Lunar Snakes — A Roaring Moon / Dudunsparce Breakdown

Hey PokeBeach readers, I just finished a two-week trip to London, Montreal, and Orlando to play EUIC, go to a Pink Pantheress concert, and play Orlando Regionals. I got 73rd at EUIC and 46th at Orlando, both with [card name=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”261″ c=”name”][/card]. The deck has felt great in this initial format, and I’ve been having a lot of fun with it. But today isn’t about Chien-Pao, it is about my other favourite deck in this format, [card name=”Roaring Moon” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Dudunsparce” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card].

[cardimg name=”Roaring Moon” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”109″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Not only is the deck super powerful, but it is one of the most fun decks to play in the format. Using Run Away Draw with a derpy Pokemon like Dudunsparce is one of the most satisfying feelings in the game. You can even chain multiple of them in a single turn to build up enormous hands!

The deck was flying under the radar in the early stages of the format, but it surprised the masses with a Top 8 at the European International Championships, and followed it up with another Top 8 at the Orlando Regional Championships. With these results the deck has seen a large rise in play, particularly in online tournaments.

If you were familiar with Roaring Moon in our pre-rotation format this deck might not look super similar to what you are used to. This iteration of the deck uses the single-Prize Roaring Moon as the main attacker and has [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] as a secondary attacker to help deal with larger HP threats such as [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]. The reason this deck is so strong is that the combination of the single-Prize and two-Prize Roaring Moon allow you to control the Prize trade. You can answer any single Prize threats your opponent throws at you with the single-Prize Roaring Moon and then if your opponent tries to pivot to bulkier Pokemon ex / Pokemon VSTAR that can’t be Knocked Out with Vengeance Fletching you have an easy response with Frenzied Gouging from the Roaring Moon ex. While it might seem scary to damage yourself with Roaring Moon ex, it isn’t a big deal if it gets return Knocked Out. As long as it took two Prize cards it did its job. To summarize, as long as you can get a Prize lead to start the game you just need to continue to take Knock Outs to win the game. That’s where [card name=”Dudunsparce” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] comes in with its Run Away Draw Ability.

One problem the traditional Ancient Box decks run into is that they are very weak to disruption, an [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] late in the game would normally make it hard to pull off an attack, but with Dudunsparce ready to go the deck can usually draw outs to keep pumping out attacks. [card name=”Dunsparce” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] is also integral to the deck, as it acts as a pivot with its free Retreat Cost. After your opponent takes a Knock Out or you use Run Away Draw, you can promote Dunsparce and evaluate your plays for the turn after using cards such as [card name=”Professor Sada’s Vitality” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Explorer’s Guidance” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card]. It also lets you make good use of [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] since you can only put Energy on to your Benched Pokemon.

The nice thing about Dudunsparce is you don’t have to use the Ability right away; you can pre-emptively set them up and decide when to use them. If you have what is necessary for your turn, then it is more than alright to save the draw for later turns. Managing your usage of Run Away Draw is pivotal to success with this deck. Another great thing about the card is that it shuffles itself back into the deck. It isn’t uncommon to use Run Away Draw five or six times in a game since you can keep recycling Dunsparce, especially if you have an [card name=”Artazon” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] in play.

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My Roaring Moon / Dudunsparce Deck List

[decklist name=”Ciaran Lunar Snakes” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″][pokemon amt=”14″]4x [card name=”Roaring Moon” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”251″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Dunsparce” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Dudunsparce” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]4x [card name=”Professor Sada’s Vitality” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”239″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Explorer’s Guidance” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”200″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Boss’s Orders (Ghetsis)” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”265″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Penny” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”239″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Earthen Vessel” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Prime Catcher” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”157″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ancient Booster Energy Capsule” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”159″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Artazon” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]9x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

This is where I am at currently with the deck. The main difference from the Top 8 lists is that I prefer playing [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card] over [card name=”Trekking Shoes” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]. This is more-so personal preference, but I find this deck really just needs to use Professor Sada’s Vitality or Explorer’s Guidance every turn in the early game to get going. Pokegear 3.0 give you a much easier way to search for them, and increases the early game power of the deck. The card is also super strong later in the game when you want to dig for [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] or a [card name=”Penny” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card].

Our Pokemon lineup is fairly simple, we run a full four copies of [card name=”Roaring Moon” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] since it is our main attacker. Almost every game you want to lead with this as your attacker, and we usually have to attack with it three to five times in a game. I run only two copies of [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] since the card isn’t needed very often. Most games you use it once or twice, and in the rare case you need it more than that you can use [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] to put it back into your deck. I run four copies of [card name=”Dunsparce” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] since it is your best starter and just a Pokemon you almost always want down on your board, unless you are playing a deck that can attack with [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card]. Speaking of Greninja, that is our last Pokemon. Concealed Cards is just a super strong Ability and has great synergy with Dark Patch and Professor Sada’s Vitality.

[cardimg name=”Professor Sada’s Vitality” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”256″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Moving on to Supporter cards, let’s start by looking at the two Ancient ones, Professor Sada’s Vitality and Explorer’s Guidance. Sada is the preferred Supporter for this deck, it lets you stream attacks and continue to build a large hand size. This will be your Supporter of choice for most of the game. Explorer’s Guidance can feel awkward to use since it has a steep cost of discarding four cards, but that actually synergies well with this deck. Getting Ancient cards in the discard pile helps to power Roaring Moon’s Vengeance Fletching attack, and looking at the top six cards is actually a decent amount of dig. If you are looking for one specific card, then this is usually the best way to find it.

I play two Boss’s Orders in this list, and that is mainly because of Pokegear 3.0. We could play [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], but I find I prefer Boss’s Orders. This deck often wants to play from ahead, and drawing a one of copy of Counter Catcher at the right time is very difficult. Once you get to the late game your deck should be quite thin, between Dudunsparce and Pokegear 3.0, getting Boss’s Orders should be easy.

The last Supporter is the one copy of [card name=”Penny” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card]. Initially I didn’t like this card, but the more I’ve played with the card the more I understand it’s place in the deck. With [card name=”Ancient Booster Energy Capsule” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] your Pokemon can actually survive some attacks early on in the game. If you are able to use Penny on your damaged Pokemon, then you effectively nullified an opponent’s attack. Another matchup it shines is against [card name=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”261″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ll talk about it more in the matchups section, but their most common strategy is to use Moonlight Shuriken with [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] to set up your [card name=”Roaring Moon” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to be Knocked Out with [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”248″ c=”name”][/card]. Penny can completely remove a two-Prize liability from your board. The card is also good at getting Radiant Greninja out of the Active Spot if it finds itself there against a [card name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”225″ c=”name”][/card] Control deck.

Looking at Item cards, we play a full four copies of [card name=”Earthen Vessel” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card]. Both cards are integral for getting this deck going, Earthern Vessel not only gets Energy but can help us get Ancient cards into the discard pile to power Roaring Moon’s attack. Dark Patch lets us power up attackers out of nowhere, particularly Roaring Moon ex. You don’t want to pre-emptively bench Roaring Moon ex since it is a juicy gust target for your opponent to take two Prize cards, thus messing up your Prize trade. When you are ready to attack with it then you want to use either two Dark Patch or one Dark Patch and a Professor Sada’s Vitality.

I play one copy of [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] to give the deck flexibility to recycle attackers and Energy cards if you run low. If you use Concealed Cards every turn and keep having your Pokemon get Knocked Out, you will run low on Energy some games. Super Rod is a nice option to keep our Energy cards flowing. Just be careful when shuffling back Roaring Moon or Roaring Moon ex since that will lower the damage output of Vengeance Fletching.

The ACE SPEC of choice for this deck is [card name=”Prime Catcher” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card]. The card is just too powerful not to play, and while [card name=”Awakening Drum” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] is nice, this deck doesn’t usually have a full Bench of Ancient Pokemon.

I play four copies of [card name=”Ancient Booster Energy Capsule” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], and this card is super powerful in the deck. We don’t really see [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] commonly found in decks besides [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] right now, meaning our Tool cards are usually safe. Giving [card name=”Roaring Moon” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] 200 HP makes it quite the tank, and normally forces our opponent to use two-Prize Pokemon to take Knock Outs. This lets us pivot to using Roaring Moon ex to clean up.

When it comes to Pokemon search I am playing three [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], two [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], and three [card name=”Artazon” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card]. I wouldn’t mind more Ultra Ball, but every Pokemon in this deck is a Basic Pokemon besides [card name=”Dudunsparce” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card]. Ultra Ball is also nice to discard Ancient cards, but we have Earthen Vessel to help with that. Artazon is a fantastic card in this deck since it can search for Dunsparce and Roaring Moon. If the card sticks around for a turn it just provides so much value.

To close out our Trainer cards I play one copy of [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card]. This is here to counter [card name=”Mist Energy” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card] since that blocks Frenzied Gouging from Roaring Moon ex. We saw the Top 4 control deck from EUIC play [card name=”Noivern ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”153″ c=”name”][/card], which would completely wall our deck if it had a Mist Energy on it. Some Charizard ex decks also play Mist Energy, so that is another great use case for this card. It is a little tricky to draw at the right time, but we have Dudunsparce and [card name=”Explorer’s Guidance” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] to help dig. Another niche use for the card is against Lost Zone [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] to shut off [card name=”Jet Energy” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”190″ c=”name”][/card]. That deck normally only plays one Lost Vacuum or Stadium bump and relies quite heavily on Jet Energy to switch in their Pokemon. If you just put this card down against the deck you have a decent shot at taking away a core part of their strategy.

I play nine [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Call of Legends” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], and that has felt correct. I don’t really find myself running out, and I also have Earthen Vessel to help me fish them out of the deck at all stages of the game.

Matchups

Charizard ex 45-55

[cardimg name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”223″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The matchup against the most popular deck in the format is super close, and the percentages flip depending on what cards they do and do not play. The most important cards to look out for are [card name=”Mist Energy” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Professor Turo’s Scenario” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card]. A common thing in this matchup is to two shot a [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”223″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”225″ c=”name”][/card] using two [card name=”Roaring Moon” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], but your opponent can use Professor Turo’s Scenario to basically erase your attack.

As you get more Ancient cards into the discard pile, you can look to pick off [card name=”Rotom V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] with Roaring Moon if they are on the opponent’s Bench. Whenever you get to take a two Prize Knock Out with our single-Prize Roaring Moon, it feels fantastic and helps the Prize trade. Don’t be afraid to use [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] in this matchup to take down Charizard ex and Pidgeot ex. Like I discussed earlier, even if Frenzied Gouging leaves us vulnerable to being Knocked Out it doesn’t matter if it is progressing our Prize trade.

If they play Mist Energy then you want to either dig for [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] or just gust around the Charizard. If you can’t then it is fine to hit into it with Roaring Moon, but that leaves us vulnerable to Professor Turo’s Scenario.

Charizard will look to disrupt you with [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] so make sure to set up as many [card name=”Dudunsparce” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] as possible. I’d also try and save their Abilities unless you need specific cards during your turn. If you can get to the late game with a couple Run Away Draws ready, then you should be able to close out the game.

Chien-Pao Ex 60-40

The second most popular deck in the format is a great matchup for this deck, mainly because they don’t have a good Pokemon to trade into our Roaring Moons. The only Pokemon capable of taking them out in one shot is [card name=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”261″ c=”name”][/card], but then they leave themselves vulnerable to having their two-Prize Pokemon Knocked Out. As you get to the mid to late game it isn’t that hard to hit 220 damage with Vengeance Fletching. If you ever take out a two-Prize Pokemon with Roaring Moon you should be so far ahead.

A smart Chien-Pao player will try and use [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] as their main attacker. They will hit your Roaring Moons for 90 damage and then try and pick them off again with another Moonlight Shuriken, or if you attach an [card name=”Ancient Booster Energy Capsule” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] on your Roaring Moon then they will look to use [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] to clean them up for two Prize cards. This is a matchup where [card name=”Penny” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] really shines. If you are able to pick up one of your Pokemon after it took a hit from Moonlight Shuriken, then you should be chilling.

The one annoying thing in this matchup is you can’t just freely put Dunsparce on the Bench since it will get Knocked Out by Moonlight Shuriken. If you go first then go nuts as long as you have Dudunsparce ready in your hand, but when you go second be careful about benching them.

The Chien-Pao player also has to draw fairly well and continuously chain Super Rod to put back Radiant Greninja so I wouldn’t be too stressed about this matchup.

Future Hands 60-40

Future Hands has quietly become one of the most popular decks in the format after two of them made Top 8 at EUIC. This matchup is fairly simple since [card name=”Iron Crown ex” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] is weak to Darkness-type. If you can take two Prize cards before your opponent, then it should be easy to win. Taking a Knock Out on [card name=”Miraidon” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] doesn’t do much since your opponent can just go with two-Prize Pokemon the rest of the way, so avoid taking a Knock Out if you don’t have to.

Another important thing to note is that Frenzied Gouging goes through [card name=”Heavy Baton” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card]. If your opponent is relying on that Tool to set up another [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] then this is a play that might be worth considering.

Lugia VSTAR 45-55

This is another close matchup, mainly because they have [card name=”Mist Energy” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card]. If they attack with [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”211″ c=”name”][/card] early in the game then it is very hard to Knock it Out early in the game. We do have our copy of [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card], but we need to draw it right away. Similar to how Charizard ex can use Professor Turo’s Scenario, Lugia can use [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] to take a damaged Lugia off the board if you hit into it with [card name=”Roaring Moon” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]. If you do draw the Temple of Sinnoh when they attack with Lugia and get off a Frenzied Gouging, then you should win, but that will require some fortune.

If they ever have Lumineon V on the board, you want to go after it with Roaring Moon before they get the chance to use Collapsed Stadium. If you can take the Prize lead your opponent will lose if it turns into a single-Prize Pokemon showdown.

Control 60-40

I am going to lump in Pidgeot and Blocklax into one matchup discussion. I find this matchup pretty good generally, but you need to be hyper aware of what options your opponent has. Some common cards to play around are [card name=”Eri” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”199″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Erika’s Invitation” set=”151″ no=”160″ c=”name”][/card]. To play around Erika’s Invitation, you can just fill your Bench with a bunch of Dunsparce and then a few attackers. Your opponent can’t gust Dunsparce since you can just evolve it to a Dudunsparce and shuffle it back into the deck.

If you find yourself running low on cards you can attach Energy and [card name=”Ancient Booster Energy Capsule” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] to the Dudunsparce. When you use Run Away Draw, all cards attached to Dudunsparce go back to the deck so you can buy yourself extra turns.

If you are unlucky enough to start with Radiant Greninja or it finds itself on the board then we have our one copy of Penny to pick it up.

Another cool play you can do in these matchups is to Knock Out your own Roaring Moon ex with Frenzied Gouging to try and buy a couple turns during the game where [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t active.

If you are against a [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”225″ c=”name”][/card] build, definitely try and target it since it is the lifeblood of the deck.

Lost Giratina VSTAR 50-50

This matchup is close since you need to use Frenzied Gouging to Knock Out your opponent’s [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG69″ c=”name”][/card] and then leave yourself open to Moonlight Shuriken and Lost Mine plays from [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card]. If you go second your opponent can also put pressure on your Dunsparce if they get a turn 2 Moonlight Shuriken off. Later in the game Sableye can also pick off Dunsparce. If you can’t get Dudunsparce down, then you are super weak to [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card].

We should win the Prize trade if we draw optimally, but this deck has so many ways to disrupt and put pressure on our draw engine. I find when I go first it is a lot easier since I can set up Dudunsparce, but going second is a big disadvantage if our opponent draws decently well.

Conclusion

That will bring this article to a close. Hopefully you found it insightful and it gets you excited to try this deck. I have been having a lot of fun with this deck, and I think it is competitively viable. It has a lot of even matchups, and can beat pretty much anything when it draws well.

I will be at the Indianapolis Regional Championships and most likely LA Regionals so come say hi if you see me! But until I write for you again, best of luck with all your games!

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