Taking the Ultra Road — Standard Solgaleo, Mega Rayquaza, and Volcanion

By: Ahmed Ali · Posted Posted onMar 4, 2017 at 8:03 PM · 0 Comments

Hello readers! Thank you for checking out my first article on PokeBeach. If you don’t know me already, I’m Ahmed. I have recently been picking up steam in the Pokemon community as I have consistently placed at big events. I am known on Facebook as the keyboard champion for Volcanion. I have been playing the Pokemon TCG competitively for two full seasons, since beginning my Pokemon career in the summer of 2014. That’s kind of a lie because I did start playing in 1999, when I was nine. I was one of the best players at my local league. I quit when I was 12 and didn’t pick the game back up until I went to graduate school. I don’t really count that, since the game was very different back then and I was not a serious competitive player. Since my return to Pokemon, I have made day two at 10 Regionals and made Top 8 at two of those. Last year was my first World and National Championship experiences and I made day two at Worlds and Top 32 at Nationals. I am writing this article about the format I feel most comfortable about: Standard. I find Standard easier to write about than Expanded, as Expanded feels more of a crapshoot than a strategic card game.

[cardimg name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

I would like to start off the discussion with a recap of Anaheim Regionals, which I recently got back from. Overall, I think the event was well organized and well run. We were playing by 9:15 and I was finished with my last match of the day by 8:30, and my friends who made Top 64 were out of the venue by 9:30. In and out in 12 hours is incredibly impressive for nine 50 minute rounds of Pokemon, with 520 players. From a competitive standpoint, this was a great tournament: got in, got out, got points, got packs, went home. The fun aspect left much to be desired, though. The staff and judges were a bit too aggressive for maintaining the pace of play, and I felt like I was being shuffled around at prison or a high school. The poor management of the swag also left me unable to get a Solgaleo mat, which kind of upset me. I think less competitive, more fun oriented players attending this event probably weren’t as happy as the competitive players. It didn’t feel like a convention for Pokemon, but more like a boot camp as we were shuffled around a subpar, crowded venue with no lunch break. I personally like to relax a little between rounds, so I often don’t complain about rounds taking too long. I feel like this way of organizing is not as fair to the kids who are playing the game, as they are mostly there for the experience of Pokemon and to have fun with their friends, not to grind cards.

Anaheim Regionals was the first of its kind with Sun and Moon being legal in the Standard tournament. At a first glance, the Sun and Moon cards look great and completely playable! [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] is a Basic that has outrage on a 180 HP Pokemon and has a GX attack that can one shot any Pokemon in the game. [card name=”Umbreon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card], has a slightly cheaper Night Spear, with built in Energy removal and a strafe attack. However, in reality, with [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], Volcanion, [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card], the format is too fast and consistent for the new Pokemon to dominate. Knowing this, I expected the meta to only change in the sense that [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] would not be played, and maybe the newly hyped Water Box with [card name=”Lapras-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”35″ c=”name”][/card] would be. I predicted that Volcanion would lose to Yveltal and [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] with heavy [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] lines. I believed that Vespiquen, which overpowers Yveltal and Mewtwo, would see heavy play, and Turbo Dark, which just won the previous Regional Championship, would also see heavy play. Today I decided to write about the three decks that I was the most comfortable playing: Volcanion, [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], and a [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card].

M Rayquaza-EX / Giratina-EX

I would like to start out by discussing the deck I did choose. [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] is the fastest, most versatile, and consistent Mega Pokemon deck that exists. It can evolve turn one, it can attack for 240 turn one and if you miss a [card name=”Rayquaza Spirit Link” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”87″ c=”name”][/card] on turn one, you can just end your turn by evolving and it is still considered a strong turn. Its attack’s Colorless requirement means that you can tech basically any Energy type as a tech Pokemon. The most notable techs are [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Manaphy-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Magearna-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY175″ c=”name”][/card]. I actually used Magearna-EX to Top 8 Athens Regionals. In the version I played at Anaheim, I put in two Grass Energy and two Psychic Energy to power up [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]’s Chaos Wheel. The following is the list I used to Top 32 Anaheim Regionals.

The List

[decklist name=”aa” amt=”60″ caption=”aa” cname=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″][pokemon amt=”16″]3x [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dragonite-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”72″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Supreme Victors” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Rayquaza Spirit Link” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”87″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor’s Letter” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Interesting Cards

Giratina-EX

[cardimg name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] has been slowly gaining traction since Alex Hill’s ninth place finish in the London International Championship. Vespiquen, as Alex has shown me in testing, beats [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] pretty hard. Vespiquen, however, rarely tech for the [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] matchup, expecting it to be an autoloss. This idea came to me as I was building [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] and was looking for an out to Vespiquen. I then just changed the Energy count from my Top 8 Athens list and put in a [card name=”Professor’s Letter” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] for the odd Energy, which can be searched for with [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card]. The idea is that you get out both Giratina-EX and [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card]. Jirachi keeps their Energy off the field, so that when you promote after manually attaching a Grass, Psychic, and Double Colorless Energy to Giratina-EX, there is no threat of it being KOd and you can say Chaos Wheel until you win the game. Unfortunately, I did not get to use this strategy in the tournament, as I did not face any DCE-only decks throughout the tournament. My teammate, Ryan Allred, did round one versus the eventual Top 4 finisher, Jeffery Cheng. He quickly beat Mr. Cheng using this strategy in two separate games. I believe that this strategy was legitimized through that win against a competent player, and is a solid out towards [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] if you choose to play [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] in future tournaments.

Karen

If you cannot manage to get all [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card]’s Energy off the board with [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card], the next best thing is to completely reset their damage with [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card]. This is also great for getting back Pokemon you discarded, You can then pull them out of your deck with [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] to win games. As Karen is retrievable by a [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Supreme Victors” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], you can rely on it more than a single copy of [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card], but at the cost of your Supporter for the turn.

Professor’s Letter

[card name=”Professor’s Letter” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] is used because of [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]’s requirements. You mainly use it to make sure you find both the Grass and Psychic Energy. This also is useful for finding Energy to put in the discard for [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card].

Tauros-GX

When you’re on your last limb of the game, your opponents often play [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] against you, with [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] out. You can still [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] into all the Pokemon you need. To do this, you need to put [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] Active, and force them to find a way to get around attacking you. You need to do this intelligently, Sky Returning your [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and making sure to dump as many with Stadium changes as possible. Otherwise, your opponent will just [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] and KO a Shaymin.

The most important part of Tauros-GX is to make sure you have a switching card. Tauros-GX is a wall to buy you time, but once you have the board advantage, you need to take him out of the Active to strike. I’ve seen too many opponents leave him up there without a viable way to Retreat him.

Day One

My day one went pretty much as expected. I had to play against six Dark decks, two [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and one jank deck, which is pretty much what you except to see day one of a Regionals. Usually, I expect to play against Dark in the later rounds and the jank in the first round. My day one matchups were as follows.

• Turbo Dark WW
• Yveltal / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] (Jimmy Pendarvis) WLT
• Turbo Dark WLW
• Yveltal / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] WW
• Turbo Dark WLT
• Yveltal / [card name=”Umbreon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] WW
• [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]  LWW
• [card name=”Houndoom-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Raticate” set=”Evolutions” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] / Hammers WLT
• [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] LWW

The mill deck, Houndoom / Bunnelby / Raticate, finished in 34th place. The player piloted it very well, and it actually is very well situated in a non-[card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] meta. It does, however, lose terribly to Turbo Dark as they can just bench one [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], and one [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Steam Siege” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] to build up enough Energy to sweep the board. I was only able to tie the deck because I played a [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] and got lucky off of his mill attacks.

An important thing to note was that [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] gave me a big advantage in the [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] mirror matches. I could safely hide behind a [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] them to low hand sizes recuperate my board. That’s actually how I ended up winning a majority of those games.

Day Two

• [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] (Chris Collins) LWL
• [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] LL
• Yveltal / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] (Azul Garcia Griego) WLT
• Rainbow Road LL
• Bye WW

My day two was horrendous. My only win was a bye in the last round. My first round, I lost game one by whiffing all four [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] turn one after drawing through 30 cards in my deck with three [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], a [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], and three [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. The worst part was none of them were prized. I missed the turn one KO on a greedy Spirit-linked [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] with a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] on it. I had all the cards in my hand to evolve and power up the [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]. This set the tone for the rest of the day as I whiffed one or two cards to take crucial KOs against a lot of my opponents. Reflecting on my matchups in the tournament, I realized I didn’t play against any Volcanion whatsoever. In fact, there were only two Volcanion in the Top 32, and one of them dropped after their first round! This made me realize, that I should have played the deck that I originally wanted to: [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card].

Solgaleo-GX / Lurantis-GX

The List

[decklist name=”aaa” amt=”60″ caption=”aaa” cname=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″][pokemon amt=”16″]3x [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Cosmoem” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”65″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Cosmog” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”64″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Fomantis” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”14″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”64″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Supreme Victors” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]7x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]3x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

[premium]

What’s the General Strategy?

[cardimg name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This deck is probably one of the more difficult decks to pilot. You have to try to predict how your opponent will react to your board to set up as optimally as possible. That sentence will make more sense the more you play with the deck. The ultimate goal is to use Solgaleo’s GX attack to get seven Energy on your board by turn two. This often means that you put three Energy on two [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] and one on another Solgaleo-GX, so you can stream three Solgaleo and win the game by turn five with three Sunsteel Strikes. If your deck and your matchup allows you to stream three Solgaleo, this is how your turns should work out.

• Turn one: Set up as many [card name=”Cosmog” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] as possible and attach Energy to a Cosmog that will be difficult to KO.
• Turn two: Attach and use Sol Burst with [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card], preferably spreading out your Metal Energy to allow for three Sunsteel Strikes.
• Turns three through five: Attach again, maybe [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] discarded Energy back in. Take two Prizes with Sunsteel Strike. If you take two Prizes for these turns, the game is over.

However, this game plan is the best-case scenario, and real life does not allow you to play like that every single game. In reality, you’ll probably only get out two [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] by turn three, so that is why we put in [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card]. With 250 HP, Solgaleo is typically getting three shot. This bulky nature makes him highly recyclable. You’ll want to Ultra Road back and forth between Lurantis and Solgaleo, setting up enough Energy on your board to win the game. This is much slower, but because of the high HP on Solgaleo-GX and Lurantis-GX, you can afford to take your time. When this deck sets up it is nearly impossible to take down.

Card Choices

Giratina-EX

As stated before, [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is there to demolish [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] decks, such as [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card]. You can power him up with Sol Burst GX, and start swinging away, to keep DCE off of the field.

Genesect-EX

[card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] is similar to [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card], in that it can one shot at the cost of discarding Energy. Genesect-EX, with four Metal Energy is able to take out a Pokemon with 180 HP. If they [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] the Pokemon, you can just hit ‘em with the ol’ one-two punch with [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] to power up the Genesect.  Genesect is also great at taking out otherwise pesky 130 HP Pokemon such as [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Steam Siege” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Gyarados” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY60″ c=”name”][/card].

One Skyla

[card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] is a great card in [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] decks, especially this deck. [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] is slow, but extremely powerful. You can afford to use your Supporter to find a single card. The ability to instantly grab the correct piece of the puzzle to pull off the turn two Sol Burst GX is invaluable in this deck.

Four Ultra Ball, Two Level Ball

[card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] is the best ball in the game right now because of [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. The two [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] are there so you can find as many [card name=”Cosmog” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] turn one as you can. Seriously, I generally try to get all four Cosmog down turn one before I look for a [card name=”Fomantis” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] (this slightly depends on the deck I am against).

Two Super Rod

[cardimg name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Your whole objective is to discard three Energy per turn after turn three. This means that [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] gets a lot of value. Also, this is a Stage 2 deck so you often find yourself chucking evolution cards early game to get the ball rolling. You sometimes need Super Rod to recover from those early discards.

One Olympia, One Float Stone

This is for the [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] matchup. Ultra Road is a very powerful Ability, but if you can’t use it, you will find yourself with a Solgaleo-GX (with a whopping three Retreat) stuck in the Active. I tried only two [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] and no [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], but I found that being able to [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Supreme Victors” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] out of the Active is much more effective. With the second Float Stone, I’d often be forced to use [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card], another Supporter, to grab it.

Matchups

Yveltal / Tauros-GX / Garbodor: Extremely Favorable

This is a favorable matchup because [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] needs stacked Energy to do meaningful damage. [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] has 250 HP, so hitting a 250 HP Pokemon for under 100 damage while they are one shotting you ends up poorly in Yveltal’s favor. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is a problem, but not if you are able to use [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] to your advantage.

Turbo Darkrai: Extremely Favorable

As they play no [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], Turbo Dark has no way of stopping Ultra Road. Hitting hard early game is where Turbo Dark struggles. Turbo Dark really shines during the late game but because it is so unfavored early, [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] will beat it out every time.  Although Solgaleo is fairly slow, [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] has to have 11 Energy and a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] to hit the 250 needed to OHKO your Space Lions. Pivoting between three Lions will easily take you the game.

M Mewtwo-EX: Favorable

Like [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] relies on Energy count to do massive damage. This makes it extremely easy for [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] to keep up pace. Mega Mewtwo is really slow as well and has a hard time getting one shot while not being able to one shot due to Resistance.

M Rayquaza-EX: Even

[card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] can take control really easily early game and can one shot [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card]. Your only saving grace in this matchup, is that Mega Rayquaza cannot do 250 damage. If you can manage to tank hits while eliminating Rayquaza, this matchup becomes much easier.

Vespiquen: Even

As previously mentioned in the [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] section, if you can get a Giratina-EX to stay alive you can win the game. Because you don’t play a way to eliminate Energy, like [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card] in Ray, it becomes an even matchup.

Rainbow Road: Unfavorable

A non-EX attacker that can hit well over the 250 mark is bad news for [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]. This matchup is only winnable because Rainbow Road is inconsistent. If you can swing with [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] repeatedly and use Solgaleo to KO their [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], you might stand a chance.

Volcanion-EX: Nearly Impossible

Every attacking Pokemon in the list is weak to Fire besides [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. Giratina-EX doesn’t really do anything against Volcanion. You just have to pray your opponent dead draws.

Greninja: Extremely Favorable

[cardimg name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Honestly, just setting up [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] autowins you this matchup. If you can get two Grass Energy and any other Energy on a Lurantis, the game is over.

Decidueye-GX / Tauros-GX / Lugia-EX: Favorable

Again, 250 HP is an enormous amount. [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] does even less damage than [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] and cannot withstand a Sunsteel Strike. With [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card]’s Forest Arrow doing 20 per turn, the damage will add up, but you will finish the game long before it matters.  If they start swinging with Decidueye you just two hit it with [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card].

Lurantis-GX / Vileplume: Even

[card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] can’t OHKO [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] except with its GX attack. Getting Solgaleo out under Item-lock will be a pain, but you only need one. You can then just trade Lurantis favorably as you will do the same amount of damage, but have the option to OHKO with Solgaleo.

Decidueye / Vileplume: Unfavorable

Setting up Stage 2 Pokemon under Item-lock is incredibly difficult, but if you do get a [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] out, you can easily win the game. [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] also puts in work by stopping them from using [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card].

Volcanion

Although Volcanion gets a bad rep for badly losing to [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], I do not find this to be the case. Volcanion is highly consistent and has the option to easily terminate [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] on turn one, effectively removing the Ability-lock that Yveltal and [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] rely on. When you can reliably one shot your opponent’s attackers, the game becomes much easier. Using this strategy let me Top 32 Orlando Regionals, Top 8 Fort Wayne Regionals, and win a 71 player League Cup. This list is a little more vanilla than my usual list, but it still has the [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”from”][/card] and three [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] over a fourth [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]. I did not play it because I knew I was going to play against a ton of Yveltal during the tournament. Even though the deck has a great matchup versus [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] (regardless of [card name=”Vaporeon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card]), I wouldn’t have played it in Anaheim because I did not want to struggle my way to Top 32.

The List

[decklist name=”fff” amt=”60″ caption=”fff” cname=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″][pokemon amt=”11″]4x [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Volcanion” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Supreme Victors” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]12x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”12″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Card Choices

No Flareon-EX

[cardimg name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This is my first time writing an article about this deck, so I am going to rant a little bit. [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC6″ c=”name”][/card] is absolutely terrible in Standard Volcanion. It is a big Bench sitter, it hits for less than [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] with three Energy, it has 10 less HP, and it doesn’t have the words “Steam Up” printed on the card. The only thing the card has going for it is its infinite damage cap and no limit on consecutive attacks. However, this is not enough to warrant the Bench space as [card name=”Volcanion” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY145″ c=”name”][/card] effectively has 170 HP as well and can hit for a base110 with a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. I see the appeal in Flareon-EX, but I do not think it is a good card in this deck. In Expanded, however, Flareon gets much better with access to [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card].

No Salamance-EX

A lot of people like this card in Volcanion because of its convenient Energy requirements. However, it is still terrible in Volcanion. I get that you don’t need Steam Ups to do massive amounts of damage, but you do need your opponent to play poorly and drop enough Pokemon-EX for you to do the appropriate amount of damage. With [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] and common sense, your opponent should easily play around this card. If your opponent can’t play around it reasonably, then you were probably winning this game anyway. [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] will always be the better option as it can benefit from Steam Up, requires less Energy, and only gives up one Prize.

Entei

[card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] is an excellent alternate attacker in Volcanion simply because of its Energy cost, high damage output, and one-Prize attacker status. Unlike [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC6″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Salamence-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY170″ c=”name”][/card], Entei is much easier to surprise your opponent with. By hitting just one [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and attaching one Energy, Entei can be easily powered up in one turn. This punishes your opponent for over extending. This card is also great in the [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] matchup only needing two Energy and two Steam Ups versus an opponent with seven or eight Pokemon on the Bench. Of course, you can do this with Salamance-EX but you would need two Max Elixir. With Entei, when the Mega Rayquaza retaliates, you lose less resources and only lose a single Prize.

Three Professor Sycamore, Four Trainers’ Mail, Two Lysandre

Since I’ve started playing the game, four copies [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] (or Juniper) has been the undeniable golden standard. However, when you’re playing Volcanion, you don’t want to see a bunch of unplayable Supporters in your hand when you are trying to get an early [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] on a [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card].

All you want to have in your hand after a Set Up is Lysandre, switch cards, [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card], and Fire Energy. If you don’t get that, you want to try again with another [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. This is where spamming [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] comes in. Your hand of six is effectively extended to a hand of 10 and you can find whatever you need without playing a Supporter. With four [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Supreme Victors” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], you only need to find Professor Sycamore once to get the utility you need from it to carry out the game.

Three Shaymin-EX

In the same vein of four [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], you want to be able to dig as hard as possible to get the turn two [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] KO. You can use two [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] in the beginning of the game to accomplish your goal, and still have a Shaymin for later to close out series. Furthermore, If you start a Shaymin or find your last Prize is a Shaymin-EX, you are still able to utilize two Shaymin throughout the course of the game.

Two Sky Field, One Rough Seas

Three Stadiums is absolutely necessary to deal with this heavy [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] meta. I chose to include two copies of [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] because Sky Field is the best Stadium for this build. You want to spam [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. You want to put all of your [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench. You want to drop as many Basics as you can. Sky Field lets you extend comfortably, and as you don’t actually need the huge Bench space. This works out great. The one [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] is honestly completely replaceable. Rough Seas lets you cut Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]’s damage in half, but I have played Volcanion with a [card name=”Scorched Earth” set=”Fates Collide” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], a [card name=”Faded Town” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card], and a [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] in this slot. The importance of the split Stadium is being able to drop [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card], and damaged Pokemon-EX off of your field to deny your opponent easy Prizes.

12 Fire, Two Energy Retrieval, One Fisherman

I originally only had [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck. I found this combination to be subpar. Late game I really had to dig for Energy and I often was forced to discard Retrieval early. I then switched to three Energy Retrieval and one [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] with 11 Fire Energy. The Retrieval were always wasted early game and at most got me back one Energy. So, I cut out the middle man and replaced one Retrieval with one Fire Energy. It allows your Energy recovery to be much more active. I would never drop under 12 Fire in this deck. You need Energy to Steam Up and [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card].

Matchups

Yveltal / Tauros-GX / Garbodor: Unfavorable

[cardimg name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Yveltal focusing on [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] actually hurts Volcanion quite a bit because the real trouble is not just [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], but multiple Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]. With Garbodor down, Fright Night with a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] is out of KO range, so two hitting a one Prize attacker that’s swinging for 120 per turn is disastrous. The deck is inherently inconsistent in getting what it needs out, playing low counts of [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and being full of Energy, so that’s where the game becomes winnable with statistics. Garbodor matchups are about even if they cannot OHKO you, it depends only your ability to take out [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card]. Fright Night Yveltal pushes it over the edge to the Yveltal player, though.

Turbo Darkrai: Slightly Favorable

This deck plays no [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and it has no permanent way of stopping Steam Ups. We play three Stadiums to counter [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], and you only need one OHKO with Volcanion to swing the matchup in your favor. However, the longer Turbo Darkrai stalls out the game, the more of an advantage it gets as it can build up to get enough Energy on board to OHKO your entire field.

M Mewtwo-EX: Slightly Unfavorable

[card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] can trade evenly with Volcanion-EX, even without [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. The threat of Garbodor makes this matchup much more difficult, so the matchup is slightly unfavorable. However, Volcanion, by nature, as a Basic that has insane acceleration, is more consistent than Mega Mewtwo. I bring up the consistency argument a lot, but it is a valid deck strategy.

M Rayquaza-EX: Even

[card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] can always one shot all of your attackers. This deck only plays one counter Stadium, so disrupting their board is not very feasible. However, the one [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] heavily swings the matchup in your favor since it trades so well. You also want to try to use a turn one [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] strategy to take two Prizes off of a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], while also putting two Energy on the board. The non-EX route is your best strategy against this monster of a deck.

Vespiquen: Slightly Favorable

[card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] is weak to fire and is easily taken out with one Steam Up. They also have trouble Knocking Out [card name=”Volcanion” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY145″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] early game and [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] with Fighting Fury Belt late game. However, they will eventually overpower you if you do not take six Prizes fast. If they are playing [card name=”Vaporeon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card], which most lists aren’t, you just keep it off the field like you do against [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card].

Rainbow Road: Even

Rainbow Road, also known as Lucksack Road, is a very winnable matchup. Three Steam Ups and a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] allows [card name=”Volcanion” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY145″ c=”name”][/card] to hit 120 on a [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] will almost always one shot Xerneas with ease. If you get the chance to KO their Benched [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] with a Belted Volcanion-EX, it becomes difficult for the Xerneas player to retaliate with a KO and you can steal the game from there.

Volcanion-EX: Even

The way to approach the mirror is by trading non-EX Pokemon for your opponent’s Pokemon-EX. That means using [card name=”Volcanion” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY145″ c=”name”][/card] and trying to get three Steam Ups together to OHKO [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. Your [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] are meaningless in this matchup and are better spent on [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] rather than your Volcanion-EX because they get hit for Weakness.

Greninja: Unfavorable

[cardimg name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Since Athens, when the [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”name”][/card] Promo became legal, [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] has been playing [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card]. Before this it was relatively even. But now to OHKO [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], not only do you need a [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], you need the counter Stadium. Luckily, no one plays this deck anymore so we don’t need to play Ranger in our list.

Deciduye-GX / Tauros-GX / Lugia-EX: Extremely Favorable

This deck is sort of a joke versus Volcanion. [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] can OHKO [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card]. They are not playing any Ability-lock, except maybe a [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. On top of that, if you have [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] out, it can negate any spread damage they do making them have to target [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] instead of your main attackers.

Lurantis-GX / Vileplume: Extremely Favorable

If you go first and get three [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] out, you will win the game. If you go second and don’t get that before they get the Item-lock out then your goal is to try to swing with [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Volcanion” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY145″ c=”name”][/card]. Smallcanion cannot be OHKOd by [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card]. If you can get three Energy on a Volcanion-EX, you will likely win the game. Lurantis is weak to Fire and has terrible damage output, especially if it loses a Lurantis every turn.

Conclusion

I hope you found my insight on the current Standard format to be helpful and thought provoking. Respected players have mentioned that the deck choices that I make are “greedy” and “linear”. I find that these types of decks are attractive to me because the counter to linear decks are in turn linear and can be thought around if you use techs at your disposal. I hope you try these linear decks and attempt to put your own spin on them. Feel free to ask me about any questions in the Subscriber’s Hideout, on Facebook, or at a tournament.

~Ahmed

[/premium]