Exterminating the Rats From Lugia – An All-Basic Approach!

Hey PokeBeach readers, I hope your summer has been going well and that you have had the chance to play lots of Pokemon! I have spent a lot of my summer grinding games in the Shrouded Fable format and have gotten a pretty good idea of where each deck sits in the meta. As I am writing this I am doing my final preparations for the World Championships. It feels like every deck I have tried has shown immense potential, but is held back by a couple of bad matchups. I have come to the conclusion that predicting a metagame is of the utmost importance in this metagame.

[cardimg name=”Regidrago VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”201″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Regidrago VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] has shown itself to be the deck the metagame is initially centralizing around. Any deck that can’t keep up with Regidrago is probably one you don’t want to be playing. With Regidrago commanding so much attention, it does allow for other decks to fly a bit under the radar. We have seen decks like [card name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] become much more popular in online tournaments mainly because of their positive matchup into Regidrago. Moreover, if players want to devote space in their decks to beating Regidrago then they most likely have to forego techs for other matchups.

One deck that I think benefits greatly from having less of a spotlight on it is [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card]. Heading in to NAIC, Lugia had a ton of hype and that led to cards like [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] finding their way in to many players’ lists. The format was not only ready for Lugia, but heavily respected it as well. With Lugia having a fairly pedestrian performance at NAIC and new decks like Regidrago and [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] taking up meta share, players have shifted their focus away from the deck. With less Special Energy hate being found in players’ lists, Lugia can execute its strategy much more easily.

In addition to less Lugia hate, the deck also boasts a positive Regidrago VSTAR matchup, meaning you will be happy to sit across from the most popular deck at most tournaments you attend! The deck still struggles with consistency, but I have tried to address that in my approach to building the deck. If you play the deck, you have to accept that sometimes you just aren’t going to get two [card name=”Archeops” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] on turn two, but the games that you do feel so incredibly powerful!

Today I wanted to go over my take on Lugia. I have a bit of an unconventional list that doesn’t run Cinccino, but I’ll explain why I think it is ready to take advantage of my expected Shrouded Fable metagame!

Do we Need Cinccino?

Since the release of [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]  in Temporal Forces, the card has been in 90% of Lugia decks. The card is obviously incredibly powerful, offering the deck the ability to pretty much Knock Out any Pokemon in the format with a one-Prize Pokemon. The flipside, however, is that an already inconsistent deck needs to devote significant deck space to an evolution Pokemon. There are multiple strong Basic Pokemon such as [card name=”Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Wyrdeer V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] that can help take out large HP threats, but neither of them are as powerful as a Cinccino. The deck can also utilize [card name=”Legacy Energy” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card] to turn one of your two-Prize Pokemon into a one-Prize Pokemon, almost making up for the fact that the deck no longer plays the Cinccino.  In a metagame centralized around Basic Pokemon ex and Pokemon V, Bloodmoon Ursaluna, Wyrdeer, and Lugia VSTAR should be enough to trade with your opponent’s Pokemon, but in metagames with beefy evolution Pokemon such as [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Dragapult ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] then Cinccino is sorely missed.

Heading in to the Shrouded Fable format, Charizard ex decks saw significant hype since the deck could slot in the [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] line, but the deck has been slowly declining in play, mainly due to the poor Regidrago matchup. Similar to Charizard, Dragapult ex decks have been a bit gatekept from the format due to Regidrago. Those are two matchups where Cinccino would be very useful, but if they make up a small fraction of the meta then it might make sense to devote more focus to consistency and other matchups. On paper, Cinccino is also strong against Regidrago VSTAR since Regidrago has 280 HP, but the problem is [card name=”Minccino ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] is a liability on your Bench. If you go second, your opponent can just use Phantom Dive plus a [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] ping to eliminate your rat, or use [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] if you decide to bench multiple. By doing this, not only does your opponent take Prize cards, but they also eliminate your Pokemon capable of taking out an undamaged Regidrago VSTAR. When going first it is fine to bench Minccino, but the fact that half the time you need to avoid benching Minccino is cause for concern.

Here is my list I’ve been running!

[premium]

[decklist name=”Basic Lugia” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″][pokemon amt=”19″]3x [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Lugia V” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Archeops” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Wyrdeer V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Drapion V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”24″]3x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Carmine” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Capturing Aroma” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”153″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Earthen Vessel” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Mesagoza” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”17″]4x [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Jet Energy” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”190″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Gift Energy” set=”Lost Origin” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Mist Energy ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”V Guard Energy” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Legacy Energy” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”167″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist]I’ve done my best to make this list as consistent as Lugia can be. I am running three support Pokemon (two [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] and one [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card]), eleven Pokemon search items, and have committed to running two [card name=”Mesagoza” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] as my Stadiums. I am also packing a copy of [card name=”Earthen Vessel” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] as a way to discard Archeops from hand besides using Ultra Ball.

Squawkabilly ex

[cardimg name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”247″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]I’ll start by explaining why Squawkabilly ex is in the deck since I don’t see it in Lugia very often. I’ve found that Lugia wants to play first most games so you can put as much pressure on your opponent turn two as possible, and start accelerating the prize trade. Whenever you play first it can be very difficult to get two Archeops in the discard since you only get to use one Supporter and can’t Read The Wind. Squawkabilly can help give the deck a stronger turn one that it can parlay into a more powerful turn two. This list runs three copies of [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] since we run so many Basic Pokemon in small quantities. A Nest Ball turn one now turns in to the ability to dump our hand (and hopefully some Archeops) and draw 6, basically playing a [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card].

I’ve still left in once copy of [card name=”Carmine” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] for turn one, but I prefer to Squawk and Seize over using Lumineon V for Carmine if I have the choice. Lumineon V is so crucial for this deck to chain favourable Knock Outs by using Luminous Sign to chain [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card]. By using Squawkabilly turn one I can save my two Lumineon V for later in the game. You can also use Lumineon V for Carmine if you really need to and Squawk and Seize in the same turn. A lot of times I’ll Carmine turn one and draw a weak five cards that would lead to a poor turn two, but a Squawkabilly can save the situation. Ideally your hand is good enough that you don’t need to Lumineon or Squawkabilly turn one, but I find Lugia rarely draws that perfectly. I am just focused on setting up as much as possible so I have both Pokemon in the list to help out with that currently!

The Attackers

Since this build doesn’t have Cinccino, we need to rely on a suite of Pokemon ex and V to help take our six Prize cards. Luckily this format has a ton of low-HP two-Prize Pokemon seeing play such as [card name=”Teal Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Mew ex” set=”151″ no=”151″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card], Squawkabilly ex, Lumineon V, and [card name=”Rotom V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]. All of these Pokemon are super easy to pick off with a Tempest Dive from [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card]. Many games will just be you using Boss’s Orders and [card name=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] multiple turns to ensure you have a nice and easy 2-2-2 Prize map. Between the two copies of Lumineon V and [card name=”Gift Energy” set=”Lost Origin” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card], the deck should be able to stream this strategy a lot of the time.

When we need to take bigger Knock Outs we have [card name=”Wyrdeer V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] to help take out big Pokemon such as [card name=”Regidrago VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]. Wyrdeer does command a lot of Energy so it needs to be timed correctly, but one Psyshield Bash is normally enough. If we are in the end game then we also have [card name=”Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] to attack for very few energy after a Wyrdeer. The nice thing about using Wyrdeer is that our opponent almost always needs to take it out right away or else it will just continue to demolish their threats. This means if we leave a Gift Energy on Wyrdeer it should trigger.

[card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] is another star of the deck. This card allows us to put so much pressure on evolution decks such as [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. This deck likes to end games as quickly as possible, so Iron Hands can ensure we take two Prize cards as early as turn two. If our opponent doesn’t take it out then a simple gust will allow us to chain Knock Outs. This build is rocking two Basic [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] to make our Iron Hands more resilient. A common issue for Iron Hands is having the Legacy Energy taken away with Enhanced Hammer or disabled by Temple of Sinnoh. With a Lightning Energy attached to the Iron Hands you do not need to worry about Enhanced Hammer ruining your day. By playing Basic Energy, the deck can also run an Earthen Vessel. Not only does this card help get the Energy, but it also gives another way to discard Archeops. By running Lightning Energy, we also have the ability to use a second Iron Hands! Similar to Wyrdeer, Iron Hands commands a lot of attention when used and will get Knocked Out right away. Having the option to use a second one if your opponent tries to continue with one-Prize Pokemon can put you in to a winning position!

There are no Pokemon to trigger [card name=”Drapion V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card]’s Wild Style ability anymore, but it is still a powerful card in the deck for one specific reason: Gardevoir ex. Drapion attacks for Colorless Energy and one shots a Gardevoir ex for two Prize cards. I’ve found this card to significantly improve the Gardevoir matchup, which I expect many top players to play. If your metagame has very few Gardevoir decks then I think it is safe to take out of your list.

The last attacker is [card name=”Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card]. This beefy bear is a super solid attacker. Blood Moon doing 240 damage is enough to take out almost all the unevolved two-Prize Pokemon such as [card name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] , and [card name=”Teal Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card]. Not only is it a strong attacker, but it has 260 HP. That isn’t trivial for many decks to deal with and when combined with Iono it can be quite difficult for an opponent to take out. You can also slap a Legacy Energy onto the Ursaluna to make a 260-HP one-Prize Pokemon which is absurd!

The Rest

There are some other inclusions I wanted to call out. I play a copy of [card name=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] to help force favourable prize trades. If our opponent has something in the Active Spot we can’t take out easily or for two Prize cards then we can Hyper Blower to get something more exploitable such as a single-Prize Pokemon for us to Iron Hands or a two-Prize Pokemon to take out. With three Nest Ball, it has been fairly easy to get the Bundle out.

I have decided to forego [card name=”Jamming Tower” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”153″ c=”name”][/card] in favour of two Mesagoza. While Jamming Tower is incredibly powerful in certain matchups such as Gardevoir and [card name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], I just value setting up as much as possible. Mesagoza gives me additional outs early in the game to execute my strategy. It is also nice to get down late game to give you a 50% chance to get Lumineon after you’ve been hit with hand disruption.

My Energy split is a bit wonky since I had to convert some Special Energy to basic Lightnings. I’ve decided to sacrifice multiple copies of [card name=”Mist Energy ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card] to make space. Mist Energy is most useful against Regidrago decks to stop [card name=”Dragapult ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Haxorus” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card]. You mainly needed to protect Minccino with Mist Energy, and I have not seen Haxorus in a majority of Regidrago lists, but if that changes then I would look to add another copy Mist. I do run [card name=”V Guard Energy” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] for some extra defense in the Regidrago matchup. Most lists are running [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card], and by running the V Guard you let your Lugia VSTAR or Bloodmoon Ursaluna tank a hit.

Cards to Consider

[cardimg name=”Roseanne’s Backup” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”172″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]There are a couple cards I’ve considered adding to the deck. First off is another consistency Pokemon such as [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Mew ex” set=”151″ no=”151″ c=”name”][/card] to give protection from disruption. I’d probably favour Mew since it can attack, but Fezandipiti does have more health.

I think [card name=”Roseanne’s Backup” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] could be a solid card as well. Not only does it recycle Legacy Energy, but it can bring back our one of Pokemon such as Wyrdeer, Bloodmoon Ursaluna, and Iron Bundle. Since this deck has the Lightning Energies I think it isn’t needed, but the card would be a nice luxury.

[card name=”Jacq” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card] is a nice set up supporter to get our Summoning Star off, but I just find the card so mediocre. I also don’t have Cinccino in this build so it gets less value. If I have to Lumineon for this card then I also need Ultra Ball in my hand normally. I just haven’t found myself consistently using the card.

Finally, I’ve considered a [card name=”Flutter Mane ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] to counter [card name=”Iron Thorns ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. The deck as built takes an auto-loss since there isn’t a counter, but I don’t know if it is worth running a card to specifically target a niche deck in the format. If Flutter Mane had more utility in other matchups then I’d be more open to it, but it really doesn’t. I will say I think Iron Thorns is positioned well in this metagame so if the deck ever takes off then Flutter Mane might need to become a staple.

Matchups

[card name=”Regidrago VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card]

Lets start with the current king of the format, Regidrago VSTAR. One of the main reasons to play Lugia is the decks solid matchup in to this deck. If we get to go first then this matchup becomes much easier since Tempest Dive should be able to net us two Prizes right away. From there it is just about chaining [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] to continue taking two-Prize Knockouts and setting up for a Wyrdeer V if we need to go through a Regidrago VSTAR.

When we go second it gets a bit trickier since our opponent gets to evolve to the VSTAR and possibly use Rolling Iron from [card name=”Hisuian Goodra VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card]. Ideally our opponent didn’t bench a single-Prize Pokemon and we can use [card name=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] to get around this, but if they did then we need to find a Boss’s Orders. Worst case, you can try and two shot the Regidrago VSTAR, but you open yourself up to falling behind in the Prize trade. If this ends up happening then we need to get value from Legacy Energy. If we can force our opponent to take a single-Prize Knock Out then the Prize trade flips back in our favour.

Their deck has trouble chaining Knock Outs on our bulkier Pokemon so avoid benching Lumineon V and Squawkabilly if possible. If they have already used their VSTAR Power then Iono and taking out their Regidrago VSTAR can be quite powerful. Just be careful when using Wyrdeer to take it out since our opponent can just respond by attacking with Teal Mask Ogerpon.

When attacking with Lugia in this matchup it is important that you don’t put down a [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card] since that makes it so Lugia can’t take out Teal Mask Ogerpon or Fezandipiti ex. I normally put Gift, Mist, V Guard, and a Jet. This ensures your Lugia won’t be taken out in one hit, and that they can’t pick it off with Dragapult on a later turn.

Overall our deck has an easier time taking Knock Outs than theirs, but you do need to plan your prize map. If both decks set up and draw moderately well we should come out on top.

[card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]

The Charizard matchup does become more difficult without Cinccino, but it is still very winnable. Most games your opponent will need to bench either Lumineon V or Rotom V to set up. That represents a significant weakness for us to exploit for two Prizes using Serena or Boss’s Orders at some point. I normally try and take out the Lumineon/Rotom early since Charizard decks run [card name=”Professor Turo’s Scenario” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. The longer you wait the more time you give for them to get their liability off of their board.

So that is two Prize cards accounted for, but where do the rest normally come from? You want to use Iron Hands to pick off their unevolved Pokemon such as Charmander and Pidgey. If you attack with an Iron Hands then your opponent needs to respond to it right away or you can just Amp You Very Much again. Normally they will use [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] to do so and combine it with disruption such as [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Unfair Stamp” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card]. Make sure you have a Gift Energy on your Hands when attacking!

To finish the game we normally need a big [card name=”Wyrdeer V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] on a Charizard ex or Pidgeot ex. If our opponent goes for a strategy of eliminating our Archeops then you need to be attaching energy pre-emptively to your board so you have enough in play even if you have to play without Archeops. Luckily Wyrdeer’s ability can be triggered fairly easily, either by retreating in to it or by using a [card name=”Jet Energy” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”190″ c=”name”][/card].

There should always be a Prize map for you to win this matchup, but they will throw a lot of disruption at you to try and prevent it. Just do your best to look for the optimal plays with what you’re given and hopefully you can put together enough Knock Outs to outpace them!

[card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]

Gardevoir ex is one of the most difficult matchups to play since they have so many options you need to play around. The matchup also changes a lot depending on their build, specifically if they run [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Unfair Stamp” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card].

You almost always want to lead with an Iron Hands in this matchup. Amp You Very Much puts a ton of pressure on them, basically forcing a [card name=”Drifloon” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] from them. One play Gardevoir can make if they play Enhanced Hammer is to remove your Legacy Energy and then use [card name=”Scream Tail” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] to take out an Archeops after hitting you with an Unfair Stamp. This play is incredibly difficult to draw out of, but can be punished if you immediately respond with another Amp You Very Much. If you can you want to prioritize getting a basic Lightning Energy down on the Iron Hands to prevent this play. If you can do that then you normally force them to hit your Iron Hands with a Gardevoir ex so they can try and use [card name=”Munkidori” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] to finish off the Iron Hands while preventing a Knock Out. If your opponent does this then you can either attack with Drapion V, use Iron Bundle so you can Amp You Very Much again, or just Boss’s Orders around it.

If you can save your Legacy Energy then you can use second Iron Hands to keep up a favourable Prize trade and then always have the threat of Drapion V/Wyrdeer V if your opponent tries to attack with Gardevoir ex. Your opponent is going to continuously hit you with disruption, so try your best to figure out how to play around it. Normally you can bench attackers beforehand or spread out Gift Energy to Pokemon your opponent would want to Knock Out.

I’ve found this matchup comes down to Lugia drawing out of a late game Iono most of the time, but the deck can normally make itself thin enough that the odds are in your favour!

[card name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card]

Raging Bolt has picked up a lot of steam lately due to it’s favourable matchup into Regidrago VSTAR. This is a matchup where I actually choose to go second since they are going to take a Knock Out if I go first. I’d rather give myself the highest odds possible of getting off a turn two Summoning Star. The key to this matchup is to force your opponent to take a single Prize on one of their turns. If you can do that then you win.

Normally the way to accomplish this is by throwing Legacy Energy on to Bloodmoon Ursaluna and hoping it sticks. If it ever does then you are extremely favoured. You just need to use Lugia VSTAR to pick off Ogerpon on the Bench and Wyrdeer V if you need to take out a Raging Bolt.

I don’t really have much more to say about this matchup, it really is that simple.

[card name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]

Blocklax has always been an annoying deck to play against, but we actually have a lot of tools to deal with them. Our four copies of Jet Energy help out if anything undesirable ever gets stuck in the Active Spot and we have two Mesagoza to bump their Temples of Sinnoh. [card name=”Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”37″ c=”name”][/card] are annoying to deal with, but we have Archeops to hit in to them. This is a matchup where you can actually take your time if your hand isn’t optimal at the start of the game. We don’t really care if our opponent uses [card name=”Eri ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Miss Fortune Sisters” set=”Lost Origin” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] since our items are fairly low impact.

I try and wait until I can gust Rotom V for a Knock Out and then follow up with an [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card]. Our opponent won’t want to bench another Rotom since it is another free two Prize cards, so you reduce them to their six off Iono plus their top decks. If they ever feel like they need to bench Rotom to draw again then just gust it immediately.

Don’t spread Energy in this matchup since you will get hit by [card name=”Giacomo” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card]. Just be patient and look for your spots to put pressure and take Knock Outs. If you take this approach then you should come out the victor more often than not.

Conclusion

Hopefully you enjoyed my take on a ratless Lugia build. I think the deck is incredibly well positioned in the Shrouded Fable metagame, especially if decks aren’t playing techs for it. Let me know what you think of the build and if you’ve ever tried the deck without Cinccino! As always if you have any questions or suggestions throw them down in the comments below!

I am super excited to see how the World Championships shakes out and what new decks/innovations come out of it. If you are going to the event please feel free to come say hi!

Thanks for reading today’s article, and until next time I wish you the best of luck in all of your games!

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