Hasta La Vista, Baby — Post-Rotation Primer

By: Grant Manley · Posted Posted onMar 21, 2025 at 5:06 PM · 11 Comments

My tumultuous relationship with [card name=”Comfey” set=”Lost Origin” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] finally comes to an end, whether I want it to or not. The Lost Zone Box deck made a lot of memories for me, and it seems like they all happened in the blink of an eye. Comfey is gone too soon, and I will dearly miss some of the other casualties as well. In fact, every card with the text “Lost Zone” has now gone there for good.

This rotation hits harder than most, but if there’s one thing I think we can all agree on, it’s good riddance to [card name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]; a card that rewarded doing nothing skillfully and created the most boring game states in the game’s long and storied history. I’m sure the Stall decks of the future will still be annoying, but hopefully they’re at least a little more interesting than Snorlax. Today we’re going to be discussing the decks that make it out alive. Which decks are limping along, hanging on to life, and which ones are going to thrive? We also have the new Journey Together set to consider. This set has some interesting cards, but overall, it’s a very underwhelming set and I don’t expect much from it.

As usual, Japan is ahead of the Western world in terms of formats, so they’ve already been playing in our post-rotation format. As such, we can look at their tournament results and draw some conclusions about the metagame. Aside from the massive 5,000-player Champions League in Fukuoka last month, there have also been hundreds of City League tournaments. While City Leagues aren’t necessarily indicative of the wider meta, it’s at least a lot of data and decks to look at.

Aside from Lost Zone and Snorlax, we’re also permanently losing every Pokemon VSTAR, so a moment of silence for the likes of [card name=”Regidrago VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”211″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG67″ c=”name”][/card]. Without [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”216″ c=”name”][/card], it’s also unlikely that any [card name=”Klawf” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] decks will show up anytime soon. Most of the other pre-rotation meta decks continue to exist in some capacity, with some of course losing more than others. Let’s talk about them.

Miraidon ex

[cardimg name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”244″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Aside from the decks that completely disappear, [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”244″ c=”name”][/card] suffers from rotation the most. Losing [card name=”Raichu V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Raikou V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”48″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Rotom V” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] all at once is completely devastating, as that is a significant loss in power and flexibility. While Miraidon was capable of cheesing a few Prize cards with [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”248″ c=”name”][/card], it still relied on a big nuke attack from Raichu or Raikou at some point. As of recently, Rotom made a resurgence as a very nice consistency piece, allowing Miraidon to stabilize while going first. Of course, [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] was another key component of the deck, bolstering consistency while packing synergy with [card name=”Arven” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”249″ c=”name”][/card] and the Pokemon V. If that all wasn’t enough, no more Double Turbo Energy makes it more difficult to use the one attacker you still have left, as the deck would frequently utilize Double Turbo Energy to enable Amp You Very Much.

Reflecting this, Miraidon ex has seen no success in Japan. However, I have some theories about Miraidon that I’m eager to test out. Amp You Very Much is still an insanely strong attack, and it will still be good into the post-rotation metagame. Using it consistently, of course, is the hard part. That said, the deck still has access to [card name=”Electric Generator” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Magneton” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card]. Perhaps a [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Celebrations” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]- and Magneton-focused build could be enough to enable powerful Lightning-type attacks.

At Vancouver Regionals, Azul played [card name=”Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Defiance Band” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card], which is a cheeky way to close out games if other options are lacking, particularly against [card name=”Gholdengo ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s still very much in the realm of possibility to take four Prize cards with aggressive Amp You Very Much plays. That leaves only two to find. Boss-KO’ing a [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] is one way to do it, though there are less liabilities around without Rotom V or [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] in the format, or you can just 2-shot a big Pokemon, utilizing the extra turn generated by favorable tempo.

Another idea I have is Lillie’s Clefairy. It takes two turns to power up, but [card name=”Dragapult ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”200″ c=”name”][/card] gives you those turns, and then you can one-shot Dragapult with the Clefairy. Searching out the Psychic Energy could prove difficult, so perhaps a [card name=”Crispin” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] build could have some merit. You don’t necessarily have to play Crispin with Clefairy, or at all, but the idea is there. Not only does Crispin instantly power up Clefairy, but it also helps with Iron Hands. One good Electric Generator plus one Crispin makes Amp You Very Much instantly ready to go. Overall, Miraidon hasn’t seen much success or hype because it suffers a lot. However, I would not count it out yet, as I think there is some merit to it.

Dragapult ex

At first glance, it appears that Dragapult loses a lot: Rotom V, Lumineon V, Forest Seal Stone, [card name=”Radiant Alakazam” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Lance” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card]! All Stage 2 decks really enjoyed the Forest Seal Stone package with Arven, and now all that consistency is gone. On top of that, Dragapult loses Lance as a consistency option too. Nonetheless, Dragapult seems to be just fine. The built-in [card name=”Drakloak” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] engine is still strong, and Phantom Dive is still an amazing attack. Even without Forest Seal Stone, Dragapult still plays Arven for consistency, and it also can use [card name=”Technical Machine: Evolution” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] to quickly get multiple Drakloak in play.

Interestingly, most Japanese lists are playing [card name=”Unfair Stamp” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] as their ACE SPEC, much like pre-rotation builds of the non-[card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] variety. Although Unfair Stamp is good, I don’t think I can fully get on board with it. [card name=”Sparkling Crystal” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] was made for Dragapult and also has powerful synergy with Arven. The reason why Sparkling Crystal is so important is because it gives Dragapult the option to go fast. You don’t always speed blitz Dragapult in every game, but a turn 2 Phantom Dive going first is a lot of pressure that forces most decks to crumble under it. I cannot overstate how strong that option is, and thanks to Arven and Sparkling Crystal, it’s rather consistent as well.

Unfair Stamp can get some cheesy wins if you manage to use it early, which is definitely nice, but that’s not fully reliable. If you use it later in the game instead, you may as well just use [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”269″ c=”name”][/card]. Of course, it’s still possible to get turn 2 Phantom Dive without Sparkling Crystal, but the ACE SPEC Item makes it a lot more consistent. Sometimes you’ll have to attach to retreat, or you might not have two Energy since the deck doesn’t play that many. My initial inclination is to build very similar to pre-rotation, which clearly worked well and had many strong tournament finishes:

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[decklist name=”pult” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Munkidori” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”95″][pokemon amt=”23″]3x [card name=”Dragapult ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Drakloak” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Dreepy” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Dusclops” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”19″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Duskull” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”18″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Klefki” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Budew (PEV #4)1x [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Munkidori” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”30″]4x [card name=”Arven” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”166″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Boss’s Orders (Ghetsis)” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Crispin” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Poffin ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Night Stretcher” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”181″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Earthen Vessel” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Technical Machine: Evolution” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Board ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”159″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Sparkling Crystal” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”142″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]3x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”153″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”158″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]There’s still a lot of space to mess around with in this list. I think [card name=”Munkidori” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] are just too powerful not to include, especially in the absence of Radiant Alakazam. Klefki is devastating to the various [card name=”Fan Rotom” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] decks. The rest of the deck is pretty standard. There definitely could be some merit to other Tool cards, such as [card name=”Defiance Band” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Defiance Vest” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Battle Styles” no=”180″ c=”name”][/card]. I think those cards are definitely worth trying out. Furthermore, Lillie’s Clefairy is a powerful and efficient card that deals with the mirror and Raging Bolt matchups. This card might end up making its way into the list as well. It also provides an option to deal with [card name=”Milotic ex” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”237″ c=”name”][/card], though Milotic ex does one-shot it after an opposing Munkidori ping.

I have some other ideas for Dragapult too. [card name=”Precious Trolley” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] could prove useful, as the Arven for Trolley plus Technical Machine: Evolution combo on turn 1 is just nuts. [card name=”Rabsca ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]might be the most reliable answer to [card name=”Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s easy enough to get Rabsca into play via Technical Machine: Evolution, and it’s fantastic in the mirror match as well. Furthermore, the option to play the deck without Dusknoir is still viable as well. [card name=”Latias ex” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”239″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”216″ c=”name”][/card] are still great cards that can be utilized for tempo and dealing with Milotic ex.

Finally, [card name=”Counter Gain” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] can be used alongside all of these non-Dragapult attackers, but unfortunately it’s useless on Dragapult itself. Of course, the biggest threats to Dragapult are Milotic ex and Lillie’s Clefairy ex. It also has to contend with big attacking decks like Raging Bolt ex and Gholdengo ex, which have always been annoying for Dragapult. Overall, Dragapult is still a very strong contender and has been performing well in Japan, but it has some threats to keep it in check.

Gholdengo ex

[cardimg name=”Gholdengo ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”252″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This deck seems to be doing quite well for itself, taking second place at the Champions League. [card name=”Gholdengo ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”252″ c=”name”][/card] loses [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], but that’s relatively tame compared to the rest of the decks. To replace that draw engine, Gholdengo opts to include Dragapult ex or [card name=”Dudunsparce ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card]. Dudunsparce is better draw, but Dragapult comes with a built-in answer to [card name=”Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card], which is sorely needed. Dragapult also offers its typical flexibility in attacking plans, which can be useful when Gholdengo’s linear Prize trade isn’t quite cutting it.

Being able to turn your Gholdengo deck into a Dragapult deck at a moment’s notice is pretty cool, and I think the extra dimension is just what Gholdengo needs. Of course, there’s still plenty of games where you only use Drakloak for draw and win outright with just Gholdengo, as normal. If you want the superior draw power of Dudunsparce, I would recommend playing the baby [card name=”Gholdengo” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] as a counter to Cornerstone. Of course, if your opponent has two Cornerstone Ogerpon, you’re out of luck. I don’t think Dudunsparce ex is good enough, since it only does meaningful damage if your opponent has Benched Pokemon. And if that’s the case, you’ll be taking those out before trying to deal with the Cornerstone anyway.

People go absolutely cuckoo bananas over this deck, and it still seems to be pretty good, so I expect a lot of making it rain in the near future.

Tera Box

Tera Box with the [card name=”Noctowl” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] engine is one of the most hyped decks for post-rotation, and for good reason. This deck saw great success in Japan, using the [card name=”Fan Rotom” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] + Noctowl engine to generate ridiculous tempo on turn 2. [card name=”Crispin” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Sparkling Crystal” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] allow for unparalleled versatility, typically resulting in [card name=”Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”213″ c=”name”][/card] board-wipes, which is devastating for most decks in the format.

When this deck gets to go first, it’s an absolute monster. Lillie’s Clefairy ex counters Dragon-type Pokemon, [card name=”Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”215″ c=”name”][/card] crushes through walls, Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex closes things out, and [card name=”Pikachu ex” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”238″ c=”name”][/card] deals with anything that would otherwise be inconvenient. This deck is unique, fun, and very powerful. However, it’s also high-maintenance. Since it relies on multiple-card combos for every attack, it’s very vulnerable to disruption. If you’re able to KO [card name=”Hoothoot” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] and / or disrupt their hand, this deck can crumble. Of course, it plans to win the game before letting you do that, but it’s nonetheless a glaring weakness of the deck. If the opponent is able to stabilize, it tends to run out of gas.

The only list input I have is regarding [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Poffin” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”223″ c=”name”][/card]. This deck heavily relies on Fan Rotom, or else it just doesn’t work. As such, you’d want to play lots of Buddy-Buddy Poffin to get the Rotom as well as a Hoothoot or [card name=”Ditto” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”201″ c=”name”][/card] to help set up. The lack of Buddy-Buddy Poffin in most lists is absolutely appalling to me, as I would try to play as many as possible. I think this deck is a tad overhyped overall, but it’s definitely not bad and will see lots of play, especially at the start of the format. If I had to deliver a prediction, I would expect it to fall off as time goes on.

Raging Bolt ex

This deck is back, and it’s seeing plenty of success over in Japan. Like Gholdengo ex, [card name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”218″ c=”name”][/card]unfortunately loses Radiant Greninja and PokeStop, but again, that’s not the end of the world. Everyone in Japan is playing the Fan Rotom and Noctowl engine in Raging Bolt. This seems fine to me, but it is rather committal on space. The idea is that it’s the replacement for the draw engine that got rotated, and finding combo pieces is pretty good, as it turns out.

That said, I’m not convinced you have to play Noctowl. I don’t think the deck fundamentally changes all that much, so I could see it getting away with playing the same as before with no Noctowl. Regardless of whether you play Noctowl or not, [card name=”Area Zero Underdepths” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] is a must. With Noctowl, we need the extra Bench space. Without Noctowl, we rely more on [card name=”Mew ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”232″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Teal Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”211″ c=”name”][/card] for draw. Without [card name=”Switch Cart” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card], we could play [card name=”Switch” set=”151″ no=”206″ c=”name”][/card], but we’re also playing Latias ex no matter what. Either way, we still need that extra Bench space.

Matchups-wise, Raging Bolt ex can do well against [card name=”Dragapult ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”200″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Archaludon ex” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”241″ c=”name”][/card]. Against Tera Box, you don’t mind the Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex, and [card name=”Slither Wing” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] disposes of Pikachu ex. Lillie’s Clefairy is a threat, but Raging Bolt was made to trade two-for-two, so it’s only a problem if you’re losing the Prize trade (and the deck is meant to always be ahead). Raging Bolt may want to tech a Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex so that it can deal with [card name=”Farigiraf ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card], as Slither Wing doesn’t always get the job done. Two Slither Wing hits can KO a Farigiraf, but not if they heal with [card name=”Munkidori” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] and flip heads on burn. Gholdengo remains a tough matchup, but it’s still winnable. Fan Rotom actually helps in that matchup somewhat. All signs point to Raging Bolt still being a strong contender.

Archaludon ex

Archaludon ex is going to miss [card name=”Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG68″ c=”name”][/card] and Radiant Greninja, but the deck isn’t dead yet. Archaludon is seeing some City League success with various partners: [card name=”Scizor ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”195″ c=”name”][/card], Hop’s Dubwool, Munkidori, and even the [card name=”Brute Bonnet” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] Poison package. If a given version doesn’t have a counter to Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex, it can slot in Hop’s Zacian ex without much trouble.

Archaludon is a strong, low-maintenance, and efficient card that is still good. However, its matchups against Gholdengo and Raging Bolt are always going to be rough. It also struggles against Tera Box if they play Pikachu ex (besides the Poison build). Of course, Archaludon’s biggest selling point has always been its strong Dragapult matchup. I expect Archaludon to see play, but it’s definitely not as good as it used to be.

Gardevoir ex

The [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”245″ c=”name”][/card] believers are a resilient bunch, but I think this rotation might be too much for them to handle. Without Refinement [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card], Gardevoir loses a lot of its luster. Gardevoir still has all of its toys like [card name=”Drifloon” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Scream Tail” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], and Munkidori, but the loss of its consistency engine is devastating. Not only did Kirlia draw cards, but even more importantly, it discarded Psychic Energy. Without Kirlia, Gardevoir decks are playing [card name=”Brilliant Blender” set=”Surging Sparks” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card], which can easily be searched for via [card name=”Arven” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”235″ c=”name”][/card].

However, compared to before, this feels like Gardevoir basically doesn’t get to play an ACE SPEC, as Brilliant Blender is needed just to function at bare minimum capacity. One neat thing for Gardevoir is Lillie’s Clefairy ex, allowing all of your Pokemon to brutalize Dragapult ex and Raging Bolt ex. With that card, the Dragon-type matchups are trivial. I’m not optimistic for post-rotation Gardevoir, but it will see a little play until it is well and truly put into the dirt.

Feraligatr

[cardimg name=”Feraligatr ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”41″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This deck notably won the Champions League, and this deck is legit. [card name=”Feraligatr ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] blends defense and offense, and is a well-rounded deck that is very difficult to exploit. Feraligatr utilizes efficient single-Prize Pokemon to bleed the opponent of resources while dealing steady damage and disrupting them. This deck is very annoying and tricky to play against, and boasts an incredible matchup spread.

The Champions League results made everyone keenly aware of how threatening this deck is, and I expect it to stay that way for the foreseeable future. I personally think the deck can go without the Milotic ex package, but it’s perfectly fine either way.

Walls

You probably noticed many references to the likes of Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex, Farigiraf ex, and Milotic ex throughout this article. These three make up the trifecta of the wall deck that completely dominated Japan’s Champions League by taking many Top 8 spots. This deck aims to get cheeky auto-wins against the field, while dodging anything that can handle all three of them (like Gardevoir ex or Feraligatr). This works spectacularly into an unprepared meta, but this one-trick pony has used up its trick.

That said, even if the opponent is prepared, it’s still difficult for any given deck to deal with its direct counter. Even against a tech Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex, Walls can use its own Cornerstone along with healing from Munkidori and Pokevital A to respond. However, Feraligatr establishing dominance is horrible news for the Wall deck, since that matchup is really bad. The Wall deck will see play, but I don’t expect that level of dominance ever again. I expect it to be on a level similar to [card name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], which saw success whenever it was able to hit just the right matchups, but with enough bad ones to keep it from dominating.

Luckily, this deck is a little more interesting and has a lot more player interaction than Snorlax (aside from some matchups that just fold to the right wall). There’s also a [card name=”Blissey ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] version of this deck, which I don’t really have an opinion on. I would default towards the non-Blissey version, as it seems more consistent and doesn’t need Blissey as a liability in play.

I’ll leave you with my personal tier list, which is purely speculative. Use it as a frame of reference, but take it with a grain of salt:

Tier 1

  • Dragapult ex
  • Gholdengo ex
  • Feraligatr

Tier 2

  • Tera Box / Fan Rotom variants
  • Walls
  • Raging Bolt ex

Tier 3

  • Archaludon ex
  • Gardevoir ex
  • N’s Zoroark ex

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