Looking Forward from London — Emerging Decks from the EUIC

By: Zachary Lesage · Posted Posted onDec 4, 2017 at 7:10 PM · 0 Comments

[cardimg name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Did you see me on stream?[/cardimg]

Hey PokeBeach readers, how exciting was London Internationals? If you weren’t at the event itself, I am sure you were watching from home! We watched Pokemon history in the making as Tord Reklev become the first ever two-time International Champion and we also witnessed a few surprise decks place very well.

In this article, I want to go over my tournament experience and showcase some of the better concepts from London to use for Memphis Regionals! Let’s see how my tournament went here.

Tournament Report

I stayed true to my article and played [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] for the event! Golisopod-GX has always been a deck that I have tinkered with which allowed me to choose a deck I was comfortable with. I did end up returning to a similar list that I played at Hartford, which included [card name=”Gumshoos-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], due to the projected amount of [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] at the tournament. Here is the list I played:

Golisopod-GX / Gumshoos-GX

[decklist name=”Golisopod/Gumshoos” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″][pokemon amt=”17″]3x [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Wimpod” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Gumshoos-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Yungoos” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Latios” set=”Shining Legends” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]7x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

This is similar to the list that I posted during my last article, and there were minimal changes overall. I ended up cutting two [card name=”Latios” set=”Shining Legends” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] for a line of Gumshoos-GX to try and counter the metagame. I also ended up cutting a [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] for another Grass Energy because without relying so heavily on Latios, I didn’t need [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] as much. The deck worked well, but Gumshoos-GX was not as strong as I had hoped for it to be. Going forward, I would cut it for another [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] to make the deck more consistent.

My EUIC Performance

[cardimg name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ align=”right” c=”custom”]All day, every day![/cardimg]

  • Round 1 versus [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] — WW (1-0-0)
  • Round 2 versus [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] — LWL (1-1-0)
  • Round 3 versus [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] — WW (2-1-0)
  • Round 4 versus [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor — WW (3-1-0)
  • Round 5 versus [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] — LL (3-2-0)
  • Round 6 versus Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] — WLW (4-2-0)
  • Round 7 versus Drampa-GX / Garbodor — WW (5-2-0)
  • Round 8 versus Greninja BREAK — WW (6-2-0)
  • Round 9 versus [card name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] / Zoroark-GX — LWL (6-3-0)

Similarly to Daytona Regionals, I lost my win-and-in and placed 81st. I made some minor misplays and sleep deprivation was likely the whole cause. My goal as a competitive player moving forward is to treat tournaments more seriously, and that can mean making some sacrifices. If I ended up sleeping at all the night before London, I believe that my level of play would have been higher and perhaps I would have won my last game. At the end of the day, it is beneficial to take a critical glance in hindsight to see exactly how you can grow as a player. However, all was not lost from London, as there were plenty of interesting decks that came from it…

New Concepts

In this tournament, we saw many renowned players make some drastic decisions when it came to deck choice and we also saw some interesting cards come out of the binders for the first time. The talk around London all weekend was [card name=”Celesteela-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM67 ” c=”name”][/card], Silvally-GX, [card name=”Raichu” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card], Zoroark-GX and [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]. You would be lying to me if you said you predicted these choices going into London! Let’s check out some of the decks that these cards featured in:

Tord Reklev’s Golisopod-GX / Zoroark-GX

[decklist name=”Tord Reklev’s Golisopod-GX/Zoroark-GX Deck” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″][pokemon amt=”20″]4x [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Wimpod” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ 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=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Tord Recklev took a much different approach going into London than myself and decided to pull out [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] from the binder. The strategy of this deck is to use Zoroark-GX’s Trade to discard pivotal cards to gain back with Puzzle of Time or simply draw into them naturally with Trade. The deck focuses more on Zoroark-GX than Golisopod-GX, but that can change quickly if your opponent plays directly into Golisopod-GX. We use [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] to prevent upcoming format powerhouses in the form of [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Latios” set=”Shining Legends” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] from gaining too large of a lead. Furthermore, [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] is used to counter Pokemon such as [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card].

If you have glanced at the Supporter card section, I’m sure you’re a bit confused. Reklev has “invented” a new draw engine that plays less Supporters and runs a combination of Zoroark-GX and Puzzle of Time. This concept may sound boring, but it is actually a drastic take on what we have been playing for the past few months with the loss of [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Supreme Victors” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card].

I think the format may move forward to include Zoroark-GX-based engines, similar to Reklev’s, until we either get some stronger support or until this draw engine gets “hated” out of the format. That being said, I can also see Buzzwole-GX gaining some popularity as Zoroark-GX becomes more of a mainstay, which can also lead to the return of [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. Nevertheless, with this deck using Zoroark-GX to its fullest, I am sure we will see some more creative decks pop up as we head into Memphis Regionals.

[premium]

Zak Krekeler’s Silvally-GX / Celesteela-GX

[decklist name=”Zak Krekeler’s Silvally-GX/Celesteela-GX Deck” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Celesteela-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM67 “][pokemon amt=”17″]3x [card name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Type: Null” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Celesteela-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM67 ” c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Registeel” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”64″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Kartana-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dhelmise” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”59″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”29″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Memory” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”14″]10x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”10″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Continuing in new deck fashion, Zak Krekeler piloted his inventive [card name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Celesteela-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM67 ” c=”name”][/card] deck to a respectable second place finish. As much as Reklev’s deck was interesting, this deck literally didn’t exist a few weeks ago, as these cards were not even legal! With The Pokemon Company International wanting a fresh face for the format, they decided to release Crimson Invasion in conjunction with our first International Championships of the 2017-2018 season. That being said, some of these cards may not be as familiar to everyone in comparison to format staples such as [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]. Let’s go over one of these new cards before going over Krekeler’s strategy with the deck:

Celesteela-GX

RIP Gardevoir

Celesteela-GX is a bulky Basic Pokemon due to its absurdly high HP that can withstand a few blows from most opposing Pokemon. It has a decent type advantage over some fairly popular Pokemon such as Gardevoir-GX and [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. Metal-type Pokemon are making a comeback due to the dominance of the Metal-weak Gardevoir-GX variants running rampant right now.

[M][C][C] Rocket Fall: 30+ damage. This attack does 30 more damage for each [C] in your opponent’s Active Pokemon’s Retreat Cost.

While at a first glance this attack seems rather paltry in comparison to its massive amount of HP, Rocket Fall can actually do some fair amounts of damage. Let’s see how this attack can quickly stack up some damage:

  • No retreat: 30 base damage = 30 damage
  • [C]: 30 base damage + 30 damage for one Retreat Cost = 60 damage
  • [C][C]: 30 base damage + 60 damage for two Retreat Cost = 90 damage
  • [C][C][C]: 30 base damage + 90 damage for three Retreat Cost = 120 damage
  • [C][C][C][C]: 30 base damage + 120 damage for four Retreat Cost = 150 damage

If we add [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] into the math, we can do anywhere from 60 damage to 180 damage. Additionally, we can also factor in support from [card name=”Dhelmise” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card] to do between 70 damage and 190 damage total. If we look at Gardevoir-GX with this math, we can effectively OHKO it with a Choice Band to deal 240 damage. This attack will not be used as much as Celesteela-GX’s other tempting attacks, but it does deserve some credit.

[M][C][C][C] Moon Press: 130 damage.

Similar to Rocket Fall, Moon Press can also OHKO a Gardevoir-GX, but it doesn’t need help from a Choice Band or Dhelmise to complete the task. However, if we were to use Choice Band and Dhelmise to add an additional 40 damage, we can use Moon Press to OHKO a Tapu Lele-GX for 170 damage total.

[M][C][C][C] Blaster GX: 180 damage. Turn all of your Prize cards face up. (Those Prize cards remain face up for the rest of the game.) (You can’t use more than 1 GX attack in a game.)

This is the final and most tempting attack on Celesteela-GX because it is almost guaranteed to draw two Prize cards and plays like a [card name=”Town Map” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card]. If you have a Choice Band attached, you can OHKO a [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] or a [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] right away!

Krekeler’s deck has a few newer faces such as Silvally-GX and [card name=”Kartana-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card]. Unfortunately for those who don’t frequent their local Wal-Mart weekly, you may not have been able to get your hands on [card name=”Xurkitree-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM68 ” c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Celesteela-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM67 ” c=”name”][/card] from one of those overpriced promo boxes.

All joking aside, the deck is a Metal-themed box of tech that allows you to prepare and react to a slew of metagame threats. Besides the obviously favoured Gardevoir-GX matchup, this deck has the capability to take on a large chunk of the metagame as well. You have Energy acceleration in the forms of Silvally-GX and [card name=”Registeel” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card], you can discard Special Energy or draw a Prize card with Kartana-GX, and you can even balance tools with [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card]! That’s not all — Silvally-GX can also transform from Colourless type to Fighting type with the help of [card name=”Fighting Memory” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]; this can be quite advantageous when facing the likes of Zoroark-GX, [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card], or even opposing Silvally-GX!

As long we continue to have Metal support in format, I expect this deck to grow into something special going forward.

Sander Wojcik’s Raichu / Heatmor

[decklist name=”Sander Wojkik’s Raichu/Heatmor Deck” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″][pokemon amt=”17″]4x [card name=”Raichu” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Pikachu” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Pikachu” set=”Generations” no=”26″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Heatmor” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”24″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Victini” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”10″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Durant” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”9″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Xurkitree-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM68 ” c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ 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=”Devolution Spray” set=”Evolutions” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”6″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

This lock/mill deck is a spooky sight to sit across from. It utilizes [card name=”Raichu” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]’s Evoshock Ability to Paralyze your opponent over and over again while slowly decking them out. Furthermore, [card name=”Pikachu” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM76″ c=”name”][/card] can use Thunder Wave to Paralyze your opponent too.

You might be wondering how the deck can continue to keep the lock throughout the game, and that’s where Sander Wojkik makes great use of [card name=”Heatmor” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]. Heatmor can use Odor Sleuth to get back the most important card from the discard pile: [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]. Puzzle of Time makes great use of [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Devolution Spray” set=”Evolutions” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] to put your opponent in a dangerous position.

Xurkitree-GX adds in some spice along with [card name=”Durant” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] to create some more depth to this deck. Both of these cards can be nabbed via [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] for some surprising plays.

If you want more detail about this inventive concept, my brother Jay Lesage wrote an excellent article earlier this week all about it. Make sure to give that a read once you’re done with this one!

Stéphane Ivanoff’s Decidueye-GX / Zoroark-GX

[decklist name=”Stéphane Ivanoff’s Decidueye-GX/Zoroark-GX Deck” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″][pokemon amt=”20″]4x [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Dartrix” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”10″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Rowlet” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”9″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card], a card that most players declared dead in the format, had quite a bit of success! Stéphane Ivanoff had the best results with it in London, but some fantastic players including Igor Costa, Jimmy Pendarvis, and Danny Altavilla played similar lists to Ivanoff’s to some success too. While the others went for a healing strategy by including [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] in their lists, Ivanoff built a consistent power version.

This deck uses the new [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] drawing engine to make a resurgence in the format. The strategy is to chip damage away with Decidueye-GX’s Feather Arrow Ability and finish things off with Zoroark-GX’s Riotous Beating. There is a slight devolution component in the deck in the form of [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card], but those cards are more of a side strategy within the deck. Similarly to Reklev’s Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] deck, Ivanoff opted to include a copy of [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] in his deck to deal with Psychic-weak Pokemon.

Notably, Ivanoff included two copies of [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] in his list due to the synergy with Zoroark-GX’s Trade Ability. The combination of these two cards allowed him to gather important pieces to help expedite his strategy against his opponents.

 

Christopher Schemenske’s Gardevoir-GX

[decklist name=”Christopher Schemenske’s Gardevoir-GX Deck” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″][pokemon amt=”18″]3x [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Kirlia” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Ralts” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Ralts” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”31″]4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]7x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”Generations” no=”83″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

Broken deck! Seena Ghaziaskar originally pioneered this concept, and quite a few great players in London used a similar list. Christopher Schemenske’s list focuses on using Twilight GX to run your opponent out of resources while providing chip damage from [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]’s Infinite Force. The goal is to follow this intricate, step-by-step process to tire out your opponent’s resources:

[cardimg name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ align=”right” c=”custom”]BROKEN DECK![/cardimg]

  • Attack with Infinite Force with limited Energy attached.
  • Use your first [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] to heal damage.
  • Attack with Infinite Force with limited Energy attached.
  • Use your second Max Potion to heal damage.
  • Attack with Infinite Force with limited Energy attached.
  • Use your third Max Potion to heal damage.
  • Attack with Infinite Force with limited Energy attached.
  • Use your fourth Max Potion to heal damage.

Now it is completely understandable that you may not have access to all of your Max Potion each game, and that is equally acceptable. You just need to take away one of the listed steps. However, if you thought the loop is complete, you would be quite wrong! You can use Twilight GX to repeat this strategy again:

  • Use Twilight GX to recover multiple copies of Max Potion, Professor Sycamore, and other cards you will need for the rest of the game.
  • Use your fifth Max Potion to heal damage.
  • Attack with Infinite Force with limited Energy attached.
  • Use your sixth Max Potion to heal damage.
  • Attack with Infinite Force with limited Energy attached.
  • Use your seventh Max Potion to heal damage.
  • Attack with Infinite Force with limited Energy attached.
  • Use your eighth Max Potion to heal damage.

Looking at this rinse and repeat strategy, you should be able to have more resources to attack and recover than your opponent. If you are wondering how to get all of your Max Potion in play before starting this cycle, you can use [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]’s Abyssal Hand in combination with [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card]’s Premonition to gather the proper cards you need.

Beyond using the Twilight GX strategy, Schemenske also included a second copy of Gallade to deal with Zoroark-GX. Luckily for Schemenske, he was correct and was also able to take out a few [card name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] on the way too. Overall, the deck still functions like most Gardevoir-GX decks, it just has a healing element added to it.

Memphis Thoughts

I am sure after looking at the decks that came out of London, you must be scratching your head trying to figure out the play for Memphis! That being said, the format is in a healthy spot right now and we will likely have plenty of decks to choose from for any given event

[cardimg name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ align=”left” c=”custom”]Hello Zoroark-GX![/cardimg]

The best strategy going forward is to pick a deck that you are comfortable with. To most, that probably sounds ridiculous, but the format has been blown wide open. Almost anything is viable now! Gardevoir-GX was the best deck going into London and got countered by resurgent Metal decks. The preconceived idea of Metal decks going into London stopped most Gardevoir players from running [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] in their decks which allowed concepts such as [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] to go far into the tournament. Additionally, all of the Metal hype allowed for some players to make it far in the tournament with the previously “dead” [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] deck. This pattern of anticipatory countering can continue on-and-on to make quite a few decks viable.

Looking at all of the above decks, almost all of them seem viable heading into quarter two League Cups. If you have read most of my articles on PokeBeach, I am sure you must have noticed my bias towards [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] in the past, and that might continue… if the format allows it. I have been playing this game competitively for over a decade and I have always found ways to adapt to metagame shifts, so I will try to find the absolute winning side.

My gut instinct is telling me that Buzzwole-GX is extremely underrated with [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] dominating the format right now, so I will probably continue to experiment with that card until I get it right. Buzzwole-GX might fall into the circle of counter decks, or rock-paper-scissors format as some call it, that I mentioned above. This leads me to explore vanilla options. I wouldn’t be opposed to searching for untapped concepts with Pokemon that have no Weakness such as [card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM32″ c=”name”][/card] or perhaps Pokemon with underplayed Weaknesses such as Lightning. I don’t want to overlook well developed concepts, but we are in a transitional period in the metagame which can allow for exciting experimentation! Whichever route I decide to go, I will be sure to share my findings with PokeBeach as soon as they become playable.

Goodbye Until Dallas

As for me, I will be taking a minor break from major competitive tournaments to focus on coaching players, writing articles, and most importantly relaxing. It can get very tiresome playing at the top of the game or even learning the ropes as a newer player; sometimes you just need to pause your Pokemon life to regroup. This is not to say that I don’t want to play the game right now — I wish I could — I just have other priorities that I need to focus on. Feel free to follow me on my Twitter: zlesage_pokemon to see if I make any changes to my lists.

I am personally excited to see the results of the upcoming Memphis Regionals and hopefully I will continue to ride the wave on top of the competitive spectrum. I wish everyone the best of luck who is living out their dream competing for a World Championship invite, or for those who are loving and supporting the game from a casual standpoint.

I will see everyone at Dallas Regionals in January! If you haven’t met me in person or if we have just briefly met, feel free to introduce yourself to me because I love knowing everybody. Thank you for all of the support, I truly appreciate everyone who take the time to read one of my articles and for supporting PokeBeach.

-Zach Lesage

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