Worlds Meta and Testing Results, Part 2

Hello everyone! As of writing this, Worlds is next weekend, and I’m about to head out. I am very excited about this tournament, and I have practiced quite a lot. I am still unsure of what I’m going to be playing, but for this article, I’ll be continuing where I left off last time.

I will be covering the expected meta decks, as well as how the meta is evolving in the short time before Worlds. I don’t know if this article will come out before Worlds, but even if it doesn’t, it will still be relevant going forward into the Shrouded Fable format. I’ve already written dedicated articles on [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]  and [card name=”Dragapult ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”200″ c=”name”][/card]  recently, and the last article covered Lost Box, [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”233″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”208″ c=”name”][/card]. That leaves us with [card name=”Regidrago VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], and some other underrated decks.

Regidrago VSTAR

[cardimg name=”Regidrago VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”136″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Regidrago VSTAR is definitely the most hyped deck for the Shrouded Fable format. Before this set came out, it was overlooked until it made Top 16 at NAIC, which came as a complete surprise to many people. Regidrago had always been somewhat of a meme, but with the addition of [card name=”Dragapult ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Teal Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card], it clearly became much more viable. The Shrouded Fable set further strengthens the deck by giving it [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. As a result, Regidrago is now extremely powerful and versatile. Its speed is also quite terrifying. These factors are what contribute to Regidrago being one of the most popular preliminary decks, as well as one of the strongest in the current format. The only questionable aspect of the deck is its consistency, but even that isn’t terrible.

I expect Regidrago to be extremely popular at Worlds. While I expect the elite players to favor other decks such as Gardevoir and [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”221″ c=”name”][/card] variants, I foresee Regidrago as being the go-to pick for your average Worlds competitor. It somewhat displaces Lugia and Raging Bolt as a similar type of deck, but simply better in many ways. Regidrago matches up well against the previous format’s frontrunners: Gardevoir and Lost Box, and can hold its own in basically every matchup due to its versatility.

I personally do not expect to be playing the deck, as its variance and borderline inconsistency scare me, as well as the prospect of many mirror matches. There’s also the fact that it is well-known to be the most popular deck, so many players will be prepared to face it. It is difficult to counter Regidrago, but the deck still has a large target on its back. That said, I acknowledge that the deck is ridiculously strong, and it probably is the best deck in the format.

Regidrago has picked up various techs in its short lifetime, and I think all of them are good. [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] makes great numbers alongside Dragapult’s 60-damage snipe, bringing that to 70 damage which Knocks Out the likes of [card name=”Charmander” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Ralts” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Dreepy” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]. Furthermore, both Dragapult ex and [card name=”Hisuian Goodra VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] hit 200 damage to the Active Pokemon, so Hawlucha bumps that to 210 damage against Teal Mask Ogerpon and Fezandipiti. While Hawlucha does not directly ping your opponent’s Active Pokemon, you can use Hawlucha followed by playing a [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] to KO a Benched Pokemon ex. Speaking of Hisuian Goodra, not all lists play it, but I definitely would. Goodra is fantastic primarily in the mirror match and also against a variety of Pokemon that might otherwise be able to one-shot Regidrago, but no longer can thanks to the damage reduction. This results in getting free damage onto the board in situations where the opponent cannot immediately deal with the Rolling Iron attack.

Most lists have started to favor [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] over [card name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card]for a few reasons. Raging Bolt’s extra damage only really matters against Dragapult, which isn’t that popular, or opposing Regidrago using Goodra. Against [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”234″ c=”name”][/card], you can take the KO with Teal Mask Ogerpon. Giratina is better because it only loses two Energy and you cannot be forced to start with it as a liability. Even against Pokemon with extra high HP, you do not really want to be discarding lots of Energy with Raging Bolt’s attack, and can manage with a less committal attack from Goodra or Dragapult.

Another common tech is Mew ex, which combos well with Fezandipiti. If you have both on the board, you are very strong against hand disruption. Even if your opponent KOs one of them, you still have the other one left to draw some cards. Furthermore, Mew ex functions as an anti-nonsense card, as it can shred through annoying walls like [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card]. Thanks to Mew and [card name=”Canceling Cologne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], Regidrago players have realized there’s no need to play an additional Shred attacker like [card name=”Giratina V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card]. Thanks to this deck’s engine, it is very easy to attack with Mew ex should the need arise, although it is primarily used for its Restart Ability.

One Pokemon that has started to find its way into lists is [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], as it is a broken single-Prize attacker that can help swing Prize trades. This is very useful against contentious matchups like Raging Bolt, Lugia, and the mirror match. Thanks to easy access [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”212″ c=”name”][/card], it can realistically be used when your opponent is on four Prize cards, which is a great time to attack with the single-Prize Radiant Charizard. The Raging Bolt matchup is still bad, but Radiant Charizard at least gives you a better chance.

Finally, [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] helps the deck a lot with its awkward starts. Although you do have some painful discards, Squawkabilly tremendously improves the deck’s overall consistency. Between the trio of Squawkabilly, Fezandipiti, and Mew, you should be drawing enough cards to keep things going. I do not think any extra Dragon-type Pokemon such as [card name=”Haxorus” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Miraidon ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card]are worth playing, as they clog the deck and simply don’t do enough. In my opinion, the quartet of Dragapult ex, Hisuian Goodra VSTAR, Kyurem, and Giratina VSTAR are sufficient attacks for Regidrago, as they provide enough power and versatility.

If I was to play Regidrago VSTAR, I would use the following list. It has all the right tech cards along with a streamlined consistency engine, though it isn’t anything too crazy or innovative:

[decklist name=”drago” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Hawlucha” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”118″][pokemon amt=”19″]3x [card name=”Regidrago VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Regidrago V” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Teal Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Dragapult ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hisuian Goodra VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”47″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew ex” set=”151″ no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”31″]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Celebrations” no=”23″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Boss’s Orders (Ghetsis)” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Turo’s Scenario” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Earthen Vessel” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Superior Energy Retrieval” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Canceling Cologne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”194″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”188″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Night Stretcher” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Prime Catcher ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”157″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]7x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]3x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”153″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

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Lugia VSTAR

[cardimg name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”211″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Going into NAIC, [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”211″ c=”name”][/card] was the most hyped deck, but then it flopped massively. Relatively few top players ended up playing Lugia and it was heavily teched against, yet it still had two Top 32 placements. Compared to its hype and the actual meta share (which was very high), it underperformed. For now, Lugia seems to be somewhat popular, but people are more fixated on the shiny new [card name=”Regidrago VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] deck. If people do not respect Lugia and don’t tech for it like they did at NAIC, Lugia has a very real shot of performing well at Worlds.

The highest placing Lugia list from NAIC did not play [card name=”Cinccino ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], instead focusing on [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card]. This version seems to have picked up some steam, and it made sense at the time. While this version suffers a little more against [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”234″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”208″ c=”name”][/card], it works better against decks like [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”233″ c=”name”][/card] and Lost Box. There is also a [card name=”Wyrdeer V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] included in case you need a nuke option. The best thing about Wyrdeer is that it does not rely on having [card name=”Archeops” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Minccino ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card]in play, unlike Cinccino. It is an incredibly potent card. However, I expect Lugia lists to be going back to the Cinccino build for Worlds. Cinccino is needed to help against Regidrago, Charizard, and Raging Bolt. The Iron Hands focus doesn’t make as much sense into a Regidrago meta, although it would be nice against Gardevoir.

Some techs I’ve seen in Lugia include a [card name=”Drapion V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card], a second [card name=”Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”216″ c=”name”][/card], and a [card name=”Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card]. I think the Drapion and second Ursaluna are inefficient and unnecessary. One Ursaluna is sufficient, and Drapion is a bad gimmick, in my opinion. Wellspring Mask Ogerpon seems to be taking off recently, and I’m not entirely sure why. Perhaps it is supposed to help the Cinccino version compensate against single-Prize decks. In Worlds’ best-of-three, this might work in game 1, but not in games 2 or 3 as they will just put [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] on their Bench. I do not really see the value of this card, but perhaps it is better than I give it credit for.

There are some more interesting techs that I would like to discuss. First is [card name=”Iron Thorns ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], which is a very funny tech for the mirror match. However, it is very unwieldy and risky, as it shuts off your own Abilities too, and requires [card name=”Jet Energy” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”190″ c=”name”][/card] to maneuver around. A more conservative option would be [card name=”Klefki” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card], which is a card that has piqued my interest lately. Sometimes Lugia does not get the perfect start it desires, so Klefki can be used to slow down opponents until you get both Archeops rolling. This works well against a wide variety of decks including Regidrago, Raging Bolt, Charizard, and Lost Box. Gardevoir is already slow on its own. Klefki also provides you with a way to get around an opposing Iron Thorns. It is not very useful in the mirror match though, so that’s where Iron Thorns could be better.

A previously more popular option would be the [card name=”Flutter Mane ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card]. Flutter Mane is a little better against Lost Box because of its attack. Its attack can be useful in some other matchups too, and its Ability can create awkward annoyances for the opponent. However, Flutter Mane can be bypassed by an opposing Iron Bundle, while Klefki cannot. Overall, I think Klefki is better than Flutter Mane. If this format were NAIC or immediately following it, perhaps Flutter Mane would be better to deal with hordes of Lost Box. Finally, Lugia can play its own copy of Iron Bundle as an additional way around Iron Thorns. Of course, Iron Bundle is good in other matchups, and it has amazing synergy with Iron Hands ex. This can be particularly devastating against Gardevoir and Lost Box. While Iron Bundle is used for its Ability, the attack gives Lugia another option, at the very least. Every once in a blue moon, you might attack with Iron Bundle against Regidrago or Charizard.

I expect Lugia to be played at Worlds, but in much lower numbers than it was at NAIC. I don’t expect the average Worlds competitor to gravitate towards Lugia, and I personally don’t want to play the deck even though I think it’s very good right now. That said, it is still technically on the table. My current list looks like this:

[decklist name=”big lug” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”70″][pokemon amt=”21″]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=”Cinccino ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Minccino ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Klefki” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Wyrdeer V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”23″]3x [card name=”Boss’s Orders (Ghetsis)” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Celebrations” no=”23″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Jacq” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”175″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Carmine” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Roseanne’s Backup” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Capturing Aroma” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”153″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Great Ball” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Mesagoza” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”16″]4x [card name=”Gift Energy” set=”Lost Origin” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Jet Energy” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”190″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Mist Energy ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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][/energy][/decklist]I think Cinccino is too important in the current meta not to play, yet I also think Wyrdeer V is too good of a card. I would like to play a 3-3 Cinccino line, but I don’t think that’s entirely necessary, and I don’t want too much overlap with the Wrydeer. I also have [card name=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] and Klefki, but you could potentially live without one of them. I also kept the [card name=”Roseanne’s Backup” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card] around because I expect to see Gardevoir with [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”224″ c=”name”][/card] at Worlds.

There’s definitely an argument to be made for including a second copy of [card name=”V Guard Energy” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”215″ c=”name”][/card] because it’s so strong against Regidrago. I also play two copies of [card name=”Mesagoza” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] to deal with potential [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”214″ c=”name”][/card] and slightly increase consistency. I think [card name=”Jamming Tower” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”153″ c=”name”][/card] is just terrible in this deck. It doesn’t actually do that much against Gardevoir unless you happen to have it on turn 1, it is difficult to find, it decreases your own consistency, and it is mid at best in other matchups.

Other Decks

[cardimg name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Another deck that has seen a little bit of popularity in online tournaments is [card name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] Stall. I think this deck is pretty good, but I don’t expect it to be popular at Worlds. I would happily play [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”234″ c=”name”][/card] with no counter and be confident that I wouldn’t face a single one. Snorlax has solid matchups against most of the top decks, but nobody ever plays it at these major tournaments, and it loses hard to [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”211″ c=”name”][/card]. It can also punish you in the Worlds format since it cannot finish three games, so if you drop just one game due to bad draws, you get a tie at best, which is very bad in the Worlds format. That said, I am still considering playing this deck. If nobody techs for it, it has potential to do very well in the tournament if it manages to avoid Lugia.

Some lists still have Temple of Sinnoh and [card name=”Giacomo” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”267″ c=”name”][/card] to have a shot against Lugia, but I think focusing on [card name=”Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”215″ c=”name”][/card] is better. The Fighting-type Ogerpon is very powerful into the current meta. It forces [card name=”Regidrago VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] to be very careful with their resources, but they still can get past it with [card name=”Canceling Cologne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Mew ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”232″ c=”name”][/card]. However, once Canceling Cologne is down, Stall can pivot into a board state involving two Ogerpon with [card name=”Handheld Fan” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] and spamming [card name=”Penny” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”239″ c=”name”][/card]. This can outlast Mew ex, and also works against some other Pokemon that can hit Ogerpon but not one shot it. However, one concern for Stall is if Regidrago decides to play two copies of Canceling Cologne.

I don’t think other Control decks will be seen at all at Worlds. They are very weak into the current meta, with Regidrago and [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”233″ c=”name”][/card] being powerful and versatile enough to pick them apart. I may try to work on Control between now and Worlds, but I think it is not positioned well right now.

I think some forgotten decks have a chance to make a comeback. First is [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”212″ c=”name”][/card], which theoretically should have a decent matchup against Regidrago. Although they do have [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card], Giratina is definitely capable of operating with one [card name=”Comfey” set=”Lost Origin” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], or it could use [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] for extra defense. When it comes to trading blows, Giratina is much better at chaining attackers than Regidrago, but it is also a bit slower to get going. Giratina does well against Charizard, and can include Temple of Sinnoh to level the playing field against Lugia. Even the [card name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”208″ c=”name”][/card]matchup is fine by playing just like Lost Box. However, Giratina remains weak against Gardevoir and Lost Box, which could be an issue.

Next is [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”244″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ve always felt like Miraidon is a miserable deck to play, but it can do well against Regidrago and Lugia. Its ability to get a fast [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”248″ c=”name”][/card] can also pose a problem for Gardevoir and Lost Box. Like with all decks though, Miraidon has tough matchups. Charizard and Raging Bolt are big struggles for it.

Finally, I want to talk about [card name=”Origin Form Dialga VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”210″ c=”name”][/card]. Dialga is one of the decks that I have the least experience with, but it has always seemed to deal surprisingly well with Charizard. On top of that, it should be able to handle Regidrago and Lugia. I would expect it to be weak against Gardevoir and Lost Box, just like Miraidon.

I wrote dedicated articles on Charizard and Dragapult recently, and I still think those two archetypes are two of the strongest for Worlds. Both are vulnerable to early board wipes from Regidrago, but I don’t think that crushes you out of the game a high enough percent of the time to fully deter me from playing these decks. Once set up, these decks are easily able to dismantle Regidrago. Charizard is better against Gardevoir and Raging Bolt, while Dragapult is better against Charizard itself.

For me personally, Charizard ex is my most comfortable deck that I have as a backup if all else fails. Between now and Worlds, I’ll be working on Dragapult, Raging Bolt, and Stall to see if I can make any of these decks stand out. Although I am having a little bit of a deck crisis, I am confident for this tournament. I have played tons of games in this format to have a good understanding of how all the decks work. I don’t feel great about this format itself, as I think the decks have too much speed combined with variance. For example, Regidrago is probably the best deck, and if it gets lucky, it can completely shut you out of the game on turn 2. This is just an annoying bonus for a deck that is already playable enough without such a luck-based factor. Lugia and Raging Bolt are much of the same, able to prey upon the consistent setup decks with luck and speed. This does not seem ideal for a Worlds format, but it could be worse.
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