Sneaky Plays for Toronto — Four Powerful Decks in Expanded
Hello everyone! Alex back at you with a whole heap of insight on the Expanded format heading into Toronto Regional Championships, as well as a few thoughts moving forward in the Standard meta as the season winds down. There is a lot I want to talk about today, so let’s just dive right into it!
State of the Meta
There is a lot of things to discuss about where we are as a whole in terms of meta calling and what to play. The first thing is that this is not a new format for us. In fact, this is the first time all season that an Expanded format will be played for the third time amongst Regional Championships. It would have been the first time that a format was used three times over all, but Virginia is the third time Standard Primal Clash – Sun and Moon will be played. Regardless, we have a lot of information to base our meta prediction off of. Both St. Louis Regional Championships and Portland Regional Championships were played in the Black and White – Sun and Moon format. Since we base most of our results off of Top 32s, we now have 64 decks to sift through and find out what beats the bulk of them. We also have tons of lists and resources from talented writers that you can look through as well. So basically, while there isn’t a whole lot of new things going on, there is a lot of information on how to prepare for said things.
Dark is Still King
[cardimg name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
The most recent tournament was Portland Regional Championships, a tournament where Dark reigned supreme. A tournament that saw two Turbo Dark and three Maxie’s / Yveltal make top cut, with a Maxie’s / Yveltal mirror match for the finals. That’s fairly telling in itself right there. So basically, if you can’t beat Dark, don’t play it.
I’ve always said Pokemon is slowing devolving into a matchup based format. That’s more true for Standard, but the same logic still applies to Expanded. The problem with Expanded is that there are way more decks to expect and try to counter. For example, at Portland Regional Championships last month, I played against a [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], a Wailord, and a [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] deck, all of which I really didn’t expect to be there. I also played against two of the possible four [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] in the room that day. But the point I’m trying to make here is that while the format is so open and it can be hard to place a finger on exactly what decks to beat, if you can’t beat Dark, then don’t bother.
If you take that same thinking to Top 32, the picture becomes even more clear. Of the 64 decks between the two tournaments that made day two, 23 of them were some form of Dark heavy variant. Just to be clear, by Dark I mean Maxie’s / Yveltal, Turbo Dark, and Dark / Dragons. If you expand that count to every deck that include Dark Energy (and I don’t know why you would) then that number increases to 25 of 64, nearly 40% of the meta. That’s crazy. So while you might not play against Night March or [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], you can bet your top dollar that you will play against at least one, if not two or three Dark decks during your run in Ontario.
Where is All of the Item-lock?
Okay, yes, I was wrong. In my last article when I outlined the entire Expanded meta, I claimed that Item-lock was the one true thing to beat going into Portland. Boy was I wrong. This can be seen by only one Item-lock deck making day two, a [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] list played to a 5-0-4 finish by Lawrence Xu. So with that in mind, what will all of the Item-lock look like going into Toronto?
My gut tells me it will be much like Portland, where it will be lurking around, but not make a giant splash due to the high amount of counters and the high amount of not-so-great matchups. Item-lock is based almost purely on your opponent dead drawing after the lock. That may seem kind of obvious, but it does need to be stated. [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], and to some extent [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] decks only win because of early game locks. And even so, sometimes those decks can be fragile and lose out very quickly. Ten minutes before Portland started, I had three [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] in my [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] list just to counter all of the Vileplume. I’m glad I took them out, since Vileplume was almost nowhere to be seen in the room. Sure I ran into one myself, but again, how can you ever know what you’re going to play against?
Don’t build your deck to specifically counter Item-lock. Instead, just practice a few games against the big Item-locking decks you’re scared of. I’m personally not that scared of any Item-lock, but if you’re worried about Trevenant, believe me, you can beat it by just outplaying them. For the most part, every Item-locking deck is fairly linear, so beating them just takes practice and not a deck change. If the meta devolves into a heavy amount of Item-lock, then you can start considering playing hard counters like Wobbuffet and [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. But until that day comes, practice will do the trick.
What Else is Missing?
As I said, I did post a massive list of the decks to expect or not expect going into Portland. From that list, there were five decks that were missing from the Top 32. Those decks were correctly assumed dead at the time of writing that article, and for the most part, still are. Those decks were [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / Bats, [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] / Walls, [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], and Archie’s [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card].
The big one I want to talk about here is Greninja. We’ve all known for some time now that Greninja is just flat not being played by a lot of players. It used to be played as a pseudo counter to the meta. But now, there aren’t a whole lot of decks that this deck really beats. Heck, even [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] has outs that have been discovered now. So why talk about it then? Well, I’ll get to that in a second, but just keep in mind that the decks that used to get housed by Greninja are now rearing their ugly head again and are good plays for Toronto.
Where Are We Now?
[cardimg name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
So after that quick, 1,000 word catchup, we’re now left with a meta that seems to be fairly balanced. Dark is a good deck, but I think its popularity has more to deal with people copying results, rather than trying to find counters to certain things. You can’t argue that Maxie’s / Yveltal is the most popular in the format, but does that make it best deck by default? Some people would be quick to say so, but I’m not so certain of that. Sure, Yveltal players have a lot of options at their disposal to counter any deck they see, but I’ve seen many players flop with the deck because they don’t know how to play out of every situation. To me, a clear “best deck in format” should be crowned when any average Joe can pick up the deck and win a tournament with it. That’s not the case for Yveltal.
So what is the best deck in the format? An age old question my dear reader. However, a question that really doesn’t matter. The better question is what is the most popular deck in format. Yveltal is the king there, followed by other Dark variants, Night March, and probably the Mega decks of [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] if you lump those last three together. So with all of that, and a somewhat clear picture of what you should beat, I bring you to the main part of this article, and that is my top four, in order, sneaky plays for Toronto.
#4 Night March
I start you off with the poorest excuse I have for a “sneaky” play. Unless this is the first article you’re ever reading about the Pokemon Trading Card Game (if it is, welcome!) then you’ve probably heard of Night March before. I remember smashing this deck left and right back in the [card name=”Exeggutor” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”5″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] days. It’s been through quite the evolution over the years, from crazy cool rogue deck to meta defining. So why would I every consider it a “sneaky” play?
Well that’s because it has seemingly fallen off the face of the earth. Night March will always be a good deck since the direct counters to the deck can be played around. Night March will always have the advantage of Prize-trade, since all of its attackers are non-EX Pokemon. Night March will always be popular due to the ease of getting cards and the perceived ease of playing the deck. Don’t get me wrong, Night March is an easy deck to play, but a very hard deck to master. Even a scrub like me can pick the deck up and fart out 50 Championship Points at a League Cup, but you can bet yourself anything that I would never win a Regional Championship with the deck.
So since it has fallen off the face of the Earth, I would say it’s a good time to pick the deck up again. But before I get going, here is a list I’ve thrown together.
[decklist name=”Night March” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″][pokemon amt=”18″]4x [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lampent” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”42″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”38″]3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ 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=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Town Map” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
I’ll be the first to admit I’m not the best Night March player in the world. However, this season I do have 12 Championship Points from it, so I guess that qualifies me to at least post a list on a website.
[card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] has been the best thing for Night March since [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] came out. It gives it an edge in the early Prize-race against other decks that are trying to out-speed the deck. Granted not a whole heap can out-speed Night March, but the idea of forcing your opponent to play differently is nice. Early game one shots against big bopping Pokemon-EX is nothing to shake a stick at, as well as a decent [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] counter is great to throw in a deck. It also give you a bit of mid to late game insurance against all of those crazy people running [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] out there. [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] is a nice way to get around that problem, but having a backup to that plan is nice to have. All in all, Tauros is everything this wanted, without realizing it wanted it.
I also am going to prefer the Maxie’s version of this list as opposed to the straight Night March version. Reason being is because it covers more matchups. Night March has always had a poor Turbo Dark matchup due to [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”from”][/card] running through it. [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] in Night March is easily a thing of the past, so a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] on an attacker doing 100 and sniping for 30 is hard for [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] to combat. I had a couple of buddies who also played the non-Maxie’s version in Portland and said they hated it. I never really got details why, but I know it had something to do with the lack of access to [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] and the poor Turbo Dark matchups.
The last thing I want to touch on in this list is the [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ll always have a soft spot for this card, but I think with the combination of the [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card], you can almost lock up your Dark / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] matchup, your [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] matchup, and even, to an extent, your Yveltal / Maxie’s matchup. These are all things you can fight against, but the turn one slowing down of a Flare Grunt can really hurt the speed of these decks. It also acts as a Giratina-EX counter, since Energy denial will be the name of the game there. Sure, [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] would work well in many of these cases, but Flare Grunt has been doing the trick for me and my testing team so far.
All in all, you can’t go wrong with Night March. No [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], a very lack luster showing of [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] in Portland, and a larger Dark following set this deck up for success going into Toronto. It’s not a sneaky play, since it’s been around since the dawn of time it seems, but if you like Night March as much as the next person, then I say go with it.
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#3 Wobbuffet / Accelgor
Ahhh yes, the deck I always hype up and then never play. In the right hands, this deck is always going to be powerful. Lock decks in general, when played correctly, will guarantee themselves four to five wins just on unprepared and newer players. Trust me, if [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] has told me anything, it’s that a lot of people don’t do a whole heap of research going into tournaments, and end up being at the wrong end of the Junk Hunt stick.
[cardimg name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
So why is [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] good right now? Well I mean it’s always been good, but it’s especially good right now because of the recent [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] hype coming off of Portland. There were five Primal Groudon that made day two in Oregon, and even more that barely missed. Accelgor is going to eat these decks up. Taking a two shot on Groudon, while at the same time only giving up one Prize is massive for that matchup. Throw in the fact that they’re going to give you time to set up, and you have yourself a winning matchup.
Another reason to play it is the surprise factor of it all. Like I said previously, if people don’t do their research, they’re going to be in for a world of hurt. A lot of newer players aren’t going to know what Accelgor even does until its too late, and seasoned players might not be throwing this deck into their testing pools. You might be able to steal an extra win in rounds five or six purely because a seasoned player forgot how to run against the Paralyze lock.
One of the most interesting things to come out of Portland was Jame McInnes’s [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] list. Now, this deck was also played by Simon Ford and some of the other Ruby gang members in St. Louis, but with so many people attending that tournament, and Simon barely not making day two, nobody put notice on the deck. And even now, I’m not hearing a lot of players talk about it. Is it because Portland was a much smaller Regional Championships? That could be the reason, but it could also be due to the fact that people will write the deck off as “inconsistent.” After playing a few games with the deck, I will assure you, it rocks the consistency pretty well.
So then why add Decidueye-GX? Well that answer is simple, math. Accelgor has always thrived off of hitting some magic numbers. If you’re looking for more on that, check out the article I once wrote about Accelgor and how awesome it is. With Feather Arrow, you can almost always guarantee that a Pokemon will get Knocked Out coming back into your turn, allowing you to safely Deck and Cover once again. In the past, people have used [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] to ensure that the stream of Knock Outs happen on your opponent’s turn. Now, with Decidueye-GX entering the ring, that strategy is easier than ever. Plus, Accelgor has always loved using [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], it just wan’t as good as [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card].
I’ve said for a very long time that Ross Cawthon’s Accelgor list is one of, if not the best put together list I’ve ever seen. That being said, I will now introduce you to [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card].
[decklist name=”WAD” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″][pokemon amt=”22″]3x [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Shelmet” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”7″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Dartrix” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”10″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Rowlet” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”9″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Musharna” set=”Next Destinies” no=”59″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Munna” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/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=”6″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Just to warn you, this is not James’ list at all. In fact I have no idea what his list looks like, this is just an educated guess based off of conversations with James and what I’ve seen and heard from around the Pokemon world.
[cardimg name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Basically the list is going to look like your garden variety [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] list with [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] instead of [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card], and a 2-2-2 [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] line shoehorned in. There is probably room to bump up the count of [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], or even find room for [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Revitalizer” set=”Generations” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card], but I’m not quite sure where that is. Perhaps the [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] count could be dropped, and if you weren’t worried about Tool removal, the [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] could be a scary yet space saving move you could do. If you were really cool, you could even drop both Grass Energy and just not even use Hollow Hunt, even though that attack is one of the best in the game.
It might be too late to really spam the necessary games you’ll need to play this deck as well as James did, but it’s food for thought going into the home stretch. With the point structure changing, expect more people to attend these Regional Championships. Maybe you can pick this up and catch some people off guard with this sneaky play. If not, then your local League Cups is a perfect place for this deck to shine! Go give it a try!
#2 Sableye / Garbodor
Surprise surprise, right? It’s not too shocking that I included this on my list of plays for Toronto, but it might be shocking that it isn’t ranked number one on the list. There are a few reasons that can attribute to that. One is the fact that it actually might be on people’s radar now. When TJ Traquair topped Arizona with it, people went “huh” and moved on. When I topped San Jose with it, people gave it a little bit more respect as a deck. When the third top of the season came in Portland, people actually started to consider it as a top tier deck. You can count the number of players that have played this deck at a large tournament, and for it to top three times is very telling. As fellow PokeBeach writer Grant Manley said, “Dude, you topped twice in a row with the deck, that draws attention.” I wish that wasn’t the case, but now that some people are actually considering playing against the deck, or even with the deck, I’m starting to question its “sneaky” status.
Another reason that this deck might not land number one on my list is because of the exposed weaknesses of the deck. Before, since it wasn’t high on the “decks to watch out for,” scale, nobody ever tested against it, which often worked into the favor of [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card]. However, it has now worked its way into the testing circles of many players, and experience is growing. This same effect happened last year when the deck was amazing during the Fall Regional cycle, but failed to make the same level of splash once City Championships rolled around. Sure, there’s a solid chance that people still aren’t testing against the deck, but Sableye can be fairly easy to beat with the right level of training, practice, and patience.
And the third reason is more of a personal one. People now link my name with Sableye. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, in fact it’s pretty cool to finally start making an impact on the meta and the community, but I’m not a fan of my opponent knowing what I’m playing before I sit down. Sure, once you hit top tables the secret is out, but in Portland, all but two of my opponents knew what they were getting themselves into. Wouldn’t it be sweet to have people think I’m playing Sableye, but turn something else over? They would be guessing for the entire game!
Despite all of that, I still think Sableye is an amazing play for Toronto if you know what you’re doing. I’ve always said that Sableye is one of the hardest decks just to pick up and play. Not because of the skill level required, but because of the speed you have to play to avoid getting a tie every round. You have to play lightning fast so that people can’t stall you or beat you on time, and that skill takes practice. If you’re reading this, and haven’t already practiced playing Sableye, I would say it might be too late. By all means go for it, but if you end up going 4-1-4, don’t say I didn’t tell you so!
My list has also changed a little bit. Between San Jose and Portland, I only changed one card, which actually caused me to lose two more games. Based off that logic, you would assume that I learned my lesson and would just return to the list that almost won me a Regional Championship in San Jose right? Well a lot has changed since then, mainly the lack of [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] in the meta. That has caused me to alter a few counts and change things here and there. Let’s take a look at the list I plan on playing in Toronto.
[decklist name=”Sableye” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″][pokemon amt=”10″]4x [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Noble Victories” no=”48″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”44″]4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Trick Shovel” set=”Flashfire” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Noble Victories” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”6″]6x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
If you’ve read my previous articles, you can see that I’ve changed my stance on a few cards. In terms of changes, [card name=”Latias-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Team Aqua’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] have been removed for an extra copy of [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]. My goal for Toronto is to just walk away with some level of Championship Points to put me on the inside track for another World Championship invitation. With that in mind, I took out a few tech cards here and there and bumped up the consistency.
[cardimg name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
You need at least one Stadium, and I stuck with [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] for the Prize denial. The card was originally included for the [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] matchup, but I still found myself using it more than [card name=”Team Aqua’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card]. It also helps a little bit against Volcanion. Generally, people are going to try and go into the non-EX version of [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] to accelerate the Energy. With Parallel City out and Garbotoxin online, you can prevent your opponent from doing any damage to you for a small portion of the game until they break the soft lock somehow. Plus, the count of [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], and even [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] has gone up in recent months, so Aqua’s Base has garnered less and less use from myself.
A card that I so desperately want to fit in is [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card]. After the nightmare that was my Top 8 matchup in Portland, I’ve been looking at ways to avoid that. Sableye itself has never swung the Yveltal matchup, but Ghetsis sure does. Playing my own copy of Ghetsis would swing that matchup in my favor by quite a bit. If I ended up finding room for it, I would also want to try and find room for a [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and / or a [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] to get to use it more reliably. Right now, the things on the chopping block are the fourth [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card], the [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Generations” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card], and the second [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ve done a fair amount of testing without the second copy, and haven’t noticed too terrible of a difference. It’s not the fact that it’s hard to get out, it’s the fact that by turning it into a one count, you put it into a “lose if prized” situation. There aren’t many matchups where prizing it actually hurts you too bad, but Dark Cloak is pretty good. Plus, like I said, I’m going for points, not a win. I want to be consistent.
[card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Generations” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] is on the chopping block because [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] is nowhere to be seen, and [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] is the only other reason you would really play this card. However, every single time I’m on that “final game” before I cut it, it ends up being useful again. I’m aware that [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] can basically do the same thing in many matchups, but keeping my on-field resources on the field is actually super important. So then you might say to yourself, “Okay, then why not cut AZ?” One reason is because I’m scared of the [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card] combination on my Garbodor in early / mid game to prevent a turn or two of Junk Hunt. Sure, that almost never happens, but not having that option scares me. And the other is being able to reuse [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] or event prevent Pokemon-EX from being taken out. Man, Sableye is a hard deck to build.
I’m already saying more than I intended to, since I’ve written so many words on this deck. If you have any questions on this list, or your list, or anything else Sableye related, please remember that I’m always willing to talk Pokemon with anyone!
#1 Carbink / Zygarde
Remember this deck? There is no better deck positioned to win Toronto than this deck. I will defend that point tooth and nail. The biggest issue for this deck came in the form of [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], and that deck is dead. Sam Chen would have easily won San Jose if he didn’t run into Kenny in Top 4. Both legends in the game, but Sam didn’t really have a chance because of the matchup. However, while Greninja is gone, [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] is around. Here’s the thing though, I believe that matchup is actually fairly manageable. You can play a higher count of [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], and perhaps even a [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] or two, and you solve that matchup. So outside of that, what is really holding the deck back?
Night March? Not really, since you’re often trading non-EX Prizes, and they’re struggling to fight through four [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and ways to retrieve those Sashes. Yveltal? Taking [card name=”Carbink” set=”Fates Collide” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] Knock Outs and three or four shots on [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] can actually be very difficult. Groudon? Rayquaza? Gardevoir? All struggle to stream [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and knock off Focus Sash in the same turn. Even Sableye doesn’t beat Carbink, since you can Diamond gift to yourself for days on end! As long as you dodge the very few [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] in the field, you have a very good shot to win the tournament. There was much more Greninja in the field in San Jose than there will be Vileplume in Toronto. If I wasn’t such a Sableye try-hard, I would definitely be playing this deck.
So what does a list of this look like? Well I haven’t found many reasons to play anything different from the list that Sam Chen played in San Jose.
[decklist name=”Carbink” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Zygarde-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY151″][pokemon amt=”11″]3x [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Carbink” set=”Fates Collide” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”41″]4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/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=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ 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=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Magnetic Storm” set=”Flashfire” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
So yes, I apologize for not providing you an original list, but let’s take a look at this one and realize why it might be hard to cut cards.
When looking at things to cut, you almost always point first to the one-of cards. We can start with the one-of Pokemon in [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. Landorus is going to work wonders in the Night March matchup, being able to take two Prizes at a time on [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card]. Also having a different Weakness type can help in the early game against [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card]. Yes, that matchup does revolve a heavy amount around getting [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] into play, but you don’t want to have to use those too early in that matchup. Shaymin-EX, while maybe not as useful in a slow moving deck like this, is always going to be a nice card to have. Allowing [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] to turn into a draw card through the use of the one copy of [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] is pretty nifty, especially in the early game when you get into a jam.
[card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] are for anything with [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] in them. While not a big issue anymore, being able to keep your [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] as an option in the mid game is beneficial, since most decks that run Giratina are looking to one shot you late game. These cards will also help against any [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] deck or Night March deck that gets a little bit too rowdy. [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] always ends up on the chopping block because of the slow nature of the deck, but getting those one-of Supporters into the discard early is pretty good, especially when you have both [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to fish them out. I’ve made many cool plays with the mid game Battle Compressor into a Korrina or the second Puzzle for whatever combo I need to put my board ahead. With that being said, it isn’t a card that’s needed.
[card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] seem like personal preference cards. Escape Rope is going to help against [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] and any other wall attacker, even though those aren’t that big of an issue to begin with. Outside of those, Escape Rope is just a good card to have for those big play turns. Computer Search is a good card, duh, but really any Ace Spec worth playing is going to be a good option. [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] seems fun for that fifth [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] or to recycle that Puzzle you had to ditch early. [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t even the worst option either to help with the Prize-trade against certain non-EX decks.
But then that begs the question, what is needed in this deck? What are we trying to cut cards to find room for? Honestly the core of the deck runs on the Carbink and Zygarde lines, with the maxed out copies of Max Potion, Puzzle, and Foscus Sash. If you were to create a skeleton list of this deck, you’d probably get something that looks a little like this.
[decklist name=”Carbink Skeleton” amt=”48″ caption=”” cname=”Carbink” set=”Fates Collide” no=”50″][pokemon amt=”9″]3x [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Carbink” set=”Fates Collide” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”31″]4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ 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=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
That’s only a 48 card skeleton! That’s crazy how low that number is compared to other decks. So while every card in Sam’s list had an important use, it can mostly be broken down into personal preference. I’m not saying that given a skeleton list of this deck that I would have made the same conclusions as Sam did about the deck, but I find myself at a loss as to what other cards I would consider for a deck like this. If you like the idea of Energy denial, you have plenty of room to shove a Hammer line into the deck. If you’re scared of Decidueye like I mentioned earlier, there is a bananas amount of room to throw in two or three [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and some [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card]. You can even put in some weird mill aspect of the deck with [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trick Shovel” set=”Flashfire” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], because why not? 12 spots is so many.
Whatever way you decide to go with this deck, you have options, and if you know me, options are always the best thing to have in Pokemon. The more I write about Carbink the more I want to perfect a list and play it. This deck will make Top 8. Mark my words.
Honorable Mentions
Primal Groudon
[cardimg name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This deck was a fantastic play for Portland Regional Championships, so the same logic then applies to Toronto as well. It has solid matchups with a lot of decks in the field. The reason I didn’t include it on the list is two fold. One, the reliance on [card name=”Tropical Beach” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW50″ c=”name”][/card] is fairly heavy, and that can be hard for many players to access, especially as the game gets older. And two, because of how linear the deck is. A lot of my fellow players and writers here at PokeBeach will say this deck is drastically outdated, and was only a good play because people weren’t expecting it. While yes, it may not be the best deck in the room, I feel like with the right build and the right matchups, this deck can always take down any tournament.
Raikou / Eels
I feel this deck doesn’t get enough love. Because of the fantastic non-EX trade, this deck will always have a good shot. Plus, if people start flocking to decks like [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], you’re going to have as good of a time as any. Yveltal can always get out [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] to attempt to slow you down, but if they miss it, you have one of the best matchups against one of the best decks in the format. Positive matchups against Item-lock and other non-EX decks also help the case for this deck. I would avoid it simply because it can fizzle out if you don’t get set up correctly, and that consistency hit is not something I’m willing to run going into a huge tournament.
Moving Forward
Before I leave you today, I wanted to hit you with some quick thoughts about a couple of things moving forward. There’s a lot going on right now in the Pokemon world. It’s an exciting time for sure!
Cards You’re Sleeping On
Salazzle
On first look, this card is just another binder fodder card that you’ll probably never play. But upon closer look, it’s actually quite dangerous. The Ability, with the new Burn ruling, instantly deals 30 damage going into their turn. We’ve seen cards like [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] played a whole bunch for their easy access to extra damage. While [card name=”Salazzle” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t a whole heap of extra damage, it still could count for something in certain lists. Decks like the new [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] or the new [card name=”Trevenant” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] could benefit from having an extra Stage 1 to deal the damage. The card would also fit nicely in Big Basic decks that could surface with the new set. Stuff like [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] could be combined with Salazzle to deal damage in multiple ways. Decks like [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] could use Salazzle for that extra early game damage against slower moving decks. It’s a card to keep in the binder for now, but eventually this card will be used in some way.
Vikavolt-GX
The more and more I think about this card, the more and more I want to find a list to get this to work. Seriously though, with new cards like [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], the 180 damage output here is going to be enough to Knock Out a lot of things. It’s a shame that [card name=”Charjabug” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] is a Lightning-type, since if it was Grass, [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] could be use to get into [card name=”Vikavolt-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] on turn one. Regardless, I still think you would play Forest here to get into the Stage 2 faster. Both the GX version of Vikavolt and [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”from”][/card] work wonderfully together for fast Energy acceleration.
But yeah, getting to that 180 a turn threshold might be a little bit tricky. But I think that’s okay, since the GX attack is actually pretty bonkers. For four Energy, deal 60 damage to all of your opponent’s Benched Pokemon. That means with a simple [card name=”Wide Lens” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] attachment, you’re Knocking Out all of your opponent’s [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] on the field. That means that if they ever bench more than one, you have the opportunity to take a simple Knock Out with Super Zap Cannon, then follow that up with a massive GX attack for game. That would at least be your plan against [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], since they would go much faster than you. It’s hard for Rayquaza-EX to one shot Vikavolt without benching at least a few Shaymin-EX. Honestly, the rest of the matchups aren’t too bad. You one shot [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] with a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], you can tech [card name=”Tapu Koko-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] to help deal with Lugia-EX under Item-lock against Decidueye, and you could find something cute to help deal with other things.
Drampa-GX
[cardimg name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”142″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Not only is it a fun name to say, but it is also a very splashable card in many decks to help combat the Decidueye oppression. Sure, [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] might actually be better in many situations, but [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] has near perfect numbers against [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card]. Tauros tells your opponent to Feather Arrow your Bench, and Drampa tells your opponent to stay off of your Bench, or risk getting slammed hard by Beserk. Since the new style of Decidueye is to play [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], their entire deck is comprised of Special Energy, which Drampa just eats up. Throw in a decent way to slow down [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], and you have yourself a pretty decent meta call. It won’t be played a whole bunch, but it’ll be played more than people are leading on.
Mallow
This is the big one. The other three cards on this list are cards I expect to see used at some point in their life. [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] is not being hyped up for what it should be. Search your deck for two cards and put them on top of your deck. Are people forgetting that we have cards like [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]? With these two cards, and a few others, you can basically search you deck for any two cards whenever you want. Sprinkle in [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] in the mix, and you can basically always grab two cards from your deck or your discard whenever you want, as long as you have the Bench space for Shaymin-EX or the Octillery already on your Bench. This might in fact change the way a lot of decks are built moving forward. It might be a one or a two of in a lot of decks in the future, and I think rightfully so. We used to see [card name=”Misty’s Determination” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] being thrown into decks to grab that late game [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card], or add consistency to the mid game, but I think Mallow is far more deserving of that one-of spot.
New Point Structure
Not to open this can of words in the closing words of my article, but I’m fairly passionate about this. Usually when TPCi makes a big announcement, I just take it in stride and accept it as the new normal. When [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] was banned, it was big news no doubt, but it was a new life we would have to live, and that’s fine. When new sets get released and something seems broken, all it does is change formats. So announcements usually don’t get me heated. But this one crossed the line. On one hand, yes, it’s awesome that more people will be able to get their invitation, and I’m excited to get to meet more people at the World Championships this year. But why wait this long? Why wait until the finish line was in sight? A lot of people “lost” money on this. Dropped a lot of money to go to England, Australia, or Brazil? You didn’t need to. All of a sudden bumped up to spitting distance of an invite? Well now you have to book some extra flights to a few Regional Championships. I know numbers were dwindling, and I know that Worlds was going to be smaller, and that’s probably not what Pokemon wanted to do. But do this earlier in the season.
Money aside, the thing I didn’t like was it took away that special feeling that I got being in line for an invitation. I was sitting at 398 points going into quarter four, for all intensive purposes, I was poised to go to my third World Championships in a row. The previous two years when I qualified, I was able to break that 500 point mark, so I knew I could get back and put my name on the map as one of the elite players in this game. That was special to me. I’ve always been that “upper-middle” player. Yeah, some people out there know who I am, but I’ve never won a Regional Championships, and I’ve never made a splash on the International stage. To be one of an estimated 50 Masters from the U.S. to compete at the World Championships gave me that validation I needed from my career.
[cardimg name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”161″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Look at it this way. Say you went to an auction and you bought a limited edition baseball bat. The company selling the bat only has made five ever. You really want this bat, so you spend a lot of money to get it, and you win the auction. That bat is now special to you, it’s something only four other people in the entire world own. A few years later, the company decides to make 45 more bats. Now, not only will that bat be worth less money, but it also will lose a little bit of shine to you, since now 49 other people own the bat. It’s still cool that you own the bat, and it’s still something you can be proud of, but it does make your heart sink a little bit knowing that the company did this move just to make an extra buck. That’s how I feel here.
I could go on and on here, and I’m sure a lot of people could and have, but that’s my thoughts on it. TPCi took away something special from me, and I’m not thrilled about it. But hey, I got bumped to 473, so pretty soon I’ll be in Anaheim, so I’ll take it, I guess.
U150
Now on to one more happy note. If you are a fan of the show, you might have read my article on U150 I did a year ago. I just want to bring attention back to this format, since I’m planning on making and throwing together ten or so decks for U.S. Internationals. I’ll put a list or two in on my next article, so brush up on the format, share some ideas with me, and get ready to challenge the master in Indy this year!
Conclusion
That’s all I have for you guys today! Unless I end up making a deep run in Toronto, I only plan on attending that tournament and Seattle to finish out the year in terms of Regional Championships. If I find myself in a position to make a crack at Top 16, which is unlikely due to the new structure, then I will shut it down for the month of June and see the rest of you in Indiana!
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