of being able to switch out is favored by all Hisuian Goodra VSTAR lists, but it’s definitely possible that Switch Cart is worth more spots.

Four [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] is a little cringe because the card is often useless, however, Colress’s Experiment is absolutely vital to help the deck set up. You often need to use two Colress’s Experiment in a row to get things going, and you always need it on the first turn that you’re able to use a Supporter. Pokegear 3.0 is also quite useful as additional outs off an opposing [card name=”Judge” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card] or Roxanne. Pokegear 3.0 also makes the one-of Boss’s Orders surprisingly consistent despite how situational it is. [card name=”Energy Recycler” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] is used in nearly every game; conserve it at all costs.

Two [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] is also non-negotiable. Hisuian Goodra VSTAR desperately needs the extra power, and the Choice Belt fixes so many numbers. In addition to landing big OHKO’s on Pokemon V, it also sets up for relevant Radiant Greninja plays against Pokemon VSTAR with [card name=”V Guard Energy” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] or Pokemon VMAX without. On that note, Radiant Greninja is an exceptional attacker that you use almost every game. Hisuian Goodra VSTAR players often forget about this card and don’t use it to its full potential, however, you have to be careful in the spots you use it. Radiant Greninja is committal not only with regard to the required resources but also because you’re not getting the damage protection from Rolling Iron.

Matchups

Similar to Mew VMAX, [card name=”Hisuian Goodra VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] doesn’t have the greatest matchups in the world. You aim to be consistent and win because your deck is better. Hisuian Goodra VSTAR is about as simple and straightforward as Mew VMAX; you set up Hisuian Goodra VSTAR, use Rolling Iron, and that’s basically it! Aside from the spots you attack with [card name=”Cramorant” set=”Lost Origin” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], it’s spam Rolling Iron and literally nothing else. That, combined with the list being simple and streamlined, makes this deck practically idiot-proof.

[cardimg name=”Single Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”TG19″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] is trivial aside from its 1-1 [card name=”Single Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] line — if you’re able to get a pre-emptive hit on that guy before it starts tearing apart Hisuian Goodra VSTAR, you should be fine. Prioritize dealing with the Single Strike Urshifu VMAX, as they have nothing else that can deal with Hisuian Goodra VSTAR. The same more or less applies if they play [card name=”Duraludon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] instead of Single Strike Urshifu VMAX. If they have neither, it’s basically an auto-win.

Against Lost Box, it is sometimes acceptable to limit your Pokemon on board and take the decrease in explosiveness and speed. The single-Prize Pokemon can be big liabilities in this matchup, but what you choose to play down is entirely situational. Choice Belt makes the Turbo matchup trivial because it destroys [card name=”Dragonite V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card]. Sometimes you use [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] to take out [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], especially in spots where an immediate [card name=”Klara” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] follow-up is unlikely. Of course, if they don’t get Manaphy right away, [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] gets to eat. Unfortunately, that works both ways, as you have no way to stop an opponent’s Radiant Greninja play.

The [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] matchup involves giving up as few two-Prize turns as possible. You can generally accept that they get one freebie on a [card name=”Hisuian Goodra V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] (especially if they go first), but try to avoid giving them any more than that and find spots to get value from your single-Prize attackers.

The [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] matchup can go either way; like against Lost Box, look for spots to use Radiant Greninja to wreck their board. Also keep in mind that dealing damage to their attackers, even for less than a KO, limits their damage output by limiting the amount of Energy that Gardevoir ex can attach.

Conclusion

If you like Hisuian Goodra VSTAR or Mew VMAX, or are interested in trying the decks out, definitely give these lists a shot! I’ve had good success with them so far, and I am sure that they are a step in the right list direction at the very least. I also enjoy going fast and executing my game plan nearly every time, and these decks are certainly able to live up to expectations.

Thanks for reading!

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