The Polarizing Polliwog Paradigm — Greninja BREAK in Standard

Hey all, just wanted to let you know that a “polliwog” is a tadpole; tadpoles grow into frogs, like Greninja!

[cardimg name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

With that, welcome! It’s a great time to be alive and an even better time to be reading a wonderful article on the ‘Beach. I’m pleased to be back! Today, I’ll be talking about a controversial deck — [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]. While it’s been racking up high placements at big events lately, those placings have almost come exclusively in the hands of an infamous player. There is plenty of controversy surrounding him and his accomplishments, but that’s not what I’m here to get into. While Greninja BREAK has been pegged as a “bad deck that only does well in the hands of cheaters” by many, I personally think it is still an amazingly solid deck with a great slew of matchups. I keep a matchup spreadsheet — a useful tool to help me zoom in on decks that are poised to do well. Recently, I noticed something peculiar: Greninja BREAK is ranked the highest. Why is that? Well, it simply beats the most popular decks and can beat some of its tougher matchups, too.

League Cup Breakdown and Deck List

I’ve played Greninja BREAK for a Standard format League Cup recently, so I have a bit of experience with it. The biggest part of playing the deck successfully for tournaments comes from managing your time effectively and playing the best deck list you possibly can. Here’s how my event went…

Oconomowoc, Wisconsin | 12/09/2017

5th Place

[card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Starmie” set=”Evolutions” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Tapu Fini-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] (Standard)

4-1-2

  • Round 1 versus [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] — 1-0-0
  • Round 2 versus [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM37″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] — 2-0-0
  • Round 3 versus [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Ho-Oh-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] — 3-0-0
  • Round 4 versus [card name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Celesteela-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM67 ” c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Registeel” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] w/ [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”name”][/card] — 4-0-0
  • Round 5 versus Intentional Draw — 4-0-1
  • Round 6 versus Intentional Draw — 4-0-2
  • Top 8 versus [card name=”Buzzwole-GX ” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] — 1-2; 4-1-2

Not many surprises here. I confirmed my suspicions that the Decidueye-GX / Zoroark-GX matchup is fairly even. While relying on your opponent bricking is never a solid strategy, it’s something you can bank on a little more with Greninja BREAK. You can use Shadow Stitching to lock down Abilities, something that your opponent’s deck will be relying on mightily in that matchup specifically.

Aside from that round, everything else was pretty carefree. Playing against a deck with Giratina was annoying, but you can still execute your strategy in those matches. Devour Light doesn’t stop you from attacking, and there are some relevant numbers that you can hit nonetheless. Moonlight Slash can do 80 damage to a Gardevoir-GX, the perfect number for a Knock Out with [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card]’s Miraculous Shine, and Moonlight Slash can do 110 with a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] up against a Silvally-GX to take another devolution Knock Out with Espeon-EX on [card name=”Type: Null” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card].

I used a list very similar to the nearly perfected list that Michael Long has been circulating. Here’s the list I used, and the one that I will be testing primarily in the future in preparation for other events, and explanations on each of my counts.

[decklist name=”null” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″][pokemon amt=”20″]3x [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Frogadier” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”39″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Froakie” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”38″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Starmie” set=”Evolutions” no=”31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Staryu” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Fini-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”39″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”30″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ 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]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]6x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]4x [card name=”Splash Energy” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Three Greninja BREAK, Four Greninja, Four Frogadier, and Four Froakie

This doesn’t need much explaining. This has been the industry-standard lineup for this deck for what is going on a third year now, and I think most players know why. With this deck not playing [card name=”Talonflame” set=”Steam Siege” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] as a starter, your best opening Pokemon is [card name=”Froakie” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Staryu” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card]. Aside from that, it’s pretty obvious that you want four [card name=”Frogadier” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card] to get the maximum number of targets with Water Duplicates; and with Greninja as your main attacker, you’ll want a full set of those, too. Three Greninja BREAK is optimal as well, since you want to get two down in a game and not accomplishing that can mean big trouble. You don’t want to play two and risk landing one of them in your Prizes. This lineup is as tried and true as it gets!

Tapu Lele-GX, Tapu Fini-GX and Espeon-EX

[cardimg name=”Tapu Fini-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”133″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

For tech Pokemon, I’m a firm believer in this lineup.

[card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] adds some much-needed consistency to a deck that really needs it. [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] is annoying to play in a deck that doesn’t want to discard very many cards, but it does give you the option of playing Tapu Lele-GX to fetch clutch Supporters in a pinch.

[card name=”Tapu Fini-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card] might be the most expendable card in the list, but it can be extremely valuable. If your opponent, say, has a Gardevoir-GX with a ton of Energy on it, you can simply use Tapu Storm GX to shuffle that Pokemon and all cards attached to it back into your opponent’s deck. This powerful play can save you the game in many situations.

[card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] is useful itself, as it gives you an out to Giratina with Devour Light, and can take you Knock Outs against tough matchups like [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] where you otherwise struggle to hit the right numbers.

Starmie

Energy recovery in this deck is busted, and having an “infinite” loop of Energy with [card name=”Starmie” set=”Evolutions” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] lets you do just that. I would not play Greninja BREAK without it right now, and love its inclusion. All you really need are two Greninja BREAK down plus a Starmie, and the game should be wrapped up for you at that point. Space Beacon, then Giant Water Shuriken for days!

Four Professor Sycamore and Four N

Consistency is critical to any success this deck wants to see, and this thick four-count of each of the best Supporters in the game is a must.

Two Skyla and one Lillie

[card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] is normally a weaker card in most decks, but it fetches you a piece of the puzzle you might be missing in this deck. Say you just need a Froakie down; you can use Skyla to get [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] and nab one just like that! Skyla can get you [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] when you need it or an [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] to evolve a Pokemon. It’s so versatile and having another “consistency” Supporter in the deck only makes things work more smoothly.

I don’t find myself using [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] often, but I still would play at least a single copy like I have. It, like Skyla, serves as another consistency card (this time actually drawing you cards), which is something too strong to pass up in a deck like this that needs to draw decently to win games.

[premium]

Four Ultra Ball and Four Evosoda

Pokemon search is critical to this deck as well. These are the best two options in the game right now, aside from another option, [card name=”Timer Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card]. I don’t like Timer Ball because it can miss altogether if you flip two tails, so that’s a risk I’m not willing to take. [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] might feel janky, but it will get you your frog pieces all the same as [card name=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Repeat Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] have in the past.

Two Field Blower

[card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is not a huge threat right now, and you can certainly still beat it with just two copies of Field Blower. More importantly, though, these are important to beating decks that play [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], like Volcanion. Saying that a Water Weakness will doom them regardless isn’t true. Discarding those pesky 40 HP additives will get you to the point of finishing Knock Outs.

Two Choice Band

Some lists play three, and while I do like that, I don’t think it’s entirely necessary. I’d rather devote the spot to something else that has a different effect. [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] helps you hit the numbers in a lot of matchups, but playing three would make you draw into them at points in the game where you don’t even want to play them. Having a Choice Band down on a Froakie isn’t going to do you any good; it’s generally reserved for a [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card].

One Super Rod and One Rescue Stretcher

More recovery cards would be luxurious, as I’ve never had an issue with one of each of these. [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] is super nice to get Water Energy back sometimes so I wouldn’t consider cutting that out for another [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] anytime soon. Rescue Stretcher is great to put a Pokemon from your discard pile into your hand sometimes. I love having that option when you’re facing a little extra pressure against a faster deck like [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], for instance.

[cardimg name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

One Max Potion and One Enhanced Hammer

These two spots are reserved for tech cards, and I think both [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] have a lot of value in this deck.

Max Potion is super nice to use against decks that don’t quite reach the Knock Out range, like Buzzwole-GX starting off and [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] builds. It’s incredible in the mirror match, too, as it can keep you alive in the war of Shadow Stitching that’s bound to go on.

Enhanced Hammer has never been stronger in any format that I can think of in recent memory. Almost every deck is playing Special Energy, and every opportunity you have to discard one of them can get you ahead in the game. Most decks that miss a turn of attacking against a Greninja BREAK deck won’t fare well, so Energy disruption is a powerful tactic in a deck that’s slower to get going like this.

Three Brooklet Hill

These are your way to get Froakie down, primarily, as well as Staryu. You can even get Tapu Fini-EX out, but that’s a little less relevant. Having a searchable option to effectively “Skyla for Froakie” is super strong, so packing three of these in this deck is optimal. It would be cool to even have four, but space gets tight when you’re trying to balance consistency and techs in an already cramped, Pokemon-filled deck.

Six Water Energy and Four Splash Energy

Just six Water Energy is fine with Starmie and, to a lesser extent, Super Rod. You will have the basic Energy recovery you need when you want it, so that shouldn’t be a problem.

[card name=”Splash Energy” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] is amazing and actually lessens your need to play as many Pokemon-recovery cards. Getting a Greninja BREAK right back to your hand can give you the option to play it down immediately onto a waiting Greninja.

This Energy count is rock solid and I wouldn’t change it.

Other Options and Deck Thoughts

[cardimg name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Marshadow

This card is interesting in this deck. Let Loose can be a way to draw more cards, and in combination with Shadow Stitching, you have another way to disrupt your opponent’s hand.

Talonflame

[card name=”Talonflame” set=”Steam Siege” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] is far weaker in a format with high counts of both [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card]. Your opponent will more than likely be able to shuffle away your neat hand and render Aero Blitz useless altogether. With lower HP, it’s an easy Knock Out by most Pokemon.

Guzma or Counter Catcher

A gust effect card in this deck is intriguing. While you will be limited to the number of [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] you play in your list, it’s still a super powerful card in this deck if you get a chance to knock a Pokemon out with it. You can play around your Grass Weakness by taking out things like Wimpod before they evolve, solving one of your biggest problems.

To the same effect as Guzma, [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] is an immediate gust effect in most cases for this deck. Greninja BREAK falls behind on Prizes quickly, so this card is valuable in the mid-to-late game.

Random Receiver

This card is super cool to me as it doubles as “another Supporter”, but in order to effectively play it, you would have to cut out Supporters other than [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]. If you play another besides those, then you can run into them with a [card name=”Random Receiver” set=”Fates Collide” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] reveal, which can be disastrous to your consistency. I have a vivid memory of an opponent using Random Receiver once and getting a [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], and then proceeding to draw and pass for the rest of the game.

Bench Banter

Playing so many techs puts you in a position where you need to think about your Bench size more, something Greninja BREAK decks generally haven’t had to do in the past. Keep in mind that a Water Duplicates will likely fill three of your Bench spots, and then you’ll want another Froakie on your Bench, too, to evolve into a Frogadier at some point. Your last spot might have to be a Tapu Lele-GX if you needed a Supporter one turn, or maybe it had to be a tech like [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] because you had the misfortune of starting with it. Starmie is obviously crucial to this deck as well in the late game, so I find myself waiting to set it up until later in the game a lot of the time. You can afford to do that usually, since you should have enough Water Energy to keep you running smoothly starting off. Just be wary of what you want on your Bench so that you don’t make a disastrous mistake!

Bubble Weaker?

Yes, it sure is. Guzma is in everything, and most decks are playing at least three copies. That means Bubble can actually be ill-advised in many situations, as your opponent can use a Guzma to get out of the potential Paralysis and land a Knock Out on one of your Benched frogs that you’re setting up. I only like to Bubble when I’m really in a pinch or if my opponent has a low hand size.

[cardimg name=”Froakie” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”38″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Drawing Dead

When it happens, it sucks! I’ve been there and I know what it feels like. Don’t let this put you on tilt though, because a huge part of playing Greninja BREAK effectively is feeling in control even when you’re down on Prizes or drawing poorly. You don’t want to make misplays because you’re annoyed about your hand, so don’t put yourself in that position. Stay ahead of the ball and if you lose because of it, calmly shake your opponent’s hand, congratulate them on the win, and move on. The worst thing is playing against a poor sport, so don’t let that be you.

First World Splash Energy Problems

“Guzma gets around my Active Pokemon with [card name=”Splash Energy” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] — why me?” “Splash Energy can get [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card]ed, ugh.” These are both issues to be aware of. Don’t be caught off guard if you’re playing against an aggressive deck that goes for a Guzma to get around your Active Pokemon with a Splash Energy and score a Knock Out on one of your Benched Pokemon that gets your Pokemon in the discard pile. This is frustrating, so have an [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] and a Pokemon recovery card ready to undo the issue. Be prepared for Enhanced Hammer, and don’t be afraid to put two Splash Energy on the same Pokemon to ensure that Splash Energy takes effect, even if one of them gets discarded.

Playing Down Two-Prize Pokemon

Espeon-EX, [card name=”Tapu Fini-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card] and Tapu Lele-GX all in a Greninja BREAK deck? You’d never think that’d happen about a year ago, much less even a single one of those. Non-EX/GX decks generally don’t play many Pokemon-EX/GX to gain that inherent advantage against decks that do give up two Prizes when you earn a Knock Out. Obviously, they can be glass cannons in your deck. This means sometimes you won’t want to play them down for the greater good, even if it hurts you in the moment. Espeon-EX is generally a game-finisher, so that’s something I wouldn’t want to put down early. As for Tapu Fini-GX and Tapu Lele-GX, I typically wouldn’t play those down either unless I wanted them in the moment. Tapu Fini-GX is usually a surprise, so you don’t want to bleed that to your opponent ahead of time. Just don’t recklessly Bench these things, because it can really come back to bite you.

Matching Up

We’re almost out of time, so I’ll throw down some bullet points to simplify things when talking matchups. Giratina makes many of these a little harder, but in those matchups, focus on using Espeon-EX to set up devolution Knock Outs with Miraculous Shine.

Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX | Favorable

  • Enhanced Hammer and [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] are invaluable in this matchup.
  • This matchup starts rough, but once you establish your Greninja BREAK you can start using Shadow Stitching to shut off [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Regirock-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] to which you can then storm for the rest of your Prizes.

Garbodor / Buzzwole-GX | Slightly Favorable

  • Conserve your [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] uses.
  • This matchup is simple if your opponent isn’t playing [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] since your opponent won’t be able to put on much pressure aside from using Garbotoxin and Jet Punch.

Garbodor / Drampa-GX | Even

  • Field Blower is extremely crucial.
  • Starting off you’ll get pressured, but [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] won’t be able to take one-hit Knock Outs without [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card] Flying Flip shenanigans or [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] plays to which you should come back from, unless you’ve played too many Items.

Garbodor / Golisopod-GX | Unfavorable

  • Enhanced Hammer is strong against your opponent because most of his or her Energy are Special Energy.
  • Terrible matchup. They beat you from all angles with Ability lock and one-hit Knock Outs.

Gardevoir-GX / Max Potion | Favorable

  • Tapu Fini-GX is nice in this matchup if your opponent gets a huge [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] going that can one-shot [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card].
  • Max Potion doesn’t matter when you’re locking down Abilities with Shadow Stitching and your opponent can’t one-shot you in return.

Gardevoir-GX / Sylveon-GX | Slightly Favorable

  • Enhanced Hammer is nice to slow them down.
  • Plea GX is troublesome, so be prepared to N away the cards your opponent puts into your hand and then use Water Duplicates for a second time in the game, potentially.

Gourgeist | Favorable

[cardimg name=”Gourgeist” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”45″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

  • [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”name”][/card] is annoying if your opponent plays it but Ability lock should be enough to get you the win.
  • It will be hard for your opponent to constantly take one-hit Knock Outs under Ability lock.

Greninja BREAK | Even

  • Max Potion is critical to keep your Greninja BREAK kicking for longer than your opponent’s.
  • This is an obnoxious exchange of Shadow Stitching attacks, at some point someone can use Espeon-EX for multiple Knock Outs, you want to avoid this and retreat around your Greninja to avoid Knock Outs.

Silvally-GX / Metal | Favorable

  • A Moonlight Slash with a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] is 110 damage to a [card name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] and the perfect number for a devolution Knock Out with [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] if your opponent plays Giratina.
  • This matchup is pretty simple when you do have Abilities. [card name=”Celesteela-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM67 ” c=”name”][/card] is the only thing that can reliability take at least one one-hit Knock Out and from there you want to use Shadow Stitching each turn to stop Gyro Unit.

Vikavolt / Tapu Bulu-GX | Slightly Unfavorable

  • A quick Shadow Stitching will shut them down.
  • The goal is to leave him or her without a powered-up attacker. Grass Weakness hurts you a lot but if you set up well you can chain Giant Water Shuriken drops for one-hit Knock Outs. That in combination with Shadow Stitching can be lethal for your opponent.

Volcanion | Favorable

  • Most of your opponent’s Pokemon are weak to Water.
  • This is your easiest matchup. [card name=”Ho-Oh-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Kiawe” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] are the only things you need to worry about early on, and you can always come back from that, too.

Zoroark-GX / Decidueye-GX | Even

  • Lots of Shadow Stitching and N can keep your opponent from winning this matchup.
  • Tapu Fini-GX can shuffle in a powered-up Decidueye-GX to remove your opponent’s best attacking threat.

Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX | Slightly Unfavorable

  • Like always, [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] and Shadow Stitching are quite good.
  • Enhanced Hammer can be big to stop an Armor Press. If your opponent doesn’t have a way to get First Impression to take a one-hit Knock Out, you can steal games.

Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX | Favorable

  • Enhanced Hammer is huge since your opponent plays a very few non-Special Energy.
  • Shadow Stitching crushes your opponent’s deck in the late game with N.

Conclusion

So long everyone! Greninja BREAK is poised to do fantastic for any event in the Standard format in the near future, and I’m glad I had a chance to talk about it. I know it’s a basic deck, but it can be harder to understand for newer players or those that don’t have any experience with it. Much of the gameplay starts with how you build your deck list, so I hope some of the other options I ran through might be something you’d consider. As always, thanks for reading, take care, and catch you next time!

~Caleb

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