The Don Strikes Again – Azul’s Meta Manipulation
[cardimg name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”244″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]After Azul GG skipped the first few Regionals and decided to only go to a handful of tournaments, I said that he wasn’t going to get his Worlds invite, which is unthinkable for any top-level competitor. He hit me with the “nah, I’d win” in typical nonchalant fashion, saying that he’d get his Worlds invite by winning a Regional instead of the traditional method of accruing Championship Points. Of course, I wrote this off as a madman’s delusion. But as a wise man once said, everything happens twice: first in your mind, and then in reality. Lo and behold, Azul spoke his own destiny into existence, and we the citizens are left to deal with the fallout.
Azul won Merida Regionals with [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card], solidifying the archetype as one of the frontrunners in the new Prismatic Evolutions format. After playing this deck, it’s not hard to see why. Not much has changed for Miraidon since Surging Sparks, as it includes no new cards from Prismatic Evolutions. In fact, Miraidon also won the inaugural Regionals of the Surging Sparks format when it gained access to [card name=”Magneton” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Latias ex” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]. Miraidon remains the most blisteringly fast deck in the game. Not only does the deck consistently attack on turn 1, but [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] further accelerates the game by taking two Prize cards on single-Prize Pokemon. Miraidon’s speed, power, and consistency make it hard for other decks to contend with. It’s also tough to justify playing a different deck, as this deck is so overpowered in comparison.
In a previous article, I discussed the meta for EUIC, stating that the top 3 decks were [card name=”Dragapult ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card]. However, that was before Merida. If there’s two things I’ve learned about the average Pokemon player over the years, it’s that they like Miraidon and that they love Azul. People don’t even need a reason to play Miraidon, but in the current environment, there are plenty of reasons to do so. Aside from being so strong and popularized by Pokemon’s most famous icon, Miraidon also does extremely well into the current metagame. Gardevoir and Lugia shudder at the mere thought of an Iron Hands ex. Dragapult can put up a fight, but sometimes it too succumbs to the tempo monster with its relentless [card name=”Electric Generator” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card]s. Previously, Miraidon’s biggest fear was [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], a deck with a legendary falloff in popularity to go along with its sharp decline in win rate. Charizard is now the proverbial monster under the bed, as it’s only a concern if you’re the most paranoid Miraidon player.
To my credit, that article did mention Miraidon as one of my top prospects (which was written before Merida, despite the publication date), but now it is so much more than that. Miraidon is now one of the top meta threats. I think most people would agree that it is solidly in the top 2 along with Dragapult. While Dragapult is still the most popular deck, I predict that Miraidon will rapidly close that gap in the coming weeks. Gardevoir rounds out the top 3 decks, while Lugia dips by being both replaced and threatened by Miraidon.
I think Miraidon can be played successfully in a few different ways. For example, there is still some merit to cards like [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Prime Catcher ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck. However, the deck already seems to be very standardized and streamlined, with all of the top lists being very close to one another. Of course, Azul’s winning list is the baseline going forward. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I’ve only changed a couple of cards myself, so I don’t have anything revolutionary with regards to the list.
I tried to get Azul and Caleb to play four [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] and four [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”name”][/card] to make the deck as consistent as possible. Of course, without my advice, they still did well. Nonetheless, this deck often relies on using back-to-back Boss’s Orders. Without a great draw engine, you need to find yourself with Boss’s Orders in your hand naturally, and you often need to draw it off an opposing [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card]. Furthermore, one (or even two) is frequently discarded on turn 1 with either [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Secret Box” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card], and there’s always the chance of prizing one. There are also games where you want three Boss’s Orders. Since it’s integral to the strategy in many games, I think a fourth copy is worth adding.
As for Ultra Ball, it’s a card that you literally always want in your hand, and it’s broken because it lets you do whatever you want. Aside from setting up or drawing cards for general consistency, fetching [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] or Magneton at a specific time is extremely valuable. Sometimes an Ultra Ball is all you need off an opposing Iono to win, and at the very least, it lets you thin and draw more cards with [card name=”Mew ex” set=”151″ no=”151″ c=”name”][/card]’s Restart. I’ve also swapped the Magnemite to [card name=”Magnemite” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”58″ c=”custom”]the 60 HP one[/card]. While [card name=”Magnemite” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”65″ c=”custom”]the 50 HP one[/card]’s attack is enticing, it hardly ever gets used in reality. Furthermore, [card name=”Dusclops” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”19″ c=”name”][/card] is far too prevalent to ignore the 60 HP option.
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[decklist name=”don” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″][pokemon amt=”16″]2x [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Magneton” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”59″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Magnemite” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Raikou V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”48″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Raichu V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”45″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pikachu ex” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rotom V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”58″ 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=”Latias ex” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”28″]4x [card name=”Arven” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Electric Generator” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”181″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Secret Box” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch Cart” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Night Stretcher” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Board ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”159″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Area Zero Underdepths” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”131″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”16″]1x [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]15x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”155″ c=”deck2″ amt=”15″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]Another inflection point with the list is whether to add the second [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]. Azul’s list didn’t, but some top players opted to. Forest Seal Stone is extremely strong and useful in every single game, except when it’s stuck in the prizes, of course. It can often enable your turn 1 attack, or when you don’t need it on turn 1, it can make a combo later or save you from an Iono. Playing a second copy would give you insurance for the ~11% of games where the one would be prized, and also adds a bit of natural consistency. However, even with one copy, it’s easy to access via [card name=”Arven” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”166″ c=”name”][/card] or Secret Box. When it’s prized, the deck is a bit weaker, but it’s still playable. Overall, due to the low chance of it being prized in addition to the fact that you can still win when it is, I don’t think the second copy is necessary. The list is actually rather tight because the deck has to play so much Lightning Energy.
You also may notice that I’ve cut the [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card]. Overall, it’s a low-impact card that I do not find myself wanting. I’d much rather have the consistency and power of the fourth Boss’s Orders or Ultra Ball. Sure, I sacrifice a bit of flexibility, but the Bravery Charm is just so useless. One of the most common scenarios for it is protecting Magnemite from Dragapult ex’s Phantom Dive, but there’s a high percentage of the time where Magnemite will already be evolved before Dragapult starts attacking. After all, this deck gets Magnemite on Turn 1 for free basically every game.
It’s hard to draw a precise line on the count of Lightning Energy. There’s a negligible difference between 16 and 15, but I could also see that becoming a slippery slope. There is probably a mathematically correct answer, but that would be far too complex to arrive at (it’s not just as simple as Electric Generator math), so we go off of vibes. I haven’t run into any issues with 15, so in my mind, it made sense to cut the 16th for a card I was actively wanting. I was initially skeptical of the second Iron Hands, but it is by far the most common attacker, and you actually want both of them in most games. I think this list is sound and optimal in the current metagame.
Gameplay
This deck plays purely for tempo with no long-term game plan or concept of stabilization. You can and should be taking two Prize cards with every attack beginning on turn 1 (or turn 2 if your opponent wins the flip and forces you to go first). You should always be choosing to go second, unless you know your opponent is playing an evolving deck like Lugia, [card name=”Ceruledge ex” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Gholdengo ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Archaludon ex” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], or if you know they are playing [card name=”Klefki” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card]. In those cases, you may as well go first to get that Energy attachment for a more consistent first attack. Going first against decks with Klefki nearly ensures that you will get at least one turn to use those important Abilities, as they have to get very lucky to naturally start with Klefki.
Whether you go for Secret Box on turn 1 basically depends on if you can get immediate value from [card name=”Area Zero Underdepths” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] (and don’t already have it in your hand). Most of the time, the answer is yes, so don’t be afraid to pop that bad boy immediately. Filling your Bench on turn 1 is generally good, as you can discard the setup fodder Pokemon if the opponent bumps the Stadium. You only need those extra bench spaces later if you need the extra damage for [card name=”Raikou V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”48″ c=”name”][/card], which is sometimes a consideration. Miraidon turbos out all the Basic Pokemon, but it’s not as good of an attacker as it used to be, so you can usually discard it when your Stadium gets bumped. It’s still the best option for hitting 220, such as against [card name=”Origin Forme Dialga V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], but that increment isn’t as important nowadays.
[card name=”Rotom V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] is mostly included so you have something to do when going first, but every once in awhile you do whiff the attack on turn 1 going second. It’s not the end of the world to hide behind a [card name=”Pikachu ex” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and draw three cards. Some hands only have a [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] but don’t want to use Squawk and Seize (or if the Squawkabilly is prized), but you can still get Miraidon and then get Rotom and something else. Basically, Miraidon’s Tandem Unit can now draw cards, which is neat. Hopefully you won’t be needing to use Rotom after the first turn or two, but even in the late-game, you can hide behind Pikachu and draw three to unbrick your hand after an Iono. Rotom is a rather underrated option, and it provides the deck with some consistency and flexibility.
Secret Box’s discard cost can be annoying. To get to three discardable cards, sometimes I’ll discard a Supporter in my hand because Secret Box can get another anyway. When using Arven for Secret Box, sometimes you’ll grab a useless Tool off the Arven (especially if you’re playing Bravery Charm or second Forest Seal Stone) and use that as discard fodder for Secret Box, which gets the more important Tool (the Forest Seal Stone). You’ll often find yourself in a situation where you’re going to use Squawk and Seize and have to decide if you want to thin an extra Supporter out of your deck with Secret Box only to discard it. If you know the game will end quickly and you’ll need to play back-to-back Boss’s Orders to close it out, it’s okay to grab an Arven to discard it. Otherwise, I may err on the side of caution and not throw away an extra Supporter.
When it comes to drawing (with Fleet-Footed or Flip the Script) or using Electric Generator first, I tend to favor the Electric Generator. When your odds of hitting Generator are roughly equal regardless of which one you use first, you’d typically prefer to thin the Lightning Energy out and draw something more useful. However, if you still need to attach for turn, you’ll want to draw first. There’s also a chance you could draw a thinning card to further increase your Generator odds, but that is very unlikely to be relevant. However, if you have a decent amount of search cards left and still want to search out Pokemon, you could consider drawing before using Generator. When it comes to Mew ex’s Restart, it’s a bit different because you want to draw more cards, so you’ll always use Generator first.
Matchups
Dragapult – Even
[cardimg name=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]One could argue that this matchup is slightly favored one way or the other, but to me it seems close enough to call even. You want to watch out for Budew, especially if you’re going first. If you’re going second and get the turn 1 attack, there may not even be a Budew involved, as it does not want to get slammed by Amp You Very Much. When you’re going first though, you will likely be Item locked, so set up as much as possible and play all of your Items preemptively. [card name=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] is useful if they do not have [card name=”Radiant Alakazam” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card] on their Bench. There’s also a good chance they will use a two-Prize support Pokemon at some point, so you’ll want to have Miraidon ex as a backup attacker to close things out. If they start with a two-Prize Pokemon in their Active Spot, you may actually start by attacking with Miraidon or even Raikou.
Of course, you will lead with Iron Hands nine times out of ten. They need a lot to respond to it right away, so there will be many situations where Iron Hands will get to take four Prizes. That is the ideal and common scenario. Sometimes the opponent will get lucky and get Dragapult plus Dusclops on turn 2 to KO Iron Hands, which is rough, but not immediately game-ending. You also want to get Magneton into play as soon as possible, as you do not want Magnemite to get sniped by Phantom Dive before it can evolve. Their first attack will likely just be a swing into Iron Hands, so you’ll want a Boss’s Orders in your hand to take another two Prizes. This is followed up by a four-Prize KO and Iono to two, and you can play around this by having Mew ex and / or Fezandipti ex in play. Ideally you’ll have both since they can possibly KO one of them with [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Raichu V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] can be a useful option to one-shot Dragapult, but you won’t use it every game. Their plays are fairly predictable, so you’ll want to be thinking about future turns and play accordingly.
Mirror – Even
This matchup is obviously just a fast-paced slugfest. The only interesting interaction is if you don’t have to put down Squawkabilly or Lumineon then you can’t lose to Iron Hands if you use Magneton, but lots of times you have to use Squawkabilly anyway. Just keep the Iron Hands for three Prizes play in mind, as it applies both ways. It is also the only real way that the losing player can end up winning. If you do play Bravery Charm, putting it on Squawkabilly denies an Iron Hands play using Double Turbo Energy. Pikachu ex is a useful Pokemon to hide behind, as it forces Iron Bundle or Boss’s Orders. If you have a single-Prize Pokemon on your board, they have to make Iron Hands KO it alongside their Iron Bundle. You can also use Iron Hands itself as a tank, as they need Raikou and lots of Benched Pokemon to KO it (or Raichu and four Energy). Using Iron Hands defensively is not advisable if they play [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card]. That said, Zapdos is trash and you should not be playing it.
Gardevoir – Favorable
Gardevoir is a favorable matchup, but they have a few tricks to be aware of. First is [card name=”Mawile” set=”Lost Origin” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card], which is not as much of a threat as people think. There are a few ways to deal with Mawile. The first is to simply win the game so fast that they don’t even get the chance to pull off the double Mawile play. However, if they put a defensive Tool on it, it can be annoying since you have to KO it for one Prize instead of two. The second way is to avoid putting down any liabilities that Mawile can trap. This is easier said than done, but if you can play the game without Benching any trappable Pokemon, you should probably do so. The third way to beat Mawile is to keep an eye on how many cards both players are using. To reach the double Mawile play, they have to draw lots of cards, so they will probably end up decking out first even if they do trap you. You can also utilize your [card name=”Switch Cart” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] to maintain your Prize card blitz.
Some people may include Klefki. Once again, this is not as much of an issue as it first appears. Klefki is annoying and does slow you down, but it’s still fine. You are okay with using Boss to get around it, or simply KO’ing it with Raikou or Arm Press for one Prize card. If they retreat into Klefki, they aren’t using [card name=”Technical Machine: Evolution” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card]. As long as you’re able to KO it, you’re still on tempo and will probably win. Your go-to attacker is Iron Hands, as it destroys Gardevoir’s small Pokemon and is very difficult for them to deal with. Some lists play Budew, so if you expect that possibility, play your Items preemptively and try to power up Iron Hands. [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] is trivial, just ignore it and go around it with Boss’s Orders or Iron Bundle. If they have only Mimikyu in play, it isn’t very threatening. Power up Mew ex to deal with it.
That’s all I have for today! This deck is insanely powerful right now, does well into the current meta, is difficult to counter, and is very easy to play. There’s basically no reason to not play this deck. Thanks for reading!
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