Done Making Metal — Dialga Has Achieved Structural Integrity

Hello everyone! At the time of writing, I have been trying out some of the new stuff in preparation for the upcoming Sacramento Regionals. While I still think the meta will mostly be dominated by decks that have already been established in the metagame, there are a couple new things that show some promise. In my last article, I covered the new and improved version of [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card]. I also went on record saying [card name=”Archaludon ex” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] is bad, which is mostly true, but that was not taking [card name=”Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] into consideration. Dialga has been around for a few years now, and it’s always been noteworthy thanks to its incredibly unique VSTAR attack. Star Chronos is probably the strongest attack in the format, if not in all of history. Of course, it is balanced by its ridiculous Energy requirement.

[cardimg name=”Archaludon ex” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”241″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Previously, this was managed with [card name=”Metang ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card], but now, Archaludon enters the fray as a partner for Dialga. Metang wouldn’t always guarantee Metal Energy, but it could be used every turn, allowing you to build up multiple Dialga over the course of the game. Archaludon is the exact opposite, guaranteeing two Energy with its one-time use Ability. This lends itself to faster games that you can potentially end quickly with a consistent turn 2 Star Chronos. However, Archaludon isn’t all in on blitzing the opponent. What sets Archaludon above Metang is that it’s not purely a support Pokemon. Archaludon has 300 HP, which is beyond absurd for a Stage 1 Pokemon. It also deals a respectable 220 damage, and it can power itself up with its Ability. This is useful for some games and situations, particularly against single-Prize Pokemon, as they force a longer game and usually can’t deal 300 damage. If Dialga isn’t the best attacker for a particular situation, sometimes you can go with Archaludon instead.

I currently have two builds of this deck. They have some similarities, such as being inspired by the [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Night Stretcher” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] engine. This makes the deck look a bit like current [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] decks. Dialga being built like Palkia is consistent with the lore, after all. The first list I’ll discuss is one that’s all in on speed, consistently delivering a turn 2 Star Chronos to overwhelm opponents and quash their setup with tons of pressure. The second is a bit more balanced and adapted for the possibility of longer games.

Unfortunately, Dialga has never had its own trademark consistency engine, so it will be relying on high copies of [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Celebrations” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] as it always does. This is a bit stronger with help from PokeStop. We play tons of Items anyway, and PokeStop is an amazing Stadium. High counts of Night Stretcher protect us in case PokeStop discards Pokemon, and it actually functions as a setup combo along with PokeStop. PokeStop is more of a way to find Pokemon by discarding them, so the discard effect is less of a downside since it helps consistency. We typically want two [card name=”Duraludon” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] and at least one [card name=”Origin Forme Dialga V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”177″ c=”name”][/card] on turn 1, so that we can evolve all of them on turn 2. This deck also relies on the quintessential array of [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”264″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Mew ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”232″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] for draw power. These Basic Pokemon are way too efficient and can easily be slapped into any deck without an otherwise established consistency engine. This gaggle is preferred by most PokeStop decks, and Dialga is no exception. One funny interaction is that if you use Flip the Script followed by Star Chronos, you can use Flip the Script again. This feels illegal but is not.

Between Professor’s Research, PokeStop, and the Basic support Pokemon, this deck finds itself with plenty of consistency. Although all of these cards are built for tempo rather than longevity (such as [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card]), that suits Dialga just fine. Games in this format aren’t that long to begin with, and Dialga aims to shorten that even further. Another card I’ve been liking is [card name=”Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card]. Ursaluna has synergy with Dialga in the same way it does with [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”211″ c=”name”][/card]. These decks have the means to commit tons of Energy to high-maintenance attackers in exchange for massive short-term output. However, they tend to run out of steam if the opponent is able to respond. Ursaluna requires no Energy, which is great after you’ve spent it all to take four Prizes with Dialga. Ursaluna can efficiently close out games in plenty of spots, and it can be conveniently stored in the discard pile until you’re ready to retrieve it with one of the deck’s four Night Stretchers.

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Turbo Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR / Archaludon ex List

[decklist name=”fast bridge” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”141″][pokemon amt=”15″]3x [card name=”Archaludon ex” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Duraludon” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Origin Forme Dialga V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew ex” set=”151″ no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research [Professor Sada” set=”undefined” no=”undefined” c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”181″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Night Stretcher” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trekking Shoes” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Earthen Vessel” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”194″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”187″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Prime Catcher ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”157″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”160″ 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″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]8x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”XY” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card][/energy][/decklist]Like the Palkia deck with a similar engine, we are aiming to get our evolving Basic Pokemon into play on turn 1 and then pop off on turn 2. The deck is all gas and no brakes, just the way I like it. [card name=”Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG68″ c=”name”][/card]’s Metal Blast perfectly follows up its Star Chronos, enabling the ultimate Prize collecting machine. Hopefully Dialga can take at least three or four Prize cards on its own before it goes down. [card name=”Archaludon ex” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”241″ c=”name”][/card] and Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex are perfectly capable of taking two Prizes each if the need arises. This list plays [card name=”Trekking Shoes” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] for maximum speed and synergy with PokeStop, and we’re perfectly fine with discarding and burning through cards like crazy. There’s item-based gust cards like [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”264″ c=”name”][/card], again for synergy with PokeStop. It can be difficult to use [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] when we rely on Supporters to draw cards. Pokemon Catcher is a flip, but like [card name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”208″ c=”name”][/card], we don’t always need it, and when we do, we’ll take the 75% hit rate across both Items.

[cardimg name=”Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG68″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Counter Catcher is very strong because there will inevitably be games where we start off behind, such as when the opponent goes first and gets a turn 2 attack. Counter Catcher enables lethal eliminator mode on your turn 2 Dialga, enabling you to choose your target with pinpoint precision for maximum destruction. A Counter Catcher + Star Chronos followed by [card name=”Prime Catcher ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card] into a Metal Blast attack is unpleasant for any deck to contend with, and the absolute funniest use of it is deleting two [card name=”Archeops” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] from play.

The deck plays three Archaludon ex because we want to use two on turn 2, yet don’t have the Bench space to justify going with a 4-4 line. The third Archaludon can get used later. There’s only two Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR since this deck isn’t very good at making a second Dialga or ever plans to, so we just want the one out consistently. In situations where the opponent is threatening to KO our [card name=”Origin Forme Dialga V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”177″ c=”name”][/card] before it evolves, we will play down the second one. With how reliant this deck is on [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”264″ c=”name”][/card], a second copy of that is a strong consideration for consistency, and just in case you Prize the one. However, there’s only about a 9% chance to Prize it, since it’s a Basic Pokemon. You can probably live without having Squawkabilly ex 9% of the time.

I’ve considered swapping the Supporter counts. Sometimes [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”237″ c=”name”][/card] is better than [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Celebrations” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] when you haven’t taken any Prize cards, as it conserves cards like [card name=”Night Stretcher” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”251″ c=”name”][/card] and Pokemon Catcher. Having more Iono would also give you the option to chain hand disruption effects. Although that can be useful, it’s less compatible with this deck on average. Professor’s Research draws just one extra card, but becomes significantly more powerful than Iono once you start taking Prize cards. It’s also better to help recover from an opponent’s hand disruption, though you do have plenty of draw via the supporting Pokemon. It’s hard to say for sure which Supporter is best. I don’t think any other Supporters are real considerations in this list though.

Two copies of [card name=”Switch” set=”151″ no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] feels like the bare minimum because everything has a high retreat cost, and used Archaludon ex are prone to getting stuck. Switch also assists with the early-game aggression. Playing a third copy would be reasonable, but Prime Catcher also acts as a Switch. [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] is a little odd given that the list has no way to search it out. However, this deck churns through so many cards that finding the Hisuian Heavy Ball early is somewhat reasonable. Additionally, for cards like [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Mew ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”232″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”216″ c=”name”][/card], and even the third [card name=”Duraludon” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card], finding Hisuian Heavy Ball a little bit later is perfectly acceptable.

I am considering adding a copy of [card name=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card]. Iron Bundle is useful in some spots when your opponent has a single-Prize Pokemon in the Active Spot and only two-Prize Pokemon on the Bench. This frequently happens after you take a KO with Star Chronos and they push a single-Prize Pokemon. Iron Bundle also has good synergy with this deck playing four Night Stretcher. The biggest issue with it is that you often do not have the Bench space. Another inclusion that could be good is [card name=”Canceling Cologne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card]. Canceling Cologne is always a meta-dependent card. This Item is great against primarily [card name=”Iron Thorns ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pikachu ex” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], as well as anything with [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]. It can also be strong if the opponent opens with [card name=”Klefki” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card], but of course, you won’t always find it. That’s about it for the turbo build.

Stable Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR / Archaludon ex List

[decklist name=”slightly less fast bridge” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″][pokemon amt=”15″]3x [card name=”Archaludon ex” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Duraludon” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Origin Forme Dialga V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/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=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Celebrations” no=”23″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]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]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=”Paldean Fates” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”181″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Earthen Vessel” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Night Stretcher” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”194″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Prime Catcher ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”157″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]9x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”XY” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card][/energy][/decklist]This version is a more grounded and balanced version. It can go fast, but not always, and it is better suited for longer games. There are a lot more Supporters in this list, which is fine. We still want to play [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] because it’s still a great card. In order to manage the dichotomy with PokeStop and Supporters, the deck now includes [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”233″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card]. These cards are good with PokeStop, and Pal Pad recovers any casualties. [card name=”Trekking Shoes” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] are no longer present because, to be honest, the card isn’t actually that good, although it makes sense to play them in a pure turbo version.

I’ve added [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] to replace the Item gust cards, as it is a bit more reliable. Boss’s Orders is more playable in longer games, and works well with Pokegear and Pal Pad. Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR absolutely loves gust effects, so we want to play quite a few of them for consistency, and we still have Prime Catcher. [card name=”Professor Turo’s Scenario” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”257″ c=”name”][/card] has a few uses, such as switching, healing, or reusing Archaludon ex’s Ability. It’s a nice card. This list also plays an extra Metal Energy. Longer games mean more Energy attachments and more chances to use Radiant Greninja’s Concealed Cards Ability.

Although I’ve been saying this is a slow version, and that it’s sometimes okay to attack with Archaludon ex on turn 2, it still can very reasonably go fast. You still want to try and go fast sometimes, especially against decks like [card name=”Regidrago VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”201″ c=”name”][/card] or Lugia that just fold to a turn 2 Star Chronos when you go first. The deck is still similar to the previous build, and it can imitate that list’s speed, just not as consistently. After all, this deck is only slow compared to the giga aggro turbo version that I listed above. I’m not sure which version is better overall.

Matchups

One of the toughest matchups for this deck is [card name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”208″ c=”name”][/card]. Raging Bolt has too much HP and is one of the few Pokemon that can easily one-shot [card name=”Archaludon ex” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”241″ c=”name”][/card]. Raging Bolt applies a lot of fast pressure and is demanding of your gust cards as a response, so it’s annoying to deal with. The ideal situation is getting a turn 2 KO with Star Chronos onto one of their two-Prize Pokemon that’s in range of a KO. If the Raging Bolt player is smart, they will avoid this by keeping their board out of range of Star Chronos. They can do this by limiting their board to only Raging Bolt and [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card]-protected weaker Pokemon. However, that’s easier said than done, and most Raging Bolt players do not possess such presence of mind anyway. If you get the turn 2 Star Chronos for two Prizes, you probably win the game, even if you start off behind by two Prizes. It’s easy enough to follow that up with a Metal Blast for two more, and then you can clean up with [card name=”Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”216″ c=”name”][/card] or Archaludon ex for your last two Prizes. Keep in mind that Duraludon also does 30 damage for one Energy. This is a decent option on turn 1, as it pokes a Raging Bolt and puts it in range of Star Chronos. The same can be said for [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”264″ c=”name”][/card]’s Motivate attack, which also accelerates Energy. You don’t really have anything better to do on turn 1, after all.

[cardimg name=”Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”216″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Regidrago VSTAR is a bit of a better matchup because they are not as fast and their Basic Pokemon have 220 HP or less. If you pop a Star Chronos before they can evolve into a Regidrago VSTAR, you most likely win on the spot. Even if they do have a Regidrago VSTAR in play, pulling off a Star Chronos KO on one of their Pokemon that’s in range is still fine, and then Metal Blast can obliterate their Regidrago VSTAR. Regidrago also has a problem with Archaludon. Although Archaludon is weak to Fire-type Pokemon, its attack removes that Weakness for a turn, so it survives anything the Regidrago deck can throw at it. Regidrago is not always able to use gust on demand, especially if their VSTAR Ability is used. Professor Turo’s Scenario can also be useful in this matchup to remove a liability or heal some damage.

Another deck that is similarly weak to [card name=”Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG68″ c=”name”][/card] is [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”211″ c=”name”][/card] . The Lugia deck is also vulnerable to their Archeops getting picked off. However, if they get a fast [card name=”Cinccino ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card], it’s very annoying as you have to deal with it, which means not KO’ing an Archeops or two-Prize target. Overall, this Dialga deck is quite simple. The biggest thing is knowing when to go for a fast Dialga, and when to set up a later checkmate instead. This just depends on the situation, your hand, your opponent’s board, and how useful your other options are. Star Chronos is so strong, so as long as you’re able to pull it off on an ideal target, you should be fine.

The Tera Pokemon [card name=”Terapagos ex” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card]’s 230 HP makes it a very annoying matchup. If they put down [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card], it is a potential target for Star Chronos, followed up by a Metal Blast to take an easy four Prizes. However, they should never give you that option. Archaludon ex is a decent option for the early-game to take single-Prize KOs, as they cannot one-shot Archaludon without [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], and we are happy to collect the Prize card from Dusknoir. Star Chronos is best used on a single-Prize target when there are no two-Prize targets in one-shot range, and then you can use Metal Blast for two afterwards. If they have no [card name=”Duskull” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card] in play, you can probably just go YOLO Dialga because they cannot one-shot it. Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex can one-shot Terapagos in the late-game, but of course it doesn’t work if they have [card name=”Bouffalant” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] protection. It’s kind of annoying for Terapagos to deal with your large two-Prize Pokemon, but you have more liabilities that they can target, including Origin Forme Dialga V before it evolves.

The [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG67″ c=”name”][/card] matchup is a little better because they have more two-Prize targets for you to take advantage of. You also have no low-HP Pokemon that they can exploit, on top of beefy two-Prize Pokemon that they have a hard time with KO’ing. Palkia also has a much harder time with gusting than Terapagos, so your weaker two-Prize Pokemon won’t always instantly get Knocked Out. Of course, Star Chronos onto a Palkia V is instant-win, if you’re able to pull it off.

Dialga generally does alright into Stage 2 decks. Archaludon swinging for damage is hard for them to deal with, and Star Chronos has a few uses. Sometimes you’ll use it to take out a big guy like [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”234″ c=”name”][/card], or to Knock Out two little ones at once. Following that up, Metal Blast gets big enough to one-shot [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”221″ c=”name”][/card], which is quite nice. They also have [card name=”Rotom V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”177″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench, which you can Knock Out at your convenience. The [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”233″ c=”name”][/card] matchup is probably difficult, though I haven’t played it yet.

Two difficult matchups are [card name=”Iron Thorns ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”196″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]. As usual, they aren’t very popular, but it’s a pain to have such a bad matchup into these already annoying decks. [card name=”Canceling Cologne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] would probably help quite a bit. One big Dialga should be enough to put Iron Thorns into the dirt, while Canceling Cologne is an extra Retreat out or counter to [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] against Stall. [card name=”Duraludon” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] also KO’s Mimikyu, though the Snorlax matchup is probably still unfavorable even with Canceling Cologne.

That’s all I have for today! I am considering this deck for Sacramento Regionals; it performed better than expected. This deck is definitely interesting, and perhaps some more optimizations could be made to the list. Thanks for reading, and good luck at your next tournament!

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