An Eye on Melbourne — Decidueye-GX / Vileplume and Thoughts on Oceania Internationals

By: John Kettler · Posted Mar 8, 2017 at 6:11 PM · 0 Comments

As of publication, we’ve finished yet another Regional Championship in Collinsville, IL! At over 710 entrants, it totals as the largest Regionals in the game’s history, and I’m sure it was as fun to play in as it was to watch for everyone in the community.

However, while I’m sure all the excitement is still buzzing around the new card interactions in Expanded, there’s still a lot of work to be done with Standard in the post-Sun and Moon world. The last time we really visited this format in earnest, Pokemon.com had released all Top 8 lists, Drew Kennett’s breakout [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] contraption became public knowledge, and my [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] monstrosity was revealed. On top of that, we have some key developments out of Expanded to consider before setting foot in any International, Regional, or Special Event.

For those reasons, we will be going over a few simple but crucial topics to help prepare you for the upcoming Standard Regionals, as well as the International Championships in Melbourne. First, we’ll briefly discuss Decidueye / Vileplume by itself, as well as take a peek at the two lists which took Standard and Expanded by surprise. Second, we’ll project Decidueye’s chances in the upcoming events, and also consider the strength of Yveltal. Third, we’ll look closely at the surprising impact an Expanded Regionals like Collinsville will ultimately have on Standard tournaments. Finally, we’ll be looking at some old and new decks that might’ve fallen below the radar after Anaheim thanks to Collinsville hype.

My Collinsville Experience and Musings on Decidueye-GX / Vileplume

Before we go into the meat of today’s article, I have to address the elephant in the room… or I guess you could say the [card name=”Rowlet” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] in the Prizes. I had a really good run at Collinsville! Although it’s been a while since I’ve been on schedule, I’ve thoroughly documented my love for [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card], my Standard performance, and my great interest in using it again for Expanded.

The list will be publicly available before the end of the week. However, I figured I’d give my friends here an early preview of my Expanded runner-up list.

[decklist name=”aaffa” amt=”60″ caption=”aaaa” cname=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″][pokemon amt=”24″]4x [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Dartrix” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”10″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rowlet” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”9″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Gloom” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”2″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Oddish” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”1″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”28″]4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”84″ 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=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Revitalizer” set=”Generations” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ 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]4x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

Andrew Mahone wrote an incredible piece a few weeks ago discussing his take on the deck. As you can see, my list is somewhat different, involving a 2-2-2 [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], some different Pokemon, more recovery, and a few more resources to make Decidueye a much more self-sufficient attacker. These calls paid off for me, netting a cool Top 16 finish in Anaheim, and ultimately my runner-up finish in Collinsville.

It’s also my understanding that a very similar list to my original also won the Standard Sheffield Regional Championship in the U.K. It’s already been made publicly available. Here it is.

[decklist name=”11″ amt=”60″ caption=”11″ cname=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″][pokemon amt=”24″]4x [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Dartrix” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”10″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rowlet” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”9″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Gloom” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”2″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Oddish” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”1″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Beedrill-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY157″ 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][/pokemon][trainers amt=”29″]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=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Revitalizer” set=”Generations” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

I find a lot of the changes he made to my original list very interesting, the biggest of which being a copy of [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card]. As a first-turn Supporter, I think Lillie is great, and its value can’t be understated against a late game [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] to one card. However, it’s important to remember that mid game Lillie can be incredibly weak, netting you as few as one card under Item-lock. It’s also a flat-out less efficient choice than a third copy of [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] because whereas Lillie uses your Supporter drop for the turn, Shaymin does not. This gives you a longer-term outlook at burning through your deck, more outs to [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card], and fewer chances at bricking. Even the Bench space issues created by playing all of your Shaymin-EX on a single turn can be mitigated with some smart, early Sky Return attacks. Ultimately I would still not run Lillie in Standard, especially because Standard has no reliable way to draw into Lillie turn one, but I can certainly see it being useful for the fellah who won.

[cardimg name=”Beedrill-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY157″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Beyond that, the winner’s other choices don’t surprise me that much. They’re all things I’ve considered and wanted to play at one point or another, and it appears he made the best calls for his metagame. [card name=”Beedrill-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY157″ c=”name”][/card] in particular has the promise of being a surprisingly aggressively early-game attacker, and gives you yet another option to get lucky with coin flips beyond the pre-game setup!

As I’ll explain later on in the article, I’m not 100% sold on [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] as being the best decision for upcoming Regionals. All the same, I expect Decidueye-GX to remain a good choice in almost any tournament until the end of the season, in any format. The plays are tough, the meta calls can be punishing, and the knowledge of your Prizes is crucial. Still, it produces perhaps the most terrifying lock in the entire game, dealing constant, free damage under an Item-lock. The recently revealed Tapu Lele-GX will also be a boon to Decideueye, not only as a potent secondary attacker, but as reliable consistency. Furthermore, there at first blush appears to be no new major threat to Decidueye in the upcoming expansion. Therefore, your ultimate threat remains to be [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], which could just be addressed with a Beedrill-EX or [card name=”Meowth” set=”Fates Collide” no=”74″ c=”from”][/card].

How Popular Will Decidueye Be?

I don’t think [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] will take on very well with the American crowd traveling to Australia, but I do think the Europeans and perhaps even the Australian home base will embrace its play. Call it more a gut feeling than anything, but the initial reaction to a [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] deck doing well in Anaheim was not pretty, and so based on recent community trends, I’m more inclined to believe that people would prefer to tech against that matchup rather than actually play with the deck itself.

Beyond specific American players who fear Vileplume for its inconsistency or inflexibility, I believe that Decidueye’s overall user base is capped, most likely resulting in less popularity. That’s mainly because Decidueye is a nuanced deck that’s tough to grasp, and it’s doubtful such a deck will become popular. A perfect example from this season prior to Decidueye would be Dylan Bryan’s runner-up [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] list from Georgia. This thing was super good, but it had so many strangely precise choices, there was just no way it would be embraced by the general populace. Meanwhile, Andrew Mahone’s equally good, but much more streamlined Vespiquen / Zoroark / Marowak list is primed for net decking. Its lines are uniform, the deck itself is consistent, and the “paths” you have to take with your plays are mostly linear.

In Decidueye / Vileplume’s case, it’s not so much the list that’s nuanced, but the plays. Whereas other past and future Decidueye variants may be much more forgiving, a misplaced Feather Arrow when running a Vileplume list will destroy you. Now multiply that 200 times over a long weekend, and it should be clear why relatively few people in the normal playing population would want to bother with Decidueye.

The past half-decade of Pokemon cards has been defined by fast, Basic-oriented decks, so players are still allergic to the thought of two Stage 2 Pokemon in the same 60 cards. Only with constant, relentless victories and top finishes will [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] finally be recognized as a top deck; otherwise, people will defer to whatever evolves the least. Basic or Stage 1-based decks, when everything else is equal, are more space-efficient and faster, so this tendency of good players should make sense. It goes all the way back to the original Base Set days, when fast Basics were paired with lots of draw and disruption cards.

Tip, Tactic, Owl’s Toe

Not scared off by le bird? Up for the challenge? Good, because I fully expect a few people to do really well with this at Melbourne, even if I do expect many, many more to do poorly. If you are going to one of the upcoming major tournaments and are ready for the challenges associated with this deck, then I support you 100% — the rewards you can reap from it are plenty! However, I understand that a lot of my in-play decisions with [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] made zero sense to viewers. That’s okay, because I can elaborate on the finer points of playing the deck here.

[premium]

Flexibility

Playing [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] requires that you be really flexible in your search for win conditions. Many games I just outmuscle them and win with superior firepower, but other games I have to inch to victory by using [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] to lock a high Retreat Cost Pokemon while doing damage to the Bench with Feather Arrow. I’ve also won a game or two by decking out the opponent!

A Deep Knowledge of the Format

I would also strongly recommend you know the Standard format really, really well. Off the top of my head I can think of how good planning and micro-decision making can save the day (see below), but just a little knowledge about how cards are played together can go a far, far way. Remember how [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] has an Ability that switches Pokemon? Good, because now you know you can’t [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] lock as easily! And how about [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card], huh? Are you maybe putting a little too much Damage on a Benched [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] with Feather Arrow, only to get blown up by a Ninja Boy into a [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card]? Best not be, son!

Always Use Feather Arrow

Remember to use Feather Arrow. Considering how many things you’re doing in a single turn, this is actually quite easy to forget, but can make the difference between your opponent drawing out of their Item-locked hand, or just losing outright. There are really rare spots where you’ll deliberately not Feather Arrow in a turn, such as when the only Pokemon is a [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card], but don’t ever forget to use it! With this deck, it’s all conscious decisions all the time.

Account for Healing

Your Feather Arrow targets should always account for predictable healing. [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Generations” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] could really ruin your math in any matchup, which is why sometimes you have to prepare for such a card in advance by deliberately Feather Arrowing too much damage early. At the Collinsville Expanded Regional, I deliberately put over 100 damage on a 230 HP [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] before energizing a [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] despite my Razor Leaf attacks dealing 180 because I anticipated all that damage to be healed up. While my opponent drew too poorly at this point in the game for it to matter, I was glad to have that added insurance policy in case he did; otherwise, his threat might have stayed on the board for a turn too long.

Know Your Prizes

Knowing your Prizes is crucial, especially in my list. Too little of a single resource, like Energy, can mean your only way to win will be careful Feather Arrows, and too few of a particular Pokemon can result in having to play the game differently. In game two of my final swiss round in Anaheim, both of my [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] were prized against [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. This meant no Item-lock, but I was still totally capable of winning via [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] swarm.

Be Conservative

[cardimg name=”Revitalizer” set=”Generations” no=”70″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Conservative play is generally more valuable than aggressive play. By this I mean that even if you have a lot of ways to get back resources, including [card name=”Revitalizer” set=”Generations” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] and Hollow Hunt GX, it’s probably best not to throw away the core elements unless you really need to do so. One such exception is your hunt to get a [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] into play. In almost all games, getting this sucker on the board turn one takes priority over pretty much everything else. This is especially true in matchups which would otherwise be blowouts if Vileplume didn’t get into play. For example, Volcanion, where I’ve been willing to give up as many as four Energy cards in a single hand just to get that sweet, sweet Item-lock.

Decidueye’s Chances and Yveltal / Garbodor

As we’ll discuss below, my overall impression is that Collinsville is a surprisingly easy tournament to apply to Melbourne, and even Salt Lake City in April. Many of the decks that dominated Collinsville are universally good concepts, and are bound to be at least somewhat played. All the same, I feel a certain level of uneasiness about [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card]’s chances to win Melbourne. That’s because up until now, the International tournaments appear to function on an entirely different metagame than the Regional events. Ironically, these higher prestige tournaments have a greater local representation than American Regionals, and the very serious foreigners who do choose to use their stipends – or pay – to play in the U.K., Australia, or Brazil are people used to making aggressive, inspired metagame calls at the last second. Decks such as [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] are rewarded for hard-countering whatever big deck is popular at the time – in that instance, hard-countering Yveltal. Likewise, we have a lot of hype and a lot of cross-application for both [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], meaning someone could play a powerful hate deck to counter both.

Unfortunately I wasn’t even considering going to Melbourne until finishing up this past weekend, and couldn’t obtain the visa in time even if I were. However, if I were going to Melbourne, I would strongly consider Yveltal / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. That’s precisely because unlike [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], which can have metagame weaknesses exposed in fantastic fashion, Yveltal / Garbodor is an absurdly space-efficient concept that has a chance in nearly every matchup it plays.

What are some of those possible answers to Decidueye / Vileplume? The first and perhaps best is to have a Switch option under Item-lock — namely [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]. It appears there may have been a recent trend away from running a single copy of Olympia, but now that Decidueye is getting lots of hype, I’d suggest you play at least one Olympia. It might even be a good idea to consider two copies of Olympia if you want to outsmart a metagame rife with [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], such as what we may see out of Melbourne. Another is playing multiple layers of Ability-lock in the same deck, such as some combination of [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. These three cards are all greatly disruptive to the general flow of Decidueye / Vileplume, and require a lot of careful planning and anticipation on the part of the Owl player.

Here’s a sample list of Yveltal / Garbodor I’d consider if you are going to Melbourne.

[decklist name=”a” amt=”60″ caption=”ss”undefined][pokemon amt=”12″]4x [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]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]2x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ 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=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”13″]9x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

When people were last really hyping up this deck, the popular builds out there were usually some sort of [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] contraption. However, what ultimately did the best were more straightforward, “get what you need done, done” versions piloted by Igor Costa and Jimmy Pendarvis. I took that principle, but then make a lot of list choices that make you better versus Turbo Dark, Mewtwo, and [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card].

Pokemon-GX

[cardimg name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Beyond [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card], no Pokemon-GX is worth the space or suffering. [card name=”Umbreon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] has been proven to be okay, but even then it’s not worth the heartache to make work.

A Heavier Garbodor Line

The most noticeable similarity to Jimmy and Igor’s lists is that I run [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. The difference is that whereas they run slightly abridged lines of Garbodor, going down only to the bare minimum they need to set it up, I go a step further and ensure I have some way to block powers no matter what the board looks like. So even going second against a turn one [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], I could still lock them out of Abilities, and eventually out of the game by virtue of Hex Maniac.

Baby Yveltal

I run one of each of the “baby” Yveltal because both are very situationally useful. Oblivion Wing [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Steam Siege” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] is great for applying small aggression while simultaneously building up your forces. Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] remains one of the best ways to set up a bunch of easy Knock Outs for much later in the game.

Two Team Flare Grunt

Two [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] is extremely punishing to any [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] list, and is the sort of board position which terrifies me too much to ever want to run fewer than seven Energy total. It’s also much better against normal [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] variants, and mildly worse against Darkrai / Dragons.

Professor Kukui

[card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] is a result of my desire to run one more draw card, but have an extra added effect of scoring reach Knock Outs against beefy opposing Pokemon like [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card].

Two Parallel City

Finally, two [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] remains because it’s still the hardest hate card to anything coming out of the most recent metagame. It’s also useful in a pinch against fringe things that did well in Sheffield like [card name=”Gyarados” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY60″ c=”name”][/card].

Applying Collinsville to Kangaroos

If you’ve been following me, you’d know that Regionals have been very kind to me. Using my well-documented [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] list, I was able to make Top 16 at the Anaheim Regional Championship as well as runner-up at Collinsville. Although my recent hot streak is from an Expanded tournament, I am convinced that the results of Collinsville give us a lot of useful insight into Standard.

Day two of Collinsville was littered with decks which are either popular or good in Standard. Sure, we all know [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t legal and neither is Night March, but by my count, nearly everything good in Standard did well here in Expanded. Perhaps the only real surprise (to some) was the sheer number of [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] / Vileplume decks — so many that I actually played against it twice day two! Let’s take a look at the Top 8 alone.

Winner: M [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]
Runner-up: [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]
Top 4: Volcanion
Top 4: Night March
Top 8: [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card]
Top 8: [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]
Top 8: [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]
Top 8: Yveltal / Maxie’s

Of these eight decks, only three are completely unplayable in Standard, despite the card pool being three years greater than Standard. Volcanion struggles against [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] in both formats; however, with the advent of Grass decks, people will still be convinced of its merits, even outside of Expanded. As for Yveltal, I have and will continue to consider [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] as a safe bet or as long as it’s legal. Its sheer level of consistency and success these past three years is unprecedented.

Going a little deeper down the list to the Top 32, we begin to see more Expanded-only combos. Things like [card name=”Aerodactyl” set=”Fates Collide” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] are just unbearably inconsistent without [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Twist Mountain” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card], not to mention auto lose to most [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] variants without [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] is also questionable without its beloved [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card]. Again, we see a slew of [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] variants flat out banned from Primal Clash-on.

[cardimg name=”Deoxys” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”33″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Well, maybe not every strand of DNA.[/cardimg]

Nevertheless, a bit of all the usual suspects in Standard also made the Expanded day two, [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] notwithstanding. This of course includes [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], which I’d like to address briefly at the end of today’s article.

Moving on to the best in show, Alex Wilson’s winning [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] list may be full of cards that are not legal in Standard, but the core of the idea is still there. Whether you’re paying to travel, have a sweet stipend, or already live in the lovely land of flying spiders and vegemite, not having [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] won’t deter you from at least thinking about playing the deck that just won Pokemon’s largest Regional Championship ever. It did have multiple people do well with it in Anaheim, after all.

[card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] also did incredibly well in Collinsville, and I find that Vileplume does an excellent job being applied to one format or the other. Predating my run with [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card], a guy by the name of Rodolfo Falcon actually made Top 8 at an Expanded Regionals last season with an entirely Standard list! Using his trusty [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] / Vileplume, yet not a single card exclusive to the Black and White block, Rodolfo conquered a field full of more famous Pokemon TCG personalities than you can count with every finger, toe, and strand of DNA.

Point being, it doesn’t take much to make a good Vileplume in Standard. [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] / Vileplume may lose some valuable cards such as [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], but the core of the concept remains. My [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / Vileplume fares even better, losing a mere three cards! I may love [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], but I don’t need them to win matches on either side of the globe. And as absurd as it sounds, the myth of Rodolfo showed me that I might have theoretically been able to do as well in Collinsville without those cards.

Forecasting the Future

Expect More of Everything Interesting

This should almost go without saying, but I think it’s important to spell out that strange hype decks will inevitably receive more love for the next Regional Championship they’re eligible in, and especially at the International Championship in Melbourne. [card name=”Gyarados” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY60″ c=”name”][/card] had its major breakout tournament in Orlando, Florida, but it continued seeing high-placing results at other Regionals, including Georgia, Anaheim, and Sheffield. I’m not sure if those who choose to use the deck will be inspired enough to find ways around its auto loss, [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], but it will be in force. Of course, Decidueye is also pretty interesting too! But we talked about that at great length.

Below the Radar Choices

Lurantis-GX

Aside from decks with recent buzz surrounding them like [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Gyarados” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY60″ c=”name”][/card], or tried-and-true stuff like Yveltal or [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card], there are also those ignored builds that could surprise us a lot. Since [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] saw some good results in Collinsville, and since the Anaheim results are still very fresh, I believe that Lurantis-GX / [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] will see much more play. It matches well against Yveltal, Mewtwo, and Turbo Dark, as well as functions decently under Item-lock (Drew Kennett’s now-popularized list runs two [card name=”Cosmoem” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card], the Stage 1 Pokemon leading up to Solgaleo-GX).

“But Kettler, what about its awful Volcanion matchup? How does it win?” Well, that’s where the aforementioned interactions are interesting! Unlike [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card], most [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] decks really have no way to win against Volcanion. But considering that Decidueye has so far completely dismantled and neutralized Volcanion at every turn, despite being entirely weak to it, I honestly don’t think we’ll see that many Volcanion in Melbourne unless they are very, very well-built. I also think that whatever result we do get out of Melbourne, we’ll see even less Volcanion at Salt Lake. This in turn makes Lurantis-GX / Solgaleo-GX a much stronger play, because we can feel fairly comforted in the probability that Volcanion won’t get in the way.

[cardimg name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Mega Gardevoir

Another deck I think could be a great sleeper hit in time for Melbourne is [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card], Yveltal, and [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] didn’t stop being good in the span of the past two weeks, and Mega Gardevoir goes at least 50 / 50 against all of them. The types of lists I’d consider for Mega Gardevoir are all very much conventional builds, except that I would run some extra Supporter cards. The first major addition I would make is a second [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], which guarantees a reliable flow of Ability-lock throughout the game if necessary. Turn one [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] is also a very nasty thorn on the side of Gardevoir, but running a little more lock should greatly improve that matchup for you. Best of all, [card name=”Rowlet” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] are not self-reliant, meaning that if you go first, you could Hex Maniac lock your opponent out of the game entirely!

You might also benefit from an extra draw Supporter or two, lowering the risk of a loss on turn one just because your opponent got their setup out fast.

Conclusion

In summary, we’ve taken a very close look at the finer points of my [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] deck, hopefully demystifying the ways to win, the pitfalls, and the ultimate playability of the concept. We’ve also analyzed a favorite Yveltal build of mine to do well in Australia, considered the ways we can apply Collinsville’s Expanded results to the upcoming Standard tournaments, and eyed some possible sleeper hits in the form of [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card].

I had a chance to speak with some of you at Collinsville about my writing, and am glad you’re enjoying it! I in all honesty am not sure what my next major event will be, but whether you’re a subscriber or not, I’d love to meet you and talk Pokemon.

~Kettler

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