Keeping It Shivery With Chien-Pao ex
Hey everyone! Before I dive into Chien-Pao, I thought I would introduce myself, since this is my first article on PokeBeach! I’m Ciaran, a player based out of Toronto, Canada. I have played the TCG since 2011, and have played at the World Championships seven times. Some of the accomplishments I am most proud of are as follows: #1 Championship Points North America 2016, #1 Championship Points Canada 2023, Top 4 LAIC 2023, Top 8 LAIC 2022, and Top 32 at the World Championships three times (2015, ’16, ’23). I also have a YouTube channel and podcast where I make competitive content. I love Pokemon and making content, so I’m excited to start writing for PokeBeach!
[cardimg name=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”236″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
For my first article, I want to do a deep dive on my favourite deck in the format, [card name=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card]. Chien-Pao got off to a bit of a slow start after releasing in Paldea Evolved, but found its footing when the aptly named “Canadian Pao” build gained popularity following Lucas Xing’s Top 8 performance at Pittsburgh Regionals. His version of the deck focused on [card name=”Bibarel” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and played no Pokemon VSTAR. From there, Grant Shen took the build to a Top 8–Top 16–Top 8 streak at the following three Regionals, proving Chien-Pao was a deck to be reckoned with!
Heading into the Paradox Rift format, Chien-Pao was expected to be a mainstay of Tier 1 with the release of [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card], but the deck has seen a massive fall-off in play following LAIC. There were a multitude of factors that led to this, which I will cover, but I think with the maturation of the Paradox Rift metagame, the deck is primed for success!
Why Has the Deck Struggled?
On paper, Chien-Pao has fantastic matchups against a majority of the meta, and it still does, but initial builds of decks during the LAIC meta were put together with Chien-Pao in mind. For example, most [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] decks were playing two, sometimes three copies of [card name=”Avery” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], which allowed the deck to completely eliminate your Bibarel when combined with a Roaring Scream from [card name=”Scream Tail” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. We also saw an uptick in [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] decks, one of Chien-Pao’s weaker matchups. Other bad matchups, such as [card name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] Stall, picked up in play, and [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] was still included in a majority of decks.
The other issue is Chien-Pao’s consistency. The deck needs a Stage 2 Pokemon and a Stage 1 Pokemon (Bibarel) to fully get online. If you have tried the deck before, you probably know the painful feeling of using [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] and discarding [card name=”Irida” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Baxcalibur” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]. The inconsistency of the deck is what helps keep it in check, as any game in which it achieves the desired setup normally results in its victory.
Why is Chien-Pao Primed for Success Currently?
There are a few reasons why Chien-Pao ex is in a good spot currently. Firstly, since Chien-Pao has seen a massive decrease in play, most people have adjusted their deck lists accordingly. We have seen Gardevoir ex decks remove their second copies of Avery, and [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] is seeing play without Manaphy. Without those cards, both of those matchups become much more favourable for Chien-Pao.
Second, we have seen a massive uptick in [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]. I would argue this is Chien-Pao’s best matchup, and it attained a meta share of 17% at our most recent Regionals (Portland). Over nine rounds, it will not be uncommon to face two or three Charizard decks, and if you make it to the second day of the competition there will probably be some more waiting for you at the top tables.
Finally, we have seen Miraidon ex drop to around 10% of the Day 1 metagame, with a further decrease in play on Day 2. While Miraidon isn’t an unwinnable matchup, it definitely isn’t something you want to sit across frequently at your tournaments.
All these factors combined, the metagame is shaping up nicely for Chien-Pao to see success!
[premium]
Chien-Pao Build
[decklist name=”Chien-Pao” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”70″][pokemon amt=”15″]2x [card name=”Baxcalibur” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Frigibax” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Frigibax” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG06″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/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]3x [card name=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Irida” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”269″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Cross Switcher” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”230″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Superior Energy Retrieval” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Unleashed” no=”82″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”181″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Canceling Cologne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Earthen Vessel” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]8x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]1x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
This is my current Chien-Pao build. It is pretty similar to builds that were popular before Paradox Rift, but has Iron Hands ex to give you some extra options. I’ll go over some cards and combos I want to call out.
Iron Hands ex
While adding Iron Hands decreases your consistency slightly, it gives you more than enough power to make up for it. One of the best things about Iron Hands is it allows you to leave Energy in play after an attack. Normally when you attack with Chien-Pao ex, you leave your board with very little Energy. This leaves you susceptible to having your Baxcalibur gusted up and Knocked Out, leaving you scrambling to set up another one to continue taking Knock Outs.
The main strength of the card, however, is its ability to manipulate the Prize map of games. Against decks that use single-Prize attackers, such as Lost Box or Gardevoir, you don’t want to use Chien-Pao, as you are going to be trading your two-Prize Pokemon into their one-Prize Pokemon. Iron Hands allows you to effectively turn any of your opponent’s one-Prize Pokemon into a low-HP two-Prize Pokemon, and then you can leave the big bulky two-Prize Pokemon to be cleaned up with Chien-Pao ex. Iron Hands also lets you take three Prizes if you Knock Out something like a [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card], which is super important against decks like Miraidon and [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] — more on that in the matchups section.
Iron Hands does require one Lightning Energy, but the deck includes one copy of [card name=”Earthen Vessel” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] to give you another out to grab it. Earthen Vessel is also a great Irida target. One thing I like to do is get the Lightning Energy in my discard pile as soon as possible through [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] or retreating so I can grab it at will later in the game with [card name=”Superior Energy Retrieval” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card].
Radiant Greninja
[card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] is the backbone of this deck. Not only does it help you draw cards, Moonlight Shuriken is one of the strongest attacks in the game. More importantly, using Greninja allows you to weave in a one-Prize Pokemon to your opponent’s Prize map. If you attack with Chien-Pao ex three times, you make it easy for your opponent to win the game in three Knock Outs. If you are able to use Greninja to attack too, though, you effectively force your opponent to take seven Prize cards, and at minimum four Knock Outs to win the game.
Moonlight Shuriken is also fantastic at picking off low-HP Pokemon such as [card name=”Ralts” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Charmander” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Comfey” set=”Lost Origin” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. Taking these Pokemon off the board heavily disrupts your opponent’s game plan and sometimes their main consistency engine.
Cross Switcher (and Canceling Cologne)
With the release of [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], we have the option to drop [card name=”Cross Switcher” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”230″ c=”name”][/card], but I have found that Cross Switcher is too important for unlocking this deck’s full potential. The problem with Counter Catcher is that you need to be losing to activate it. Smart opponents can play around this card, and can play worry-free about their Benched Pokemon if they know it is your only option. We have seen some builds play [card name=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] to try and force your opponent to promote a less desirable Pokemon, but ultimately your opponent still controls what gets pushed into the Active Spot.
Cross Switcher allows you to make aggressive plays and take out threats before they have the chance to inflict damage. When combined with [card name=”Canceling Cologne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], it allows Radiant Greninja to go through Manaphy and take multiple Prizes. Games where you can pull off this combo normally result in victories.
Another underrated aspect of Cross Switcher is the switching effect. If you start with something like Iron Hands, the only way to switch it out of the Active Spot without committing four Energy to retreat is using Cross Switcher. The switching effect also enables you to use two Shivery Chill in one turn for four Energy!
Bibarel
Bibarel is the engine of this deck. We only play one draw Supporter ([card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card]), so we rely on Industrious Incisors to replenish our hand every turn. We also play eight cards that discard two cards from our hand (Ultra Ball and Superior Energy Retrieval), which enable us to draw lots of cards with Bibarel. I try to set up multiple Bibarel every game — it is that important. Games where you get both set up make it almost impossible to whiff what you need.
Bibarel also protects you against cards such as Iono and [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card]. A common strategy opponents will use is to take out your only Bibarel with the hopes of following it up with a disruption card. If you are ever susceptible to this playing out, you need to get your board prepared by either leaving extra Energy cards in play or getting another [card name=”Bidoof” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] down as soon as possible.
PokeStop
PokeStop is the secondary engine for this deck. Our deck is almost 50% Item cards, and as the game goes on this will normally start shifting to 70-80%. Late in the game, it is not uncommon for PokeStop to hit three Items, and in most cases it will hit at least two.
[cardimg name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I think this card gives a lot of players anxiety. I commonly hear people scared to discard Irida or Baxcalibur, but using this card aggressively is what enables you to pull off your combos. Sometimes you will get unlucky and discard resources, but you have to take the risk to get the reward!
Now, if you only have one Baxcalibur in your deck and you’re holding on to an Irida or Ultra Ball, then yes, you want to pull the Baxcalibur out of your deck first. Normally, though, you want to PokeStop before playing cards like Irida, since seeing what you hit off PokeStop lets you make more informed decisions. Once you play Irida, you can’t change what you get, so you want to see what options are available to you before you lock in your choice. For example, let’s say you want to go for the Cross Switcher–Canceling Cologne combo and you have one Cross Switcher in hand. You can PokeStop first, since it gives you the chance to hit another Cross Switcher or the Canceling Cologne, but if you Irida for the Canceling Cologne first, you take away an out. Maybe you high-roll and hit Cross Switcher and Cancelling Cologne off the PokeStop, then you can even save your Irida!
Matchups
Charizard ex: 65–35
Let’s start off by going through one of our best matchups. The reason this matchup is strong is due to Chien-Pao ex being able to take one-hit Knock Outs on Charizard ex with Hail Blade. Charizard is also a slower deck, and only uses a two-Prize attacker (Charizard ex). You have time to set up and take the first two-Prizes. Once you take the lead, they don’t have a way to manipulate the Prize trade back in their favour.
It is important that you don’t just take a 0ne-Prize Knock Out for your first Knock Out. This leaves your Chien-Pao open to getting Knocked Out by a Charizard ex with a [card name=”Vitality Band” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card]. What you want to do is use either Iron Hands ex, Radiant Greninja, or Chien-Pao on a two-Prize Pokemon to take your first Knock Out.
A strategy Charizard will employ is to Counter Catcher your Bibarel and combine it with Iono to try and disrupt you. Make sure you are taking this into account as you move toward the end of the game. Charizard decks usually play one copy of [card name=”Lost City” set=”Lost Origin” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card] as well, so make sure you don’t run out of Baxcalibur!
Gardevoir ex: 60–40
Gardevoir ex is another matchup you should be excited to get paired against. Their deck is slower, and you can usually take a two- or three-Prize lead before they even get the chance to attack!
The strongest play you can pull off against Gardevoir is to use Moonlight Shuriken on two Kirlia or Ralts. Not only are you taking two Prize cards, you are taking out your opponent’s draw engine and you are leaving a one-Prize Pokemon in the Active Spot. It is almost impossible to lose in games where you pull off this combo.
Besides Greninja, the next-best attacker in this matchup is Iron Hands ex. Amp You Very Much turns every Ralts, Kirlia, and Shining Arcana [card name=”Gardevoir” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] into a two-Prize Pokémon. The more important thing about attacking with Iron Hands, like I said before, is that it leaves Energy in play. An annoying Pokemon that Gardevoir plays is Scream Tail, but by having an Iron Hands in the Active Spot, you force your opponent to respond to it immediately or else give up another two Prize cards.
One card that is frustrating to deal with is Avery. Since Gardevoir plays Counter Catcher and Scream Tail, you can normally only save Baxcalibur or Bibarel. If you have Iron Hands in the Active Spot or a backup attacker powered up, it is normally okay to leave one Baxcalibur or Frigibax in play, but normally you need to give up one of your Bibarel so you have access to Super Cold. A neat trick you can do is leave one Bidoof on your Bench and discard your Bibarel. Bidoof has the Carefree Countenance Ability, which protects it from Scream Tail. This forces your opponent to have [card name=”Cresselia” set=”Lost Origin” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] or Counter Catcher if they want to go after your draw engine.
This matchup just comes down to having a favourable Prize map. You will always take the lead, so just look for ways to use Iron Hands, Greninja, and Chien-Pao to take multiple Prizes at once. A final callout I want to make is you can use [card name=”Frigibax” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] (either one) to Knock Out a Shining Arcana Gardevoir if your opponent puts a lot of damage on it.
Giratina VSTAR: 55–45
Giratina VSTAR has seen a rapid rise in play lately, with a 22% play rate on Day 2 of Portland! The one big thing for this matchup is whether your opponent plays Manaphy or not. If they don’t, then you can go to town with Moonlight Shuriken on their Comfey. If they do play Manaphy, you can still do that, but it requires that you find your copy of Canceling Cologne. Another strong play is using Cross Switcher to take out a [card name=”Giratina V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] or VSTAR with Chien-Pao. The only card in their deck that can Knock Out Chien-Pao is Giratina VSTAR, which means they are putting a two-Prize Knock Out into the Active Spot for us.
You do need to watch out for Roxanne in combination with [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] late in the game. If your opponent combines that with a Counter Catcher on Baxcalibur and Lost Mine from [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] to Knock Out your only Bibarel, it will be tough to draw out of it. Prioritize setting up two Bibarel in this matchup. If you have access to Industrious Incisors late in the game, it should be very difficult for your opponent to take the win.
Miraidon ex: 40–60
This is a matchup I would consider annoying, but it is definitely winnable. We have seen Miraidon ex builds stray away from playing Path to the Peak, which greatly improves the matchup. There are two routes to take in this matchup, depending on your opponent’s first Knock Out.
[cardimg name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”248″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Route one is if your opponent takes a one-Prize Knock Out to start the game. In this scenario you actually become massively favoured, assuming you can use Chien-Pao ex to Knock Out the two-Prize Pokemon they use to attack. From here, the only way for them to Knock Out Chien-Pao is to continue using their two-Prize Pokemon, so as long as you are able to stream Chien-Pao, you will win the game in three attacks. This is why you don’t want to start with Chien-Pao in this matchup. Do everything in your power to end the first turn with a one-Prize Pokemon in the Active Spot.
Route two is the more difficult one. If your opponent takes a two-Prize Knock Out to start the game, then we need to find a way to fix the Prize trade. We need to weave in a one-Prize Pokemon to achieve this. What you want to do is use Radiant Greninja to Knock Out a [card name=”Mareep” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Flaaffy” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], and then put the remaining 90 on a [card name=”Raikou V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”48″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Mew ex” set=”151″ no=”151″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Raichu V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card]. Once they Knock Out our Greninja, they will be on odd Prize cards, as will we. From here, you can use Iron Hands ex to KO whatever we put 90 damage on, or Knock Out a Lumineon V or Squawkabilly ex to take three Prize cards and get us back to even Prizes. From there, we can just use Chien-Pao to take our last two Prize cards, and our opponent will end the game with one Prize card remaining.
If our opponent used an Iron Hands ex for their first two Prizes, then we need to take it off the board immediately with a Chien-Pao. Your opponent will go to two Prize cards remaining after Knocking Out Chien-Pao, but then we can execute the Greninja strategy to win the game. This route does put you on a tighter clock to remove the Iron Hands, but the game is still very winnable.
Mew VMAX: 45–55
[card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] is an annoying matchup to play against, since it basically boils down to whether you set up or not. If you are able to establish a board, Chien-Pao will make quick work of your opponent’s Mew VMAX. Unfortunately, they will not make it easy for you to get there! Be prepared to get [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card]-Pathed early in the game.
An important thing in this matchup is to not bench Chien-Pao until you are ready to attack with it. Against [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card] Mew, you can win when you’re down 3–6 on Prize cards since you just need to Knock Out two Mew VMAX. By sacrificing single-Prize Pokemon, you give yourself more turns to set up.
Against Fusion Mew, you need to save Greninja to Knock Out their [card name=”Meloetta” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] with Moonlight Shuriken. This does mean you need to do this when your opponent has four Prize cards remaining, so we have time to take two Knock Outs with Chien-Pao.
Roaring Moon ex: 45–55
The Roaring Moon ex matchup is very similar to Miraidon, except they don’t have access to Iron Hands. Try and lead with a one-Prize Pokémon in the Active Spot again. From there, if you can stream three Chien-Pao Knock Outs on their two-Prize Pokemon, you should be able to win. If they take two Prizes early or use [card name=”Morpeko” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] on your one-Prize Pokemon, then you need to do the Greninja and Iron Hands play I described earlier in the Miraidon matchup, but this time you take your one-Prize Knock Out on Morpeko. Sometimes your opponent will have a Lumineon V and Squawkabilly ex in play. If this is the case, you can use Moonlight Shuriken twice to take four Prize cards. Just be careful with this play, since [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] can ruin your day!
Lost Box: 65–35
This matchup is fairly simple. Just use Iron Hands and Moonlight Shuriken to take multiple Prize cards at once. The only way they can Knock Out Iron Hands is with another two-Prize Pokemon, which means it is easy picking for your Chien-Pao. If they can attack with Radiant Greninja, make sure you bench Manaphy early!
Snorlax Stall: 40–60
[card name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] can be a tough matchup since not all our Pokemon are strong attackers. The main advice I have for this matchup is that you need to get full value from Cross Switcher. Canceling Cologne can also shut off Snorlax’s Ability, which represents another Prize. Try and set up as fast as possible in this matchup to put pressure on the Snorlax player. Ideally, you Cross Switcher their [card name=”Rotom V” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] early, forcing them to put it into play again if they want a consistent draw. Another play you can do is Ultra Ball your bad Pokemon away, like Manaphy, and then play [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] to play around [card name=”Echoing Horn” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Erika’s Hospitality” set=”Team Up” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card].
Concluding Thoughts
That will bring my debut article to a close. Hopefully you learned something about Chien-Pao, and maybe even left a little inspired to give it a try. I personally think Chien-Pao is one of the most fun decks in the format, but can also go on a run with the right draws! If you have any questions for me, please leave them in the comments; I will make sure to answer them. Also, let me know if there are any topics you would like to see me cover in the future! Other than that, thanks for reading and good luck in all your games!
[/premium]
