Obsidian Flames Meta — Post-Worlds Analysis and Charizard ex Strategy

Hello everyone! Now that the Pokemon TCG World Championships in Yokohama have concluded, there is a bit of down time in the competitive scene until the new season starts in September. With the release of Obsidian Flames, we will be playing with a new set to start the season, but without the traditional rotation that usually comes after Worlds. It seems rotation will now be relegated to the middle of the season like it was last time, so the format is similar to how it was for Worlds 2023.

Today I’ll be discussing the state of the meta, taking into account the recent World Championships, Obsidian Flames, and online events. Hopefully this article will lay the groundwork to help you start preparing and gathering knowledge for the start of the next season!

Worlds 2023

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

Unfortunately, my Worlds run was subpar to say the least. My group decided to play Fusion [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card], with a deck list that was only one card off from the one I posted in my last article! The only change was a last minute swap from the fourth [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”181″ c=”name”][/card] for a second [card name=”Feather Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card]. Azul actually made Top 4 with the list, proving that it was good enough to do well at the most prestigious tournament. Personally, I had some poor luck but I also made several game-losing mistakes, which was a bit embarrassing and disappointing. I do think our list was the correct play for the tournament, and with some better plays, I could have also made Top 8. Azul ended up losing a close mirror match in Top 4. Our list’s superior consistency should give us the advantage, but Vance, the winner of the tournament, had [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card], which is a strong tech in the mirror match. Considering both of these things, it should be close to a 50-50 matchup.

Overall, Mew VMAX was the best performing deck at Worlds. Many top players correctly identified it as the best deck, and it ended up with three total top 8 spots, while also winning the tournament. In second place we had an innovative [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] list from Tord Reklev, who most consider to be the best player in the World. Tord played several cards that were considered to be unusual up until that point, including Mirage Step [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card], and a second copy of [card name=”Reversal Energy” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card]. Rounding out Top 8 were three Lost Zone decks, with two of them being [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card]. Giratina has recently seen a meteoric rise in popularity, with many top players debating how good it actually is. Its performance at Worlds proves that the deck is the real deal, though I don’t think I would ever play it myself.

In Top 16, we saw some more variety in decks. Cyrus sadly bubbled out of Top 8 with a neat [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] deck. We also saw [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] in the Top 16. However, Top 16 only required a score of 5-2-1, which any deck is capable of. Nonetheless, it is good to see some diversity for which decks are viable at the highest level.

Mew VMAX

My first thought with regards to Mew VMAX is that [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] would kill the deck. Mew got to its high point at Worlds, and even managed to overcome numerous counters such as [card name=”Drapion V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card]. But Charizard would be the one to put Mew down for good.

My opinion has changed slightly. Mew VMAX is just too good of a deck, and will still see a decent amount of competitive play. However, it’s true that Charizard ex is a poor matchup for it. If Charizard manages to set up, I would say that it is almost unwinnable for Mew. Depending on how popular Charizard becomes, Mew can simply take the bad matchup and continue its dominance against the rest of the format. I would personally avoid playing Mew for the first tournament or two, and if Charizard does not dominate, I would consider picking it back up.

Alternatively, there are a couple things Mew VMAX can try to do to beat Charizard ex. Charizard is a bit weak against early-game disruption. A good ol-fashioned [card name=”Judge” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card] + Path to the Peak play on turn 1 should have a decent success rate. If Mew can take a few Prize cards to start the game, it may be able to get far enough ahead. The problem is that Charizard is such a hard counter. It can effortlessly one-shot [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card], and its enormous HP stat makes it difficult to KO in return. Mew should try to put a few [card name=”Fusion Strike Energy” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”244″ c=”name”][/card] on the board so that it can deliver a big Melodious Echo to OHKO Charizard. With four Fusion Strike Energy in play and two copies of [card name=”Power Tablet” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”236″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Meloetta” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] can get the job done and only offers one Prize in return. If Charizard sets up fast enough though, it just doesn’t matter.

There have been talks of teching [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] into Mew VMAX as a Charizard ex counter. Like Meloetta, Accelgor needs two Power Tablets to KO, but only needs one Fusion Strike Energy. At the very least, Accelgor is an interesting option. If I were to recommend playing Mew into a Charizard meta right now, I would play the Worlds list with just three changes. Cut [card name=”Eiscue” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card], and some random other card like [card name=”Feather Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] for Accelgor, [card name=”Shelmet” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Box of Disaster” set=”Lost Origin” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card]. Both Accelgor and Box of Disaster offer ways to dispose of Charizard in one shot. However, not having Eiscue may feel bad sometimes. If Charizard or Gardevoir ex players neglect to go for [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG06″ c=”name”][/card], you will miss the option of being able to punish them with Eiscue. You can still use [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] though, and I don’t think I can justify having both Eiscue and Accelgor in the deck.

Overall, it’s important to remember that Mew VMAX was the best deck for the Worlds format, and the only change for it is the introduction of Charizard ex. Mew is still a ridiculously strong deck, so just a little bit of Charizard shouldn’t discourage Mew decks from being played.

Gardevoir ex

Gardevoir ex is in a similar position as Mew. It remains a strong deck that people will play, but it’s very weak against Charizard ex. Even though Gardevoir ex only gives up two Prize cards as opposed to three from Mew VMAX, it’s incredibly difficult to beat Charizard. If Charizard sets up well, Gardevoir has to do awkward plays with Shining Arcana and [card name=”Reversal Energy” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card] to try to win the Prize trade. A second copy of Reversal Energy is more important now, and most lists should be playing it. If Gardevoir is able to pull ahead with plays like Turn 2 [card name=”Cresselia” set=”Lost Origin” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], it can also win that way. I don’t have a lot to say about Gardevoir at the moment.

Giratina VSTAR

[cardimg name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG69″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This card is looking to be well-positioned going into the next format, and it also seems to be incredibly popular. The reason for this is because [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] is the only top tier deck from the previous format that also matches up well against Charizard ex. Basically, Giratina is strictly better than it was before Obsidian Flames. At Worlds, most Giratina players played [card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] as their tech for Mew VMAX. However, in my testing, Mew was still favored against Giratina even with Spiritomb. Michael Pramawat made Top 4 at Worlds, and he used [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] instead. I think Choice Belt is a lot better than Spiritomb, and it has some other uses as well (such as against [card name=”V Guard Energy” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card]). That said, if you’re only trying to counter Mew with that slot, [card name=”Drapion V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] is much more effective. Drapion can be a liability in other matchups, and it is not as flexible as Choice Belt, so I would say that Choice Belt is better overall.

Some people are trying to play Grass-type Pokemon in Giratina VSTAR because they easily fit into the deck and counter Charizard ex. However, this is not necessary because Giratina is strong against Charizard anyway. Giratina usually wins the Prize trade against Charizard because it can use Star Requiem for an easy two Prizes, along with Boss’s Orders plus Lost Impact for another easy two Prize cards. Charizard cannot even KO Giratina VSTAR until the late-game. Furthermore, Giratina can disrupt Charizard with Path to the Peak, so the matchup is quite a struggle for Charizard. Grass-type Pokemon are quite bad right now, and they aren’t very useful in other situations, so I would not include them in Giratina decks.

With all of this discussion around Charizard ex, I don’t mean to over hype the deck. It is just the only change to the existing format, so it’s really the only relevant talking point. The rest of the new set seems irrelevant to me. Only time will tell how relevant Charizard ex ends up being. For now though, it is worth preparing for Charizard.

Giratina VSTAR, on the other hand, will most likely be the most popular deck for the start of this new format. Although results from online tournaments don’t always reflect the metagame for the competitive circuit, I believe that Giratina will retain its correlation. At the moment, Charizard is seeing some artificial inflation in numbers for the online metagame just because it is the new deck. We saw the same thing happen with [card name=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] when it was new, and [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] before that.

Tier 2

The rest of the meta decks, such as Lost Box, Chien-Pao ex, [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card], etc., will continue seeing middling amounts of play. Every so often at a Regional Championships, a deck will perform very well proportionately to its meta share. For example, a five percent deck will flood the top tables and end up with three spots in the Top 16. We saw this with [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Duraludon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Umbreon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] at Hartford Regionals. The same happened at Worlds Day 1, where Mew was less than 8% of the meta and completely dominated, having the highest conversion rate to Day 2. I think [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] will replicate this feat at some point in the Obsidian Flames format. Palkia is a strong deck that is relatively underplayed at the moment. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it populate the top tables and have some strong finishes.

Charizard ex

Charizard ex is the new kid on the block. It’s good, but not broken. Its struggle against Giratina VSTAR is its biggest hurdle. Charizard will land solidly in Tier 2, and will see middling play for as long as Giratina is popular. When Giratina becomes less popular, or when Charizard players figure out some technology to handle the matchup, Charizard may see an increase in play. Charizard has pretty good matchups aside from that, and is an insane card overall. I would be happy to play Charizard for the first Regional Championships. I’ve tested Charizard. I like the list that I have currently, but it is still in development. Here is where I am at:

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[decklist name=”zard” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″][pokemon amt=”19″]4x [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Charmander” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”26″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Pidgey” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Arceus V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Celebrations” no=”11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Colress’s Experiment” set=”Lost Origin” no=”155″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”181″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”188″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”176″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Artazon” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]8x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”153″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]1x [card name=”V Guard Energy” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”223″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This list isn’t too different from normal, but there’s still a lot to discuss. The fourth [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] is an aggressive list decision. It gives you more outs to see Charizard in your hand naturally, which is almost always a good thing. There are also some games where you want to go with triple Charizard. For example, if you go first and get the turn 2 setup, your opponent may not have the option to take out two single-Prize targets. Having four Charizard just makes it easier to set up a bunch of them, especially if one is Prized or discarded/in the Lost Zone.

Arceus VSTAR has proven useful to turbo start the initial setup. Starbirth allows you to consistently set up [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] and Charizard ex on turn 2, which is the goal of this deck. It’s important to consider that this deck needs a lot to set up. If your opponent isn’t threatening a KO on the next turn (such as if you are going first against most decks), you need, at minimum, a [card name=”Charmander” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], a [card name=”Pidgey” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card], and probably an [card name=”Arceus V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card]. You then have to follow that up with a [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card] for Pidgeot ex, another Rare Candy for Charizard ex, and ideally get another Charmander or two onto the Bench. Going second, you need more Basic Pokemon on turn 1 just to be safe, including but not limited to [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG06″ c=”name”][/card] and a second Charmander, and you need the same combo as a follow up on turn 2. Therefore, the list is geared towards finding all of these pieces consistently so you can get that epic turn 2 setup.

You may notice the lack of [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card], which a lot of lists include. I find myself not using Trinity Nova very often. With a Double Turbo, it does the same amount of damage as Charizard ex. But Arceus VSTAR has less HP, so I would rather just attack with Charizard. The Energy acceleration of Trinity Nova is useless in this deck. Attacking with Arceus isn’t too common because it requires a large commitment of three Fire Energy. It is used almost exclusively when you are starting down a 220 HP Pokemon V on turn 2, where Trinity Nova plus [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card] is the only KO option.

Pidgeot ex is fantastic in the deck because it makes setting up multiple Charizard ex easy. Pidgeot finds [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] on the turns you need them, and also can find your situational tech cards, though there aren’t many of them. Pidgeot’s attack is also handy from time to time. It can remove that pesky Path to the Peak, and can even remove your own [card name=”Artazon” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] when you are playing Iono to disrupt your opponent’s hand.

Cards such as [card name=”Mew” set=”Celebrations” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] are useful consistency tools that help with setting up. Oftentimes you find yourself with Fire Energy cards in the hand, which are not important because of Charizard ex’s Ability. Radiant Greninja repurposes this extra Energy into draw power.

I play a whopping four copies of [card name=”Colress’s Experiment” set=”Lost Origin” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card]. Again, this is mostly to help set up, but the extra draw Supporters also give you more outs when your hand is disrupted. Charizard’s biggest weakness is disruption, so having draw extra draw Supporters is quite helpful, especially in the early- to mid-game. If you are already set up and don’t need to use Boss’s Orders, Colress can thin out excess setup cards so that opposing hand disruption hurts less later on. [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”254″ c=”name”][/card] helps with early-game consistency, but is mostly included for its disruption aspect. Spamming Iono against [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] is a very real win condition, and you can also combo it with [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] against mirror matches. Boss’s Orders compensates for Charizard ex’s weak early-game power by letting you pick off Pokemon you can KO.

The addition of [card name=”V Guard Energy” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] goes great on Pidgeot ex. Giratina VSTAR loves to Boss-KO Pidgeot, which is very bad for this deck. V Guard Energy completely shuts down that play. Although they can still go for Arceus, you are happy to still have access to Pidgeot. V Guard Energy also lets you more safely attack with Pidgeot, which is extremely helpful when you want to remove a Stadium card from play.

You may notice that this deck has no real out to a late-game Iono + Path to the Peak, aside from randomly drawing one of the three Artazon. There aren’t many ways to even deal with this in the format, and I don’t want to play [card name=”Bibarel” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]. The idea is to have all of your Charizard ex set up by that point, which isn’t hard to do. Once this happens, you don’t really need cards in hand. Sometimes you may wish to have Iono or Boss’s Orders, but it is what it is. There are also times where you can attack with Pidgeot to unlock yourself.

Other Options

[cardimg name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”20″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

One card that is sometimes nice to have as a single-Prize attacker is [card name=”Charmeleon” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”27″ c=”name”][/card], and it lets you go triple Charizard ex when a Rare Candy is Prized. [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] is commonly played in most lists. I feel that Radiant Charizard’s value is somewhat diminished in this deck. Radiant Charizard is best in the late-game, which is when Charizard ex is strongest anyway. However, it does have some value as a single-Prize attacker. I’ve found it to be difficult to pull off, as it is useless when Path to the Peak is in play, and often wants to have Choice Belt attached as well. The opportunity cost of sacrificing Radiant Greninja in the deck isn’t that big.

Another useful option for this deck is [card name=”Radiant Gardevoir” set=”Lost Origin” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card]. It is similar to V Guard Energy, and if it wasn’t useless against Path to the Peak, I would definitely play it. [card name=”Penny” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] is the card that I am most likely to include. The low-HP Mew and Manaphy become liabilities once you are set up. Using an unexpected Penny will often throw off your opponent’s entire game plan. The opportunity cost is quite high though, costing a deck spot and your Supporter for the turn.

Conclusion

Although the new Obsidian Flames set does not drastically change the format, it introduces [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] as its own archetype to shake things up just a little bit. I am excited to play with Charizard, and I hope it does not prove to be too oppressive. The most annoying thing about Charizard is that it just randomly loses to disruption, but maximizing consistency should help with that. At this point, the decks I am most likely to play are Charizard, [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], and Lost Box, and the decks I’m least likely to play are [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card]. There is still a lot of time to test and figure things out though. I hope this article was helpful, and provides a starting point for working with Charizard ex. Thanks for reading!

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