The Missing Piece for Iron Valiant ex’s Dominance — Entei V?

In my last article, I made a comment that [card name=”Iron Valiant ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”249″ c=”name”][/card] was the most overhyped card in Paradox Rift. The current builds at the time were based around [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card], and thrived against decks with lots of low-HP Pokemon. Of course, the deck had to commit hard to this game plan in order to be consistent, which left it vulnerable against decks that used high-HP Pokemon. As a result, it had very polarizing matchups. This version of Iron Valiant ex excels against Lost Box, [card name=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”261″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”223″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”245″ c=”name”][/card], but struggles against decks such as [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”269″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”211″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”251″ c=”name”][/card]. Overall, I don’t think the Urshifu build is that strong.

[cardimg name=”Iron Valiant ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”249″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Iron Valiant ex is sometimes seen in Lost Box decks, or paired with [card name=”Jolteon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] . These decks are interesting, but I do not think they truly draw out the strength of Iron Valiant. Some creative players in online tournaments opened my eyes to what I believe is the best version of Iron Valiant: [card name=”Entei V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Magma Basin” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card].

Initially, I considered this to be another rogue deck choice. Entei V and Iron Valiant ex have no apparent synergy with each other. Entei has not been a standout card, except as a tech in [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], and no decks based around Entei have been good. So why would a deck based around Entei and Magma Basin suddenly be good? Why does Iron Valiant go with this deck? I did not understand, so I had to play some games with the deck. I figured that it would follow the trend of Iron Valiant – that is, good against low-HP guys and bad against high-HP guys. That’s the synergy between Iron Valiant and Medicham V. And Entei’s damage output isn’t exactly anything special.

To my surprise, this deck easily dismantled Roaring Moon ex, regardless of which variant I threw at it. I thought Roaring Moon would pose the biggest challenge, but that is absolutely not the case. Of course, this deck was also able to destroy the likes of Chien-Pao ex and Charizard ex because it can pick apart their setup before they can get going. The Chien-Pao matchup in particular is laughably trivial. Even the [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] matchup was much closer than anticipated.

So, why? Why is this deck so good?

The short answer is [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. Radiant Charizard single-handedly carries this deck, significantly boosting its power level. Of course, if you are feasting upon low-HP Pokemon with Iron Valiant ex, you might not need Radiant Charizard. However, there are many games, especially against high-HP decks, where you actually have to play the game. And Radiant Charizard wins you those games. Radiant Charizard nukes opposing multi-Prize Pokemon such as Roaring Moon ex, [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card], and more. This swings those matchups. Even against higher-HP threats such as Lugia VSTAR, Iron Valiant easily sets up Radiant Charizard for those KOs. Thanks to Magma Basin and [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card], Radiant Charizard can easily be used ahead of schedule. This is great for surprising opponents and it can throw off their Prize trade. Most decks can’t afford to simply ignore the Radiant Charizard that is blowing everything up. Since it only gives up one Prize card, opponents get basically nothing for dealing with this enormous threat, and you have an extra turn to attack and spam Iron Valiant’s Tachyon Bits.

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Iron Valiant ex / Entei V Deck List

[decklist name=”entei” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”20″][pokemon amt=”11″]4x [card name=”Entei V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”22″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Iron Valiant ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Medicham V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”83″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”40″]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Colress’s Experiment” set=”Lost Origin” no=”155″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Switch” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”194″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Switch Cart” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”181″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Techno Radar” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”180″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Earthen Vessel” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Future Booster Energy Capsule” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Magma Basin” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]3x [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]6x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”153″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

[cardimg name=”Entei V” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG36″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This list closely resembles what several players have been using in recent online tournaments. Frankly, whoever made this list is a genius. I wish I could say that was me, but I only made a few modifications. [card name=”Entei V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card]’s middling damage output is complemented perfectly by [card name=”Iron Valiant ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”249″ c=”name”][/card], setting up and finishing off KO’s whenever you want. There are lots of Pokemon that can attack in this damage range, but Entei is preferred for several reasons. First, its HP is great. 230 HP is as much as you can ask for on a Basic Pokemon. Entei’s Fleet-Footed Ability offers much needed draw power for this deck. You may think that drawing just one card is insignificant, but over the course of the game, you will be using it many times.

Finally, Entei works well with [card name=”Magma Basin” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card]. This gives you an extremely powerful and useful Stadium counter to deal with [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card]. Magma Basin allows you to seamlessly chain together multiple Entei, and most importantly, fuels up [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card].

I think going first in every matchup is correct, but I am not 100% sure about that. This deck can attack on turn 1 thanks to Magma Basin, but requires a lot to do so. Using [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] on your first turn of the game is nice, but you can still use [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”264″ c=”name”][/card] to help stabilize when going first. Going first with this deck is particularly good to get extra uses from Fleet-Footed and Tachyon Bits. You can also attach an Energy card to Entei V to get a more consistent turn 2 attack, as well as have an undamaged Entei V.

Most games you start by simply hitting with Entei V for as much damage as possible, though an early [card name=”Medicham V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] is better in some matchups. Even with Radiant Charizard coming in at some point, you often end up using three Entei V over the course of the game. Your board almost always consists of three Iron Valiant ex and at least one Entei V. The remaining two spots are based on necessity. For example, sometimes you need to use [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card]. Sometimes you need to play Radiant Charizard preemptively to avoid discarding it. Sometimes Medicham is useful. If you have space, the second Entei is the default option for one of those extra Bench spaces.

A draw Supporter card like [card name=”Colress’s Experiment” set=”Lost Origin” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] is preferred over something like [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] because it sees more cards on average. Although Iono is a bit better in the early game, it falls off fast and hard. The disruption aspect of Iono isn’t valuable for this deck because its cost is too high. Trading your hand for just a few cards in the late-game is really bad for this deck. Of course, Professor’s Research is the best and most powerful Supporter for this deck. It is fairly easy to play out your hand, as most cards in this list can generate instant value. Therefore, the downside of Professor’s Research is mitigated somewhat. Your ideal games simply consist of playing out your hand and then using Professor’s Research, rinse and repeat.

Playing one single copy of [card name=”Boss’s Orders (Ghetsis)” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”265″ c=”name”][/card] might seem like a strange move since there is no way to access it outside of using [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]. The same can be said for [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”217″ c=”name”][/card]. Put simply, you want to be able to use these cards every so often, but there isn’t space to be playing more than one copy since they do not contribute to consistency. Boss’s Orders gives the deck at least one option to gust, as some decks can play around Tachyon Bits easier than others. Lost Vacuum is a powerful option to remove cards like [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ancient Booster Energy Capsule” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card]. It is okay to find your Lost Vacuum at any point in the game, so there isn’t always pressure to find it immediately. If you deal 230 damage to a [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”251″ c=”name”][/card], for example, that damage isn’t going anywhere and you can just take the KO with Lost Vacuum whenever you happen to draw into it. Even if they use [card name=”Switch Cart” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card], it is mitigated by more Tachyon Bits.

A neat card that is very useful on turn 1 is [card name=”Techno Radar” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”180″ c=”name”][/card]. It is similar to an extra copy of [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”name”][/card], but [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”181″ c=”name”][/card] is still played in higher counts. Many hands do require Squawkabilly ex, so Nest Ball makes the deck more consistent overall. Furthermore, the deck needs a way to find cards such as Radiant Charizard and Medicham V at specific times. I wish the deck had space for four copies of Techno Radar, but this Item card is a luxury at best. Battle VIP Pass is somewhat hard to find on turn 1 compared to other decks, but it is still too powerful to not use. This deck needs to operate with a full Bench at all times, and Battle VIP Pass makes that happen as often as possible, even though you sometimes just won’t have it.

This deck maxes out the counts of switching cards because you are constantly using Tachyon Bits and Fleet-Footed. This is a somewhat goofy engine based on switching, and it seems like a poor man’s version of chaining [card name=”Comfey” set=”Lost Origin” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. I did try out [card name=”Jet Energy” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”190″ c=”name”][/card], but found it to be very awkward to actually use. You usually want to attach Jet Energy to power up Entei V, but then you also need Magma Basin. The mandatory switch of Jet Energy was counterproductive, and I don’t think the card is good in this deck.

Having [card name=”Earthen Vessel” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] is generally just a better card than another copy of Fire Energy, but of course it is useless once there aren’t any Fire Energy left in the deck. You do want to manually attach every turn still, so that’s why we still play many Fire Energy and did not simply max out the counts of Earthen Vessel.

I added a third copy of [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”216″ c=”name”][/card] compared to most deck lists so that I can more consistently attack with Medicham or Radiant Charizard on the specific turns they are required. Double Turbo Energy can even be used with Entei V, and it’s not the end of the world. Since I cut two Jet Energy, adding an extra Double Turbo Energy and Earthen Vessel basically makes it so that you don’t have fewer Energy than normal.

Matchups

Roaring Moon ex — Favorable

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

This matchup looks like a close scrap until it’s time for [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] to shine. Try to KO a clean [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”251″ c=”name”][/card] with the Radiant Charizard for maximum value. That is often at the end of the game because that is when it’s easiest to use, but it doesn’t matter when you do it. [card name=”Entei V” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG36″ c=”name”][/card] does enough damage to Roaring Moon ex to clean up with (or finish off after) [card name=”Iron Valiant ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”249″ c=”name”][/card]’s Tachyon Bits. It is difficult for Roaring Moon ex to take a return KO on your Entei because of the 230 HP benchmark. Sometimes it is worth using [card name=”Switch Cart” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] to heal damage dealt from using [card name=”Magma Basin” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] just to make things hard on them. Of course, if they have [card name=”Brute Bonnet” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Ancient Booster Energy Capsule” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card], keeping Entei V at full HP does not matter. [card name=”Medicham V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] is not useful in this matchup.

Chien-Pao ex — Favorable

I mentioned earlier that this matchup is very easy. Iron Valiant ex and Medicham V prevent them from setting up. Even if they do set up, they are playing the game from too far behind thanks to Iron Valiant’s early KO’s on their low-HP Pokemon. Once again, even if both Benches aren’t completely full, Entei does enough damage to [card name=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”261″ c=”name”][/card] thanks to extra damage from Tachyon Bits. Radiant Charizard can also go two-for-one against a Chien-Pao, but it probably won’t even get to that point. [card name=”Baxcalibur” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”210″ c=”name”][/card] is their best attacker because one-shots most of your attackers, but it is hard for them to stabilize if they attack with Baxcalibur. Iron Valiant and Medicham pick off some [card name=”Frigibax” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card], so even if they set up Baxcalibur, they would not like to sacrifice it in the Active Spot.

Giratina VSTAR — Slightly Unfavorable

This matchup seems like it would be good because [card name=”Comfey” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG14″ c=”name”][/card] are easy targets for Iron Valiant ex, but it’s actually pretty tough. [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG69″ c=”name”][/card] lists run a lot of [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”213″ c=”name”][/card] these days, which is really annoying. Try to conserve Magma Basin and and [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”217″ c=”name”][/card] so you can easily deal with Path to the Peak. As usual, Radiant Charizard is your saving grace. Their primary way around Radiant Charizard is to use [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card], so use your Radiant Charizard when they are not behind on Prizes and can’t use Counter Catcher. Radiant Charizard is great for hitting into a Giratina VSTAR for tons of damage, and there’s nothing they can do about it. They have to either waste a turn and resources to KO it outright, or [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] around it, which also doesn’t accomplish anything for them (and lets you continue using Radiant Charizard). Some lists do not even play [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]. If they use Sableye to snipe an undamaged Entei V or Iron Valiant ex, use Switch Cart to heal it back out of range of another Sableye attack.

Charizard ex — Slightly Favorable

This matchup is all about taking out as many [card name=”Charmander” set=”151″ no=”4″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Charmeleon” set=”151″ no=”5″ c=”name”][/card] as possible before they evolve into [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”223″ c=”name”][/card]. Charizard ex is annoying because it has high HP. Even Radiant Charizard is four Tachyon Bits short of KO’ing Charizard ex. You have lots of tools to KO their Benched Pokemon over and over (Escape Rope, [card name=”Boss’s Orders (Ghetsis)” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”265″ c=”name”][/card], and Medicham V, for example). However, if they start limiting their Bench, you may need to eventually get four Tachyon Bits plus Combustion Blast to take your last two Prizes against a Charizard ex.

Lugia VSTAR — Even

If they play Water Energy, this matchup is unfavorable because [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG39″ c=”name”][/card] is a huge menace to Entei V. Without Water Energy, it is very difficult for them to KO Entei. Since [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”211″ c=”name”][/card] hits for 220 damage, try to keep Entei V at full HP and spam Burning Rondo. Most lists do not play Water Energy, but it seems that they are gradually trending towards it. Tachyon Bits damage is usually best spent on Lugia (or [card name=”Wyrdeer V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] if it is in play). You will basically never KO [card name=”Archeops” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] unless they sacrifice it off Escape Rope, and it just takes too many Tachyon Bits to KO. As usual, try to find a good spot for Radiant Charizard to get maximum value from its damage. Try to avoid using it in situations where they can simply play Boss’s Orders-KO for game. You want to use it before the game gets to that point to milk as much value from Radiant Charizard as possible. It is your trump card.

Miraidon ex — Slightly Favorable

If they do not play [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] then you just win because it’s too difficult for them to KO Entei V. Even with Zapdos, it’s an even trade at worst for you. Radiant Charizard swings the Prize trade so that you always win if you draw well. The Path to the Peak plus hand disruption is annoying, but there’s not much you can do about it. Against the Path to the Peak version, conserve your Stadium cards. Lost Vacuum is very important for removing [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card]. Medicham V is basically useless in this matchup. Just trade with Entei V and use Tachyon Bits to clean up numbers and deal with Bravery Charm. If you don’t know where to place Tachyon Bits damage, use it on Pokemon that would be most threatening with Bravery Charm on the next turn (even if Bravery Charm isn’t in play yet).

Fusion Mew VMAX — Unfavorable

This is probably Entei V’s worst matchup. [card name=”Fusion Strike Energy” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”244″ c=”name”][/card] stops Tachyon Bits, which makes it basically impossible for you to KO [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”269″ c=”name”][/card]. Take KOs with Escape Rope and Boss’s Orders when you can. If you’re able to KO one two-Prize Pokemon before they set up Mew VMAX, and two more off Escape Rope or Boss’s Orders, that is your most reasonable line of play to win the game. If they do not immediately set up Fusion Strike Energy on their Mew VMAX, you may be able to triple Tachyon Bits and follow up with Radiant Charizard to take a big KO. Otherwise, it will just be an uphill battle and there’s not much you can do about it.

Other Decks

In general, Medicham V is great to slow down decks like low-HP Pokemon, such as Lost Box, [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”245″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Gholdengo ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card]. This deck is fairly straightforward, so you will use many of the same lines of play against the various different decks. Against decks that hit for exactly 210 or 220 damage, be mindful of Switch Cart to heal off your Magma Basin damage. Against decks with big Pokemon, ignore Medicham V and use Tachyon Bits to support Entei V’s damage benchmarks.

Conclusion

Overall, this deck is much better than I was expecting. I was pleasantly surprised when I started testing it out. I think [card name=”Entei V” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG36″ c=”name”][/card] is definitely the best partner for [card name=”Iron Valiant ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”249″ c=”name”][/card], and its matchups are more well-rounded than the other variants. [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”TG21″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Jolteon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] may be slightly more dominant against low-HP decks, but Entei V is fast, consistent, lower-maintenance, and it has [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. This deck is not too hard to play either. I highly recommend trying it out. Thanks for reading!

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