Raging Techs for San Antonio: Bolt is Still Busted

[cardimg name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”218″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg]Hello everyone and happy new year! As we come up on San Antonio Regionals here in the US, the Surging Sparks format is still in place. Both North American tournaments in this format were completely dominated by [card name=”Regidrago VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], cementing it as the best deck in the format. [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] still performs well and has a great matchup spread, but as always, struggles a bit against the prevalence of Regidrago. [card name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] continues to slip under the radar since top players do not play it or talk about it. However, I think this deck is extremely strong in the current format, and I slightly regret not playing it at the last two Regionals. Raging Bolt has all of the same benefits as usual. It actually made Top 4 at the recent Toronto Regionals, as it can effectively prey upon Regidrago. Raging Bolt’s overall speed, power, and consistency allow it to keep an edge against the field, and its great Regidrago matchup is what really sets it apart. Regidrago is very difficult to counter, with its only real predator being Raging Bolt.

I covered Raging Bolt a few months ago, and my list has only changed a few cards since then. Most of my points and opinions on the deck remain the same, so I recommend checking out that article as well if you’re at all interested in Raging Bolt. In fact, right after writing that, my list won Louisville Regionals, although sadly I was not the one to do so. If I had to pick a deck for San Antonio right now, it would surely be Raging Bolt. My current list is a bit more teched out. I’m not completely sure if this is the best way to play the deck, but I think I like it for the time being.

[card name=”Slither Wing” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] has solidified itself as the best single-Prize attacking option in Raging Bolt because it can also one-shot a plethora of notable two-Prize Pokemon due to Fighting Weakness. Although you could probably get away without it, it is quite useful to offset the Prize trade when you’re losing, and gives you at least a chance of beating decks with [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]. I think Slither Wing is the most mandatory of all the techs that Raging Bolt can play.

[card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] is a card that I have constantly gone back and forth on. Spiritomb’s usefulness obviously depends on the meta surrounding it. Since Charizard is a difficult matchup, Spiritomb helps against it significantly. There are a large number of games that Charizard cannot function without access to [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Rotom V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]. Spiritomb is particularly devastating against the lists without [card name=”Cleffa” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card], though it’s still strong against the ones with it. Spiritomb is also very strong against [card name=”Klawf” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] decks, as they rely on [card name=”Oranguru V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] to set up. Unfortunately, reasons to play Spiritomb run out there. It’s decent against [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card], which isn’t quite as popular as before. Spiritomb used to be a game-changer against [card name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] stall decks. It completely flipped that matchup from bad to good due to their total reliance on Rotom V. However, many stall lists now play [card name=”Boxed Order ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card]for consistency, so you would still have a rough time against those builds even with Spiritomb.

[card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Briar” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] are two cards that I have been vehemently against in the past. Against the wider field, they are basically useless, and Raging Bolt would rather have consistency. However, the top tables at Regionals are often populated by [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card]. This combo turns Gardevoir from a terrible matchup into a very competitive one. It is difficult for Gardevoir to take KO’s without committing to a [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] play, so Lost Vacuum is usually good for a free Prize card. Briar also opens up some more ways to win. You can now feasibly take out Gardevoir ex whenever you want and then use Briar with Myriad Leaf Shower to take an additional two-Prize turn. It is very difficult and inconvenient for Gardevoir to play around Briar in this matchup. However, they do play lots of hand disruption, so finding the Briar play is not extremely consistent. It’s also worth noting that the combination of Spiritomb and Briar makes the Charizard matchup quite good, which is very valuable in the current meta. Here’s where I’m currently at for a tech-heavy approach to Raging Bolt:

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[decklist name=”raging techs” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”123″][pokemon amt=”14″]4x [card name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Teal Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Slither Wing” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/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=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]4x [card name=”Professor Sada’s Vitality” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”170″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Boss’s Orders (Ghetsis)” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Briar” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Earthen Vessel” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”187″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch Cart” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Night Stretcher” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Prime Catcher ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”157″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]5x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”5″][/card]3x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”155″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”157″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Latias ex” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”220″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg] Most of the card counts and logic behind the list remain the same as before. The Bravery Charm and [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] counts have gone down slightly. Part of their importance was because they were very good against [card name=”Terapagos ex” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card], which was a huge part of the meta. Since this is no longer the case, it follows that they can be replaced by techs that target other decks. Of course, the new techs are more specific and situational, but they cover Raging Bolt’s weaknesses very well. [card name=”Latias ex” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] initially seemed like a very appealing card for Raging Bolt, as it is effectively a switch card that you have many additional outs to find via [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”name”][/card]. Having Latias in your deck should make it so that you can always switch when you want to. In practice, Latias was quite disappointing. You typically want to prioritize searching out other Pokemon to strengthen your board, as you don’t have that much search power, and this deck often wants lots of Pokemon on the board. In that vein, you don’t even have the spare Bench space for Latias a lot of the time. Of course, playing just two [card name=”Switch Cart” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] (and the [card name=”Prime Catcher ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card]) does make switching a bit inconsistent. This is generally fine, as once Raging Bolt starts attacking, it’s unlikely you’ll need more switching cards. Every other Pokemon retreats for just one Energy, so there’s not an extreme need to switch most of the time. The biggest instance where you want to switch is when you’re looking for a turn 1 attack and don’t start with Raging Bolt, and in that case, just hope to hit it.

The most common mistake I see from Raging Bolt players is playing too hard into their deck’s linearity. Sure, you often want to burst the opponent down and get a fast Prize lead. However, you don’t want to go too crazy and end up with a compromised board state just to end up in a losing Prize trade. I typically will only go super aggressive when I have to, or when I’m likely to get a two-Prize lead (which still occurs very often). Using Burst Roar or even just passing for a turn is completely fine. A big Raging Bolt in the Active, especially with a Bravery Charm, is unlikely to be KO’d right away. If you don’t needlessly bench liabilities or activate opponent’s cards like [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card], you can get yourself another turn to find what you need. It pains me whenever a Raging Bolt player blows through 40 cards just to KO a Charmander and then surprisedpikachu.jpg when the Charizard player gets the response KO and easily wins the Prize trade.

Matchups

Vs. Regidrago – Favorable

I’ve found that it’s generally best to conserve gust effects in this matchup as you will need them later on. The exception is if you’re forced to attack into a single-Prize Pokemon and you need a two-Prize KO to stay on track. For example, if the opponent has Cleffa in the Active and [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench on turn 1, you’ll just want to take a gust KO for two Prizes. This situation is somewhat uncommon in the early game. Usually [card name=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] can help you get two Prize cards early. I wouldn’t burn a gust card to KO their only [card name=”Regidrago V” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] if you can still take two Prize cards without using a gust. Going out of your way to take out Regidrago is mostly bait, as they will just be using Radiant Charizard either way. Of course, the most important aspect of this matchup is to get the first two Prize cards and maintain a winning Prize trade.

Playing around [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] is very important in this matchup as well. Try to thin out garbage as much as possible and maximize your odds of drawing well off Iono. There are even some situations where it’s better to leave Fezandipiti ex in the deck so that you have more live outs to draw power! To make this decision, factor in the chances of your opponent actually having Iono plus Prime Catcher to KO your Fezandipiti, as well as the amount of your remaining [card name=”Night Stretcher” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card]s vs. Nest Balls. More often than not, you will still want Fezandipiti ex on your Bench like normal, but it is a valid consideration. If you have extra Energy on Raging Bolts, this can be helpful as you’ll be able to use [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] to get around Radiant Charizard rather than relying on [card name=”Professor Sada’s Vitality” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”256″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card] flips every time.

[cardimg name=”Jamming Tower” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”153″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg] Another card to be wary of is [card name=”Jamming Tower” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”153″ c=”name”][/card]. For this reason, it can be somewhat risky to put Bravery Charm on Fezandipiti ex. The Regidrago player will be happy to Prime Catcher it up, Iono you to two, and smack for 250. It can be difficult to respond to this play, and you will be in danger if they have Jamming Tower on the follow up turn. Of course, you can tell if they still have that play available, and if they do not, then Bravery Charm is quite nice to protect the Fezandipiti. Keeping Switch Cart around can also be helpful in case they try to do this play on your Active Raging Bolt (which does not require them to use Prime Catcher). Bravery Charm is good on Raging Bolt because it makes you survive attacks from Radiant Charizard or [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card], but you still need to watch out for Jamming Tower. If they attack for 250 into a Charmed Bolt, you can use Switch Cart to put them very far behind. Of course, you won’t always draw it off Iono to two. If they use [card name=”Hisuian Goodra VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card]’s attack and you can KO them through the damage reduction, I’ve found this to be worth it because it will also put them far behind. If you cannot KO their attacker, gusting for two Prizes is acceptable.

Vs. Charizard – Slightly Favorable with Techs

Even with the techs like Spiritomb and Briar, this matchup is still quite close and volatile. If you can play Spiritomb instantly, that is ideal, as it will shut off Rotom. If not, it is still worth putting down at some point to deny the Lumineon. Of course, don’t forget that you cannot use your own Lumineon while Spiritomb is in play. You probably will never have the bench space for both of them anyway. It is very important to have two [card name=”Teal Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] and two Raging Bolt on your board at nearly all times, at least in situations where you are trading KO’s back and forth. You need all four of these Pokemon so that you can load enough Energy into play to one-shot a Charizard from scratch.

Interestingly, since Spiritomb discourages Rotom from being played, there are situations where you take a Prize card and end up in an unfavorable Prize trade. If this happens, do not panic! Just KO their attacker. Without access to Lumineon, they are likely to run out of steam and miss a beat. Just one opening is all you need. If they do not miss a beat, you still have the option to use Briar to win the game. If you are playing towards Briar, make sure to always have two Ogerpon with one Grass Energy each on them so that you can actually pull off the play.

I covered this matchup in-depth in my previous article, so for some more information, I won’t repeat myself and instead refer you back to it. I did say there that Briar was terrible. I am still on the fence about Briar, but I definitely think it makes more sense to play now than then. One redeeming quality for Briar is that Charizard will often attack with a three-Energy Radiant Charizard, which can be more easily KO’d by Ogerpon for your last two Prizes, which is actually a situation that comes up because you tend to snipe off their benched two-prize Pokemon to maintain a lead while letting the Radiant Charizard fire off attacks.

Vs. Gholdengo – Unfavorable

This matchup is not as bad as some people think but it is definitely unfavored for Raging Bolt. You usually want to put Bravery Charm on Slither Wing in this matchup so that it can attack twice without KO’ing itself. Your ideal situation is to take your first KO with Slither Wing, forcing them to gust around it. If you ask me, [card name=”Gholdengo ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] lists do not play as many gust cards as they should. Even if they get the gust-KO response, take another KO with a Charmed Slither Wing, forcing another Boss. If they have a two-Prize Pokemon on their board on turn 1 for some reason, your first KO should be on that. Usually you will just take a one-Prize KO with Slither Wing and hope they don’t have two gust-KO’s in a row. If you do not get the KO with Slither Wing, at least KO with Raging Bolt. In that scenario, you can put Charm on Raging Bolt since it’s less likely (though still very possible) that you’ll attack with Slither Wing twice. This could still happen, for example, if they bench Fezandipiti. You can mix in Slither Wing later, although your chances of winning this way are significantly lower than if you had opened with Slither Wing. [card name=”Togekiss” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card] is another way for them to potentially get around Slither Wing, so if you can KO the Togepi/Togekiss with Slither Wing, you should do so.

Vs. Klawf – Slightly Favorable

This matchup is a bit better than I originally expected. If you can get Spiritomb in play before they use [card name=”Oranguru V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] (usually when going first, and you would choose to go second), then it’s worth it, but otherwise it’s probably not. Spiritomb is not really needed to win this matchup, it’s just a piece that can help in some situations. They have lots of two-Prize Pokemon for you to pick off, so this matchup becomes a straightforward Prize trade that you hope to win. It can sometimes be difficult for them to get a gust-KO right away, so if you cannot get the Prize lead, try to leave a single-Prize Pokemon in your Active spot. Also, when I say “Prize lead,” I refer to an advantageous Prize trade, not just taking the first Prize. For example, taking a single-Prize KO can sometimes lead to a disadvantageous Prize trade, which is what Raging Bolt wants to avoid. It just depends on the situation, but it should be easy and intuitive to figure out. Slither Wing can be very useful in this matchup as well, as it can KO most of their Pokemon without risking a two-Prize Pokemon of your own. However it is not always the number one priority like it is against Gholdengo, as you can win without it.

Vs. Dragapult / Iron Thorns – Favorable

[cardimg name=”Toedscruel” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”17″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg] The fact that this deck is becoming more popular is great for Raging Bolt. This is another matchup where Slither Wing can be nice, since it one-shots [card name=”Iron Thorns ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], but it is just an option that isn’t always needed to win. Their attackers are no problem, as they cannot deal with Raging Bolt and you throw them into the blender. However, you do need to be a little wary of [card name=”Toedscruel” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card], which turns off Energy Retrieval, Night Stretcher, and PokeStop. The simplest solution is to just KO it, as they will most likely not be able to set up another one soon after that point. You can also try to get value from your recovery cards before Toedscruel hits the board. If you calculate that you have enough resources to win without bothering with the Toedscruel, that’s great, but KO’ing it is fine too.

Other

Against Gardevoir, you can take a two-Prize turn by KO’ing Gardevoir ex, using Lost Vacuum on a heavily damaged attacker and then KO’ing a single-Prize Pokemon, or by using Briar and Myriad Leaf Shower. You are unlikely to do all three of these things in the same game, which is fine. You will usually need to pull off two of these plays in a game, so look for the most efficient route to do so and try to line them up accordingly. Usually your first KO will just be on a single-Prize peon, which is fine. They will spam hand disruption, which you can’t do much about, but be aware of it and play around hand disruption like you normally would.

The Lugia matchup is somewhat straightforward. If you can deny Lugia KO’s with Charm and limiting your Bench, that can be strong in some situations. If they do not have a big threat like [card name=”Cinccino ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], you can KO [card name=”Archeops” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] to limit their options. If they have too many two-Prize Pokemon in play, you can win with a simple 2-2-2 line. Slither Wing is quite good against Lugia, but don’t forget that it doesn’t KO [card name=”Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] if they have [card name=”Mist Energy ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card] attached. Spiritomb can be useful in this matchup as well if you have the bench space.

Snorlax with Boxed Order is your worst matchup. It’s worth going for Spiritomb right away if you don’t know their list, as you can at least shut down Rotom. You have the best chance of winning by being fast and aggressive, and by conserving switching cards. You’ll also need Slither Wing to KO [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]. That’s all I have for now! Thanks for reading!

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