Thankful Gluttony — Guzzlord-GX for San Jose
Hello readers! I hope you are enjoying our new article structure as much as I am. Writing articles more frequently means I can more freely focus on multiple tournaments or put more emphasis on a single format.
To start us off on this new structure, I will be writing a two-part series focusing on my testing for San Jose Regionals. My testing focus for Expanded has revolved around manipulating the Prize trade. I’m having fun experimenting with the Prize-manipulating GX moves sported by the new Ultra Beast. Since Prize cards are the primary win condition, these GX moves have enormous potential and can create complex game states for both players to maneuver around. In this article, I analyze one of the most underrated cards in this set: [card name=”Guzzlord-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card]. This gluttonous Pokemon is for the greedy player, allowing you to over extend and take a giant leap in the Prize race.
In the first part of this article, I want to show off one of the more bizarre decks I’ve been working on. Throughout my testing, I come up with a lot of ideas that sound great on paper, but are either incredibly inconsistent or just too easy to play around. Hopefully you enjoy reading about an unorthodox list for a change. Because this is much different than what I usually write, please make sure to give feedback!
Something Old and Something Mew Box
My favorite card of the new set, Guzzlord-GX, is extremely fun to play with; I wish this deck could be as competitive as I wanted it to be. [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] / Guzzlord-GX / [card name=”Shining Mew” set=”Shining Legends” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] is a hilariously fun combination that wins games in a glorious fashion when you can pull it off. This deck’s greatest strength is its absurdity and adaptability. Your opponent won’t know what’s going on the first time when they’ve only got their one Prize to your four, and suddenly you steal the game from under them.
[decklist name=”Aromatisse / Mew / Guzzlord” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″][pokemon amt=”20″]2x [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Spritzee” set=”XY” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzzlord-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”63″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Regirock” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY49″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Shining Rayquaza” set=”Shining Legends” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”67″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Shining Mew” set=”Shining Legends” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”29″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ 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=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]4x [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Prism Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Overall Strategy
[cardimg name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ align=”right” c=”custom”]I can be anything you want me to be as long as you…[/cardimg]
The stars of the show are Mew and [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card]. Counter Energy’s requirement of a non-EX/GX Pokemon is circumvented by using Mew as your attacker so that you can use the incredible attacks on basic EX and GX Pokemon at a low cost. When paired with strong Basic Pokemon and Aromatisse to move Energy around, you create an unstoppable board state.
The strategy is overall pretty simple, but it requires a lot of moving pieces and for your opponent to play along. Your ideal first turn after winning the flip is that you get an attachment, a [card name=”Spritzee” set=”XY” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], and a [card name=”Regirock” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY49″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench, which is facilitated by Pokemon’s new bread and butter: [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]. If you’re going second, you’ll want nearly the same set up, but you’ll also want to have a way to attack with Shining Mew. That is why I included five Pokemon that have zero Retreat Cost in the deck to optimize your chances of achieving a turn one Legendary Guidance. Your preferred target for Legendary Guidance is Regirock as it is immune to Energy denial and Trainer-based gust effects with its Omega Barrier Ancient Trait.
Deciding which Energy you want to attach from your deck depends on if your opponent is poised to take a Prize next turn. If they are, you grab two Counter Energy. If they’re not, then I usually just grab one Counter Energy and one [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. Grabbing one of each ensures that you will have at least one movable Energy and you will have access to Counter Energy when you need it.
Your next turns are about setting up Aromatisse and setting up knock outs. From here, you just try to stay behind in Prizes until you can pull off using Glutton-GX with any combination of Rainbow Energy, Counter Energy, and [card name=”Prism Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] to close out the game. When playing this deck, I like to let my opponent take three Prizes before I take one. This deficit lets me take the game in two knockouts on two Pokemon-EX / Pokemon-GX.
Pokemon Inclusions
The Basic Pokemon I chose to accompany this strategy are split between locking your opponent and taking easy Prize cards. [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] are used to stop decks like Night March and [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card] that are typically too fast to deal with otherwise. [card name=”Shining Rayquaza” set=”Shining Legends” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card], and Guzzlord-GX are there so that you can respond with force if you have the adequate Energy in play.
Other Pokemon I considered using are [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Malamar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. Buzzwole-GX’s Jet Punch is synergistic with Glutton-GX as it can put 180 HP EX/GX Pokemon down to 150 HP. This damage puts them in range of Glutton-GX plus [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] plus [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]. Seismitoad-EX and Malamar-EX have been combined with Aromatisse since Malamar-EX was printed in Phantom Forces. Locking your opponent out of Items and giving them only a 50% chance of attacking is an oppressive strategy that won many City Championships in its day.
Trainer Inclusions
The Trainer cards that I picked are in response to how the meta is shaping up. The utility of [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] in toolbox decks like this one is unparalleled, especially if your opponent has limited your Bench with [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s good if you also want to draw out the game by getting rid of two-Prize liabilities on the board.
My decision of running Choice Band over [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] was won by the importance it has in the [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] matchup. [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] cannot OHKO a [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card] or a [card name=”Ho-Oh-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] with a Muscle Band when copying their attacks. Muscle Band is better against decks that have 120/110 HP Non-EX’s to give Mew FCO a chance to take three unexpected Prizes. I felt a single copy of [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] over a third Choice Band was a great compromise to this dilemma.
Fast Food — Guzzlord-GX in Turbo Dark
That deck was my first idea when Crimson Invasion came out and I tested it heavily. I put so much effort into it because I believe Glutton-GX is an absolutely underrated attack in this format. The five Energy cost is steep, but if you pair it with a deck that can put out Energy at such a fast rate, it won’t seem like too much of a burden. [card name=”Guzzlord-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] in Turbo Dark in place of the cards reserved for [card name=”Darkrai-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] creates a new deck that has a similar aggressive feel to it, but has a completely different means to an end. I actually felt like slowing the deck down helped quite a lot, because you can afford to be behind on the Prize race a little bit, as long as you are able to take a decisive KO with Glutton-GX. The list below was forged by weeks of testing and I believe it is stronger and more dominant than the Darkrai-GX-focused lists.
[premium]
[decklist name=”Turbo Dark with Guzzlord-GX” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Guzzlord-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”63″][pokemon amt=”12″]2x [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzzlord-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”63″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY06″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ 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=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ 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]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]12x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”12″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Overall Strategy
This deck is extremely fun and competitive. Nothing feels better than when your opponent drops a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] on the field, not knowing that they’ve already sealed their fate.
Typically you want your first turn or two to end with Oblivion Wings. This deck is considered a “ramp” deck, where you start off with minimal damage and pressure to build an unstoppable board state.
When to use Glutton-GX is the most difficult decision to make in this deck. If you use it too early, you can be [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]’d to nothing and lose the game. If you wait too long to attack with it, your opponent can remove their liabilities off of the field and you can’t use it at all. The perfect time to use it is when you don’t need much draw to close out the game. By this I mean you can set up a Guzzlord-GX, and still have enough Energy on the board to hit relevant numbers with Dark Pulse to close out the game.
Card Choices
[cardimg name=”Guzzlord-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”63″ align=”right” c=”custom”]It’s okay to feed me after midnight.[/cardimg]
2/2 Darkrai-EX Split
Quite a few Turbo Dark players have abandoned this split. I understand that if you Prize one or both Dark Pulse [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] that your strategy seemingly will go out the window, but I don’t think a deck that relies on having abundant Energy in play can risk having their access to free retreat being prized. In the Guzzlord-GX version, you have a strong attacker to get out cards from your Prizes. If you take four in one swing, you’re bound to find your Darkrai-EX!
Two Guzzlord-GX
This Ultra Beast lives up to its name in this deck. I have already talked about its ability to close out games to death in this article, but the card is a full package deal. The staggering 210 HP is enough to give you confidence that your attachments will not go to waste, especially when a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] brings up the total to 250 HP.
Eat Sloppily and Tyrannical Hole are definitely not useless attacks. Eat Sloppily, although wasteful, can pull you out of a bind in the Expanded format. If your opening hand is without a draw Supporter, but has a [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card], Eat Sloppily can either put a Supporter within reach or thin your deck so that you’ll be able to draw out of it while possibly accelerating Energy to yourself. I would never use the attack outside of that situation, as [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], and VS seeker are too valuable to waste with this greedy attack. Tyrannical Hole, although costing five Energy, is unstoppable in the right conditions. You can potentially sweep the game with a single attacker.
Two Yveltal XY
When I played [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] with Fighting Fury Belts (FFB), my favorite part of that deck was having a one Energy, one-Prize attacker that accelerates Energy and is difficult for opponents to KO. Against all of the decks that try to slowly drain you of your resources, this card is key. While they try to whittle away at your board state, you can just keep dumping Energy back onto your field.
This card is the best starter in the deck, as it softens your opponent’s tanky EX/GX Pokemon so that you can steal the game with Glutton-GX. For instance, with [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] and Fighting Fury belt, or a just a [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card], you can deal 50 damage to a 170/180 HP Pokemon, and follow up with a Glutton-GX to steal four Prizes. This card is also useful against [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] as it allows you to build a board without having to go through a bunch of Items.
Mew from Fates Collide
All of your main attackers have a Fighting-type Weakness. With [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] seeing a rise in play, [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] becomes invaluable. If you’re facing an opponent that plays [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], you can take advantage and turn tides with a one-Energy Dark Pulse, or a two-Energy Night Spear. I still don’t recommend going for a four-Energy Tyrannical Hole. If you are lucky enough to hit multiple Max Elixirs on a turn that your opponent has a two-Prize Pokemon that has Psychic Weakness, being greedy and going for the Glutton-GX might be worth it.
Two Fighting Fury Belt, Two Reverse Valley, Two Professor Kukui
When choosing Tools, I like to consider two rules of thumb. You use the more offensive tools if they help hit certain numbers that define the meta (such as 180, 210, 230 etc); you choose more defensive tools if your attackers are costly. In this version of Turbo Darkrai, [card name=”Guzzlord-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] is costly, and Dark Pulse hits all of the relevant numbers already. Fighting Fury Belt is unequivocally the best Tool for the job.
[cardimg name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ align=”right” c=”custom”]FFB comes out on top.[/cardimg]
FFB compliments Guzzlord-GX’s bulky nature and the numbers you need to hit. Glutton-GX is not typically affected by the difference between FFB and [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], and if it is it can be supplemented through the use of offensive Stadiums and/or [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]. The Stadiums and Kukui can also push Oblivion Wing and Dark Pulse just a little further to put the pressure you need on your opponent.
[card name=”Devoured Field” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is also a Stadium that I had considered, but it really depends on if you are expecting a lot of Metal, or a lot of other Dark. Devoured Field helps both you and opposing Dark Pokemon; where as Reverse Valley only gives you the advantage, but at the disadvantage of not being able to hit extra numbers on Metal Pokemon. The difference is mostly negligible, but it can come up.
Two Nest Ball
This deck, like [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card], has the awkward situation where [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] are not nearly as effective as they are in other decks because of the mix between EX and GX Pokemon. [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] is the next best thing. It gives you the boost in search for a low cost and is able to find any Basic, so your EX, GX, and one prizers are all searchable. Nest Ball does have the disadvantage of not being searchable, but it doesn’t take a spot on your Bench and it isn’t your Supporter for your turn. It is quite underplayed — if Garbodor wasn’t an issue, it would definitely see more play in big Basic decks.
Two Shaymin-EX, One Tapu Lele-GX
The counts of these cards will always differ depending on how they synergize with your deck. With the lack of [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] in current lists due to Garbodor, [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] allows you to over extend when needed. With Guzzlord-GX, you often find that you have a single piece of the puzzle, but you need to extend just a little bit more to find a [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to take a game with Glutton-GX. Set Up helps you find those Item cards and Energy cards you need to close the game, whereas [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] can only find you a Supporter.
Two Battle Compressor
[card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] is still one of the strongest in the format. With this deck, it activates your Dark Patches and VS Seekers. It can even help you find a Pokemon if you have [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] in your hand.
Dowsing Machine
In my October article, I discussed which Ace Spec to choose in detail. I won’t say too much here, but as a deck that just needs a little more push with a fifth Dark Patch or third Fighting Fury Belt, [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] carries more weight here than [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. If you’re feeling extra janky the morning of the tournament, you can play a [card name=”Scramble Switch” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] to pull off a surprise Guzzlord-GX.
Honorable Mentions
Enhanced Hammer / Xerosic
The meta is teeming with Special Energy decks, with only Turbo Dark and Volcanion-EX solely using basic Energy. [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] is also a strong card from the newest set that can be abused in a number of combos. With an uncertain meta, [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] is a strong tech card. [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] is better if you’re only wanting to dedicate one slot to the disruption and it would take the place of [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card].
Two Counter Energy, Teammates, Sudowoodo
Counter Energy is undeniably strong, but the requirements make it awkward to use in this EX/GX heavy deck. If I were to play it, I would add a [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] to help with the [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card], and the mirror. As with the [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] deck, you would just use [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] and Counter Energy to swing the game back in your favor.
Hex Maniac
Expanded is an unpredictable format where people play all sorts of weird and unsuited combos from [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”19″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Salazzle” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] to [card name=”Flygon” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW53″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] returns some control and predictability into your games, providing more options to take games.
Hoopa SHL or Regirock XY49 plus Ninja Boy
The Dark archetypes finally get one of these “Safeguard” attackers. I feel it is underwhelming at this point with how many ways you can get around it; but with [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card], you can dump Energy onto a protected Pokemon and then switch to either a Guzzlord-GX or [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] to use Glutton GX. [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Shining Legends” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] versus [card name=”Regirock” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY49″ c=”name”][/card] is a tough choice because you can [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] to Hoopa, but Regirock can’t be Gusted or Hammered.
Sky Field
In most Turbo Dark lists, [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] the go-to Stadium because it allows you to constantly have space to drop Shaymin-EX and resurrect [card name=”Darkrai-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]. We don’t play Darkrai-GX, but being able to drop an extra support Pokemon or use the extra Bench space to drop more Basics to draw more with Set Up is a nice use for this card.
Matchups
[cardimg name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Ain’t I a stinker?[/cardimg]
Garbodor Box: Favored
I built this deck with this BDIF in mind. Abandoning the traditional Dark Patch and [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] acceleration strategy for using Oblivion Wing to build your board makes it difficult for the [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] player to build momentum on your board state. After your board state is ready, you go in with Glutton-GX and follow up with Dark Pulses to win the game. Having Psychic Resistance doesn’t hurt either.
Sableye / Garbodor: Favored
The premise of this deck is that they make you take more than six KO’s by reusing [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] and disrupting your board to force Items into your discard. Well, we don’t need to take more than six KO’s because we can just use Glutton-GX. The way Life Dew reads is that you take one less Prize from the KO, so you still take two from KO’ing a [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] with Life Dew attached to it.
Night March: Favored
This deck is tricky to play against, but it really isn’t that hard to deal with it. [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] is your crutch in this matchup, as it can KO the only attacker your [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] cannot: [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card]. You get bonus points if they drop a [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and you take three Prizes with a single Night Spear. Using Glutton-GX on a [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] or a [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] might feel like a waste, but it is absolutely worth it.
Greninja BREAK: Favored
I’m excited that [card name=”Guzzlord-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] is completely one sided against [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]. Similar [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], they try to force you to take six painfully slow KO’s. But if you are able to get a turn turn Glutton-GX, which is definitely feasible, the game becomes easy. In addition to being able to take a bunch of Prizes, the 210 HP attacker with a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] and five Energy can take repeated KO’s on BREAKs, while also tanking their mediocre damage.
Trevenant BREAK: Favored
Not only do you have type advantage, but you also have incredible acceleration. In this matchup, I try not to over bench or over extend. For Black Ray-GX to be effective they have to get off four Silent Fears. This no easy feat when can you stream KO’s on their [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], and take three Prizes at once with a Glutton-GX.
Volcanion-EX / Turtonator-GX: Slightly Unfavored
Tech: Hex Maniac
It doesn’t look like this matchup is too hard on paper, but their deck is extremely aggressive. A Fury Belted Guzzlord-GX acts as a great tank to trade with, but they play enough copies of [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] to deal with that. What saves this matchup for us is that they play [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], which allows us to steal games easily.
Darkrai-GX Turbo Dark: Favorable
I feel comfortable with this matchup because, like [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], they play Shaymin-EX. They are a tad bit faster than we are because they can use Restoration, but it is easy to take one KO with Dark Pulse and [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] a Shaymin-EX for the game.
Lycanroc-GX / Zoroark-GX: Unfavored
[cardimg name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ align=”right” c=”custom”]An unexpected threat to Guzzlord.[/cardimg]
Techs: Enhanced Hammer, Counter Energy / Teammates / Sudowoodo
They have type advantage, can KO all of your Pokemon for a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card], and are pretty tanky. They do play Shaymin-EX in their deck, but because they have access to [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], setting up a Guzzlord-GX is near impossible. The weaknesses of this deck are having limited Bench space and that Lycanroc-GX takes two attachments. So a well-timed [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] throws a wrench in their plans. The same goes for changing the Stadium or discarding it with Field Blower. [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”67″ c=”from”][/card] with [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] swings the game, but [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”from”][/card] is also effective at limiting their damage/draw.
Gardevoir-GX: Greatly Unfavored
Techs: Sudowoodo / Counter Energy / Teammates
[card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] has a one-Prize Fighting attacker, has Dark-type Resistance, and does more damage the more Energy you place on your Pokemon. This matchup is a nightmare. It is winnable with Sudowoodo copying Infinite Force with enough Energy on it and if you can pull off a Glutton-GX attack on a [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] or a [card name=”Ralts” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] to put you ahead.
Golisopod-GX: Favored
[card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] can never OHKO a Guzzlord-GX. The Zoroark version of the deck is a little more challenging because of [card name=”Zoroark” set=”Black and White” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card]. A [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]ed Foul Play can copy Tyrannical Hole to deal exactly 210 to a Guzzlord-GX — so if you don’t have it Fury Belted, it is in danger of being KO’d. Aside from that interaction, Guzzlord-GX and [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] both have the damage output to demolish the annoying bug so they’re unable to [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] the damage away. My Glutton target here is typically a Zoroark, so I only have to take three KO’s. The aforementioned one, one on a Golisopod-GX, and any other KO on one of their easy, small targets.
Wrapping Up
I expect the most popular decks to be [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] Tool Box, [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor, Night March, and Gardevoir-GX going forward. If Gardevoir-GX doesn’t win London, I think the deck will be scarce enough to play [card name=”Guzzlord-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] in Expanded as all of the other matchups are tipped in your favor.
Part two of this series is coming out next week to help prepare you for San Jose Regionals. If you have any feed back or questions, feel free to comment below, or find me on Facebook/Twitter.
-Ahmed
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