The Secret to Chien-Pao

Hello everyone. The North America International Championships have just concluded, leaving us with some surprising results — I don’t think anyone was expecting the two finalist decks to be [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=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Inteleon VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], yet nevertheless here we are. Most competitive players are now looking ahead to the World Championships, which is the only major event taking place until Regionals resume in September. We are entering the off season for the competitive circuit.

[cardimg name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

My group and I performed quite poorly at NAIC despite testing efficiently and playing what I believed to be the best deck, [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. Me, I double-bricked two rounds that should have been easy wins. This was frustrating, but there’s nothing that can be done about unplayable hands. I also played against two Arceus decks that were built to counter Gardevoir, which were tough matchups. Overall, I ended 5-3-1, which was disappointing, but I still managed to get some Championship Points. I considered writing about Gardevoir for this article, but instead, I chose to go with the deck that was our second choice for NAIC: [card name=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card].

Chien-Pao is a rather high-maintenance deck, but it is extremely strong and has just enough options to let it keep up with the top meta decks. I think Chien-Pao is slightly better positioned now than it was before, as Arceus decks had a strong showing at NAIC and always seem to be favored by American players. Arceus is particularly weak against Chien-Pao, with its only real win condition being to get lucky with disruption.

So far, Chien-Pao has been considered a mid-tier deck that nobody thinks much of. The average lists for the deck are quite bad, though there was an interesting turbo list that showed up at NAIC and took a few Day 2 spots, including one Top 16. It focuses on [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] to see more cards, go fast, and enable the [card name=”Cross Switcher” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”230″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Canceling Cologne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] combo. This version is intriguing, but it’s not the one that I cooked up, so I won’t be discussing it today. Here is my current list:

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[decklist name=”chien pao” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”61″][pokemon amt=”16″]3x [card name=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Baxcalibur” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Frigibax” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Bibarel” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Bidoof” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”39″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]3x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Irida” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Superior Energy Retrieval” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”150″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”180″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Canceling Cologne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Skaters’ Park” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”242″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]11x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”XY” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card][/energy][/decklist]This isn’t necessarily the definitive best 60 cards, but I do wish it was the 60 I played at NAIC. There are a few main things to talk about with the deck. First is the 2-2 [card name=”Bibarel” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] line, which is extremely important. It is appalling to me that lists play fewer Bibarel, because without Bibarel in play, the deck is extremely weak against [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card]. This is particularly relevant against Gardevoir, which attempts to remove Bibarel and spam Iono to win the game. Other decks play Iono too, though, so it’s generally true that you almost always need a Bibarel in play. A 1-1 line is just too inconsistent, and it’s too easy for opponents to remove it from the game.

[cardimg name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Next is [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]. Palkia is useful in so many situations. It can be an in-between play for various scenarios thanks to its high HP and efficient damage output. It’s also a more efficient use of deck space than a thicker [card name=”Baxcalibur” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] line. It allows you to make plays without Baxcalibur in play, whether with its Ability or just using its attack. This gives you time to set up Baxcalibur, or simply keep attacking with Palkia if that’s all you need. For example, if Lost Box uses [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] to take out a [card name=”Frigibax” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], you just attack with Palkia and keep benching one Frigibax at a time while manually attaching to other attackers. Overall, Palkia alleviates the downsides of the deck by essentially making it lower-maintenance.

If you prize one Baxcalibur and desperately need the one you have to survive, you can try loading up your board with a ton of Energy. This may discourage opponents from Knocking Out your Baxcalibur. Even if they do, you’ll have enough Energy in play to function and hopefully get that Baxcalibur out of the Prizes (or just win the game outright).

This list also plays four Iono, which may seem odd. Iono is a much stronger card than I had initially realized, both in this deck and in general. Bibarel allows you to spam Iono for lots of disruption without any downside, which is good against every deck (especially Lost Box). This is effectively an additional win condition for the deck, which is a crucial ingredient that other lists are lacking. Furthermore, the combo of Iono and Bibarel for hand refresh is synergistic with the deck’s strategy, which is to constantly play from the hand to make combos.

The deck plays three [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] so you can get one or two strong Boss plays during the game. However, it can be difficult for the deck to pull off Boss plays at any given time. This is because the deck is so combo-oriented that it is rare to have the entire combo you want, plus Boss, and be in a situation where the play is both convenient and powerful. However, Boss plays are strong when they do happen, often even game-winning, so you have to play them.

[card name=”Canceling Cologne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] now seems like a bad play here, as we do not play Cross Switcher and the Boss plays are hard to come by. Indeed, you never end up getting the Cancelling Cologne play against Gardevoir. This tech is strictly for Lost Box, to get a two-Prize turn against them and swing the advantage. Since Lost Box does not disrupt your hand, you will come by the combo eventually. Although it’s best to do so early for maximum disruption, it usually happens later, and that’s still fine.

[card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] is an anti–[card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] tech. It’s not completely necessary in the list, but I like having the insurance against decks with Path such as [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] and Arceus / [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”212″ c=”name”][/card]. In some ways, it’s better than an extra Stadium due to its synergy with [card name=”Irida” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card], which makes it fairly consistent at countering Path. Although Baxcalibur and Bibarel aren’t bothered by Path, Chien-Pao’s Ability is essential for the deck to function, and so is Radiant Greninja in the early game. I never want to let a Path stick in play. The counter-argument is that Path may not be relevant enough in the meta to warrant the Vacuum, which isn’t very useful in other situations.

[card name=”Lost City” set=”Lost Origin” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card] in Chien-Pao doesn’t make much sense to me. Sure, it is useful sometimes, but it’s mostly just goofy and irrelevant. [card name=”Skaters’ Park” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”242″ c=”name”][/card] is the Stadium of choice because it makes the deck function better. [card name=”Artazon” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] is another consideration. A Stadium is good to have to counter Path, and we don’t exactly want more copies of Lost Vacuum.

The rest of the list is fairly straightforward. I didn’t do anything too revolutionary here, but I do think I optimized some core components of the deck. The Baxcalibur line is thin but not too thin, and the other aspects of the deck work together well. Overall, Chien-Pao is a high-maintenance deck with a lot of moving pieces. However, the power level of the deck is ridiculously high, and it is still consistent enough to compete at the top level. These attributes make Chien-Pao extremely strong and underrated, in my opinion. Now let’s talk about its matchups.

Gardevoir ex – Even

The Gardevoir matchup is very close if the Gardevoir player plays the matchup correctly. They force you to have a lot of cards, and the [card name=”Cresselia” set=”Lost Origin” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and multiple Iono apply a lot of pressure. However, Chien-Pao has lots of options and resilience, and wins easily if they do not get Manaphy out early. Under normal circumstances, they prioritize getting Manaphy into play and you will never realistically get the Cologne play to win the game, so you don’t even worry about it.

It is incredibly important to establish Bibarel to protect against Iono. This often involves getting two [card name=”Bidoof” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG29″ c=”name”][/card] down if they are threatening an early Cresselia. Although you don’t always need to draw with Bibarel early, they will be able to pick off Bidoof and Bibarel more easily as the game goes on, so it’s best to go for them early if you can. This is quite annoying, as you also need two Frigibax because you can’t just let them shut you out of Baxcalibur. As you can see, the early game is quite demanding, but if you’re able to stabilize, you will probably win.

You also want to keep in mind the odds of them Boss-KOing Baxcalibur at any given time, as you don’t want to randomly lose because of this. As long as you are mindful of all the possibilities, you should be able to adjust accordingly and end up fine.

[cardimg name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Another important thing is attacking with [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]. Lumineon is often the best attacker for the situation. You get value from Luminous Sign and get to take a KO with minimal risk and resource investment. Skaters’ Park is good in this matchup for several reasons. It lets you pivot into Lumineon for free, which is something you like to be doing. It also annoys Gardevoir because it makes it harder for them to discard Energy. If they are using Cresselia, which they often do, they will rely on retreating the excess Energy off to repurpose them for a Brainwave OHKO. Skaters’ Park denies this, though it can of course be countered by another Stadium. It’s generally annoying for them at any point in the game, so it isn’t too situational.

If they start with [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Celebrations” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] or end up using it too early, you can easily win by taking Prizes in a 1-1-2-2 order, or some equivalent combination. The same applies if you’re able to get an early- or mid-game KO on Gardevoir ex, as they will likely have to establish another one. However, these situations aren’t too common. Usually it’s a 1-1-1-1-2 line or something of the sort, but you definitely want to keep an eye out to take advantage of favorable situations. The fact that Chien-Pao can one-shot Gardevoir ex is huge in this matchup.

There is a lot to consider in this matchup, but overall, the win rate is about even. There are also some skill-based interactions and knowledge checks, so the matchup slightly favors the better player.

Lost Box – Even

This is another close matchup. Don’t play more than one Frigibax down at a time, as Radiant Greninja is often their attacker of choice anyway, and you don’t want to get hard punished by a double-KO on two Frigibax. Be aware of [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card], and don’t let yourself get punished for a late Bidoof play. Early Bidoof is fine because it is invincible against Radiant Greninja and you can evolve it before Sableye becomes a threat. Just don’t leave it in the Active Spot!

If you’re going second, you may want to prioritize a turn-one Palkia V. They may snipe Frigibax, and then you need Palkia to attack with. Palkia can only be KO’d by a two-Prize Pokémon on their end, which is a fine trade because you can get the advantage back later with Radiant Greninja. If they choose to KO Palkia, that should let you set up Baxcalibur. If they keep sniping Frigibax, keep attacking with Palkia while benching one Frigibax at a time. Eventually, you’ll be able to power up other attackers such as Chien-Pao and Radiant Greninja with your manual attachments and Star Portal.

Meanwhile, if they aren’t KOing your attackers with Energy, you don’t necessarily need Baxcalibur at all. If you do establish Baxcalibur, though, you can attack with Lumineon whenever you want and more easily spam Iono because of it. Attacking with Baxcalibur itself is sometimes the correct option as well.

Bibarel is good in the late game because it alleviates the downside of spamming Iono, which very strong against Lost Box. The Cologne-plus-Greninja play is something that you just pop whenever is most convenient. If they don’t get Manaphy down early, you just take two Prizes with Greninja.

Arceus VSTAR – Favorable

Arceus decks are generally pretty weak against Chien-Pao, since Chien-Pao one-shots everything and takes multiple Prizes each time it attacks. Furthermore, Trinity Nova can’t one-shot Chien-Pao, so you usually want to send it Active early. Against Arceus decks with Path, you want to save your Stadiums and Vacuum to bump it. Against the versions with Lost City, you don’t really care about it and you can just do whatever you want. Bibarel is important to set up in this matchup, as one of the main ways you can lose is from the opponent’s hand disruption.

You also want a second Frigibax or Baxcalibur, since they might try to target it down. If they KO your first Baxcalibur, you want to set up a second one and load as much Energy into play as possible. You may also want to set up Palkia, depending on the situation. You just want to be aware of the ways they can win and play around them. In a straightforward slugfest, Chien-Pao always has the advantage, so they will be looking for disruptive ways to win.

Mew VMAX – Slightly Favorable

A lot of the same things apply in this matchup as in the Arceus ones. The main difference is that Mew has an easier time taking OHKOs, but they also rely on the VMAX, which gives up three Prizes to Chien-Pao. Take the VMAX Knock Out whenever possible. Just like against Arceus, play around Path, but don’t worry about Lost City.

In some situations, Palkia is the best attacker because it is a bit more difficult to KO. This is mostly true if they have already used some [card name=”Power Tablet” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”236″ c=”name”][/card] and if you don’t have any other two-Prize targets on the board for them to snipe. Since Mew is easily capable of taking out your two-Prize Pokemon, it is less likely that they will try to go after Baxcalibur, but keep the possibility in mind.

This matchup is one of the more situational when it comes to possible board states, so you just want to be familiar with the matchup and adapt to whatever situation you’re faced with. Sometimes you will leave yourself with no two-Prize Pokemon in play in order to avoid losing a Prize trade. If you do this, it’s likely that your Baxcalibur will be targeted, so you’ll need to get the second one set up. This is relevant if you’re able to get value by attacking with Lumineon against something like [card name=”Meloetta” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Deoxys” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card]. Sometimes Radiant Greninja is the attacker against [card name=”Meloetta” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card], as it can simultaneously set up Mew VMAX for an easier KO or a two-Prize Pokemon for a Lumineon KO.

The Path version of Mew will disrupt you more, but they don’t have single-Prize attackers, so you’ll always win the Prize trade. Bibarel is much more important against that version. The [card name=”Elesa’s Sparkle” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”233″ c=”name”][/card] version of Mew is a bit more threatening, but they won’t disrupt you as much, which is nice. They still could play an Iono or two, though, so I’d still set up Bibarel at your earliest convenience.

Lugia VSTAR – Slightly Favorable

[card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] is a more straightforward matchup. You just blow them up with Chien-Pao over and over again. Since you easily one-shot all of their two-Prize Pokemon, and they need two-Prize Pokemon to take KOs in return, you will usually win the Prize trade. You don’t want them to get the first two Prizes, so try to avoid that situation. The main way that you’ll lose is a scenario where you go second and start with Chien-Pao, and they also get the turn-two KO. This can certainly happen, but you will be on the winning side of the Prize trade more often than not. In this matchup, disruption isn’t very relevant. You won’t be able to play around [card name=”Gift Energy” set=”Lost Origin” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card], so don’t even bother trying unless you find yourself behind and need to rely on some nonstandard tactics.

Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX – Unfavorable

I have not played this matchup, but I am sure that it is Chien-Pao’s worst matchup. They can easily keep Bibarel and Baxcalibur off the board, leaving you to rely primarily on Palkia for both attacking and support. I don’t think [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] is a very good deck, and I also don’t think it will spike in popularity too much even though it won NAIC, so personally, I would be comfortable with taking a bad matchup against Urshifu as long as it’s my only bad matchup. However, that is entirely up to you. It would certainly be reasonable to avoid playing a deck that loses to the one that just won NAIC.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! If you want to play some Chien-Pao, I definitely recommend this list. It seems to be well-rounded and fairly consistent, and the deck as a whole is just good. Although there are a lot of moving pieces, Chien-Pao has access to the right cards to cover all of its bases and make the whole machine work. That’s all I have for today.

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