Dueling Brains in Dallas: An Unlikely Zoroark-GX Variant
[cardimg name=”Magnezone” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”46″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Hey, everyone! I’ve been hard at work the past couple weeks testing a new [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] variant I hope — and fear — will take the next United States Regional Championship by storm. It’s Zoroark-GX with [card name=”Magnezone” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”46″ c=”from”][/card], a mostly forgotten Stage 2 with a unique Ability that lets you double up on your Supporter cards each turn. The implication of this pair is gross: tons of Ability draw, exponentially increased options every turn and, best of all, infinite resources.
First, we’ll go over some basic thoughts and build-up to my inspiration to test this deck. Then we’ll go over the list in detail, outlining both my reasoning for every card choice as well as possible substitutes. Finally, we’ll go over the tactics and strategy of every major matchup, at which point it should become clear that this deck is something unlike any other.
Setting the Scene for Expanded
As I have said and will say in other places, the current Expanded metagame headed into Dallas can be simplified — perhaps oversimplified — as a contest between three decks:
- Night March
- Zoroark-GX Variants
- [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]
Night March is a consistent winner in this format; Zoroark-GX is a consistent deck in both formats; and Trevenant BREAK arguably beats both of them, while holding its own versus the rest of the field. It makes sense then that these three decks should be at the forefront of Expanded, and also that at least two of the three will be played quite heavily.
This in turn makes it reasonable to believe that a player whose deck can beat all three consistently will likely have a great day. But then you come across the danger of the Expanded format, which is the huge variety of decks. In other words, you need your deck to be good on its own merits, and not just bank entirely on the metagame being favorable.
On the road trip back from Memphis, my friends and I (Dual) brainstormed a way to handle the impossibly dense yet narrow Expanded metagame: Zoroark-GX / Magnezone. In theory, it checked all of the boxes I needed for a new deck, and also had some past precedent in being a viable strategy ([card name=”Empoleon” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”29″ c=”from”][/card] / Magnezone was a thing in the past, but nowhere near as efficient and lacked important, essential new cards).
This is the list I have settled on for the time being…
The List + Explanations
[decklist name=”zorozone” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″][pokemon amt=”19″]4x [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Zorua” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Magnemite” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Magnezone” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]3x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Plumeria” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Skyla” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ 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=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”135″ 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]2x [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
4-4 Zoroark-GX
[cardimg name=”Zoroark” set=”Black and White” no=”71″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Normally you’ll only see three Zoroark-GX in a Zoroark variant, but because drawing cards and chaining Supporters is so essential to making this deck work, we opt for maximum consistency and firepower. [card name=”Zoroark” set=”Black and White” no=”71″ c=”from”][/card] and [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”from”][/card] could both be wonderful inclusions, but at this stage we simply have too many other things going on to make me want to run either of them.
As for the Zorua, I run a split between the guaranteed damage and the Paralysis. That’s because both effects are helpful in a list that can be a little slow at times, or be just short of a KO.
2-0-2 Magnezone
Here it is…the one small little inclusion that changes everything. Getting this card into play means your already consistent Zoroark deck just got infinitely more powerful. By being able to play two Supporters a turn, you also get a sizable strategic advantage over other Zoroark decks, meaning a comeback win is far more attainable in the mirror than under normal circumstances. Finally, a minuscule addition to the deck — which we’ll discuss later — guarantees you enjoy unlimited Supporters for the rest of the game. Cool, huh?
Regarding the [card name=”Magnemite” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], we don’t have many good choices, but the one we included from BREAKthrough at least gives us free retreat when two are in play. That’s a big deal when we never want Magnezone active.
Four Tapu Lele-GX
Surprised to see so many [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] in a deck list other than [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]? Here we run a full playset not only to maximize consistency, but to make it easy to fetch our Supporter of choice at will.
Two Exeggcute
Thanks to the [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] Loop®, you’ll eventually enjoy unlimited cards. However, before we get to that point, there is a lot of discarding we need to do with Trade, and quite often those discards hurt. In order to offset that pain, we run a couple [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card] to repeatedly return to the hand via Propagation, and then discard it for Trade. As the rest of the list will show you, we run some rail-thin lines of important cards, so the Exeggcute carry us in the crucial early and middle stages of the game.
One Seismitoad-EX
Our only variety tech Pokemon, Item lock is a wonderful option to pursue when we’re wielding infinite disruption Supporters. It also hurts Night March’s chances of recovering after a [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] drop.
[premium]
Four Ultra Ball
You need multiple evolutions out by turn two, and you need them out fast. What’s not to love about a full count of [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] to get that job done? I have even considered running additional evolution grabbers, like [card name=”Evosoda” set=”XY” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Timer Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card], but for the time being I believe that these will be enough.
Four Puzzle of Time
The only thing that can stop the [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] party is a complete starvation of its resources, so why not keep the party lasting? [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] is a staple in Zoroark-GX lists because it’s a reliable way to get back vital pieces to your perfect setup, such as the Zoroark line and especially Magnezone. This is why these win out even over [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Flashfire” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card].
Two Rare Candy
We break all normal conventions with Stage 2 lines by running a modest count of [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card]. I would like to have minimal space for otherwise useless cards, so once we’re done, we’re done. On the off chance our first [card name=”Magnezone” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] is Knocked Out and the second Rare Candy is unavailable, we can always get it back with Puzzle of Time.
One Special Charge
Theoretically we could win many games just by running our opponents out of resources, but in reality we need enough Double Colorless Energy to Knock Out enough threats. That’s why we run [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] like any other Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] list would.
One Computer Search
Our Ace Spec of choice is here just to give us more guaranteed set up. As mentioned above, there is no middle ground with this deck: your hands are either amazing or utter garbage. For everything from getting the pieces for turn two Magnezone, to just serving as another out to Brigette, I value the reliability [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] brings to a long event like Regionals.
If Computer Search is not your preferred Ace Spec and you want to go a little more wild, I would recommend [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] to combo nicely with your Puzzles and Supporters, or even [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] to drag the game out as long as possible.
Three Brigette
Early game setup is more important in this version of Zoroark than just about any other — hence the three copies of [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card]. Between these, the four Ultra Ball, the [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], and the four Tapu Lele, we’ve got a whopping sixteen ways to get Brigette turn one! I’ve even considered a fourth copy, but by that point we may see severely diminishing returns.
Two Lusamine
[cardimg name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”110″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Here is what I like to call the Lusamine Loop® — the process by which you get to play infinite Supporters and Stadiums by using Lusamine to grab… another Lusamine. Over time you will slowly increase the total number of Supporter and Stadium cards at your disposal, and with Dual Brains in play you’ll be getting those cards back twice as fast. The extra speed is particularly important so you can use other cards to disrupt indefinitely ([card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]).
Two Professor Juniper
Despite all of Zoroark’s constant Trading, it’s important to have a bit of supplemental draw power. Presently, [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] is my card of choice because I want to dig deeper into my deck, but one or both of these could be interchangeable with [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card].
Two N
[card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] remains a valuable element of setting up perfect locks, usually followed up with a [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card]. Additionally, shuffle draw is usually a nice alternative to the at-times harsh and painful choices involved with discard-based draw like Professor Juniper.
One Skyla
[card name=”Skyla” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card]’s main purpose is to fetch us Rare Candies, Ultra Balls, and the occasional Stadium. Normally Skyla turns are mediocre and unimpressive, but as long as it leads into a Magnezone, you can instantly chain into a better Supporter. So a little less time is wasted on setup, and a little more time is spent on pummeling your opponent.
One Plumeria and Xerosic
Unlimited Supporters is powerful, but unlimited Energy denial is perhaps one of the most powerful effects you could possibly enjoy. If every turn you play Lusamine for another Lusamine and [card name=”Plumeria” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card], followed by playing Plumeria as your second Supporter, any deck reliant on ever having two Energy attached is at serious risk of dying by deck-out alone.
Additionally, [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] serves as nice secondary Energy denial for Plumeria.
One Ghetsis
Unlike many decks where [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] is featured, you will not use it too often here on the first turn. I’ve found the best time to use it is right after you’ve set up a Magnezone and can afford to fail it. I’ve won many games where I set up my Bench with Brigette, then followed immediately with a Ghetsis and a Dual Brains Supporter turn two.
One Team Skull Grunt
If our opponent is being cute and trying to keep Energy in the hand and off the field, we can punish that with [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card]. It combos well with Ghetsis, or vice-versa.
One Gladion
[cardimg name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”109″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I don’t have to tell you how many singleton copies of cards there are in this list, which is why we desperately need [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] to grab our prized cards and use them right away. And like the rest of the utility Supporters on our list, Dual Brains lessens the hurt of wasting a turn’s Supporter drop.
One Hex Maniac
[card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]’s Ability-locking potential is useful in any matchup, but it’s extremely important against other Zoroark-GX lists. If you employ the Lusamine Loop, you can Hex the mirror indefinitely, which ultimately results in getting 10-20 cards ahead of your opponent by the game’s end. In other words, if I get to Trade all game and my opponent doesn’t… I’m probably winning, big-time.
One Delinquent
[card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card]’s presence in the deck adds a devastating control element not available to other Zoroark-GX lists. In addition to all the other Lusamine Loop combos, you have what amounts to infinite hand discard. While this sort of infinite discard rarely happens in practice, I have won many games by using Delinquent and then following it up the same turn with a Hex Maniac. Or leading with a Ghetsis and ending with a Delinquent.
One Karen
Every deck that thinks it has Night March clinched on its own merits usually doesn’t, which is why we need the extra matchup assurance that [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] provides. It’s also a little more feasible to use Karen to recover your own resources when you can follow it up with a more impactful Supporter.
One Mallow
Like Skyla and Gladion, [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] is an incredibly valuable option to have when setting up the turn two [card name=”Magnezone” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s also added insurance that you will get whatever you need to progress your game state with non-Magnezone cards, such as more Zoroark-GX and [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card].
Two Sky Field
Despite not serving the main ends of this variant, [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] is phenomenal with Zoroark-GX. Sometimes you need to maximize your offensive potential, and for that Sky Field is critical.
Two Silent Lab
With all these control Supporters, why not run the best control Stadium in all of Expanded? [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] will shut off [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], and several other threatening Basic Pokemon with Abilities. It also serves as a nice counter to your opponent’s own Sky Field.
Other Options
[cardimg name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”142″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Aside from the cards listed above, here are some other cards you can consider.
Acerola, AZ, or Cassius
An omission to my Lusamine Loop options is a card to let you infinitely heal your damaged Pokemon. I decided not to include any of them because space is at a premium, but if you want to include one, then make it [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card]: You’ll save the most resources and get the cards straight back to your hand.
VS Seeker
More cards that let us function like a normal list! I decided not to run them because a) Lusamine is effectively a permanent [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]; and b) Puzzle of Time makes for a makeshift VS Seeker in a pinch. I would not recommend a playset, but 2-3 copies could make chaining critical Supporters like Hex Maniac easier.
Team Rocket’s Handiwork
I started with [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] but cut it for Delinquent because the latter much more reliably wears out your opponent’s resources. However, when your opponent is stuck on a bad hand, I could certainly see discarding the opponent’s deck to be a viable option. Overall though, Handiwork is just not as good as the cards already in there.
Choice Band and Float Stone
Such obvious cards in every list… but why aren’t they here? Put simply, I needed the space, and found their absence not too big a deal. However, in [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] mirrors, I long for that perfect 210, and of course free Retreat is nice, so I could see you adding one of each, albeit with painful cuts.
Matchups
Night March — Favorable
Under normal circumstances, the constant cycling of Double Colorless Energy through Puzzles and Special Charge would mean that they would keep up well, but with constant Delinquent drops, Silent Lab disrupting their [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] drops, and Hex as well as Ghetsis ruining their ability to set up at all, you should quickly stabilize your board and neutralize all their threats. Add on top of that the threat of infinite Karen and Quaking Punch lock, and you’re looking at a pretty good matchup.
Zoroark-GX “Mirror” — Favorable
I put mirror in quotation marks because this truly does not play out like a mirror match. As mentioned above, however, you have many outs which let you pull ahead of almost all of the other Zoroark-GX-themed decks. Just don’t give up if you start falling behind — as long as you get Magnezone out, it will definitely get better! Infinite Hex Maniac drops is particularly helpful, because like your own list they are so dependent on Trade.
Trevenant BREAK — Favorable
[cardimg name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Unlike almost every other matchup on this list, you will rarely — if ever — want to bother with [card name=”Magnezone” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], seeing as how bringing up a heavy Retreat Cost Magnezone makes their spread-and-destroy strategy so much easier. You also won’t get much of a chance to do it by virtue of Item lock. At any rate, you will usually prefer to stagger play your Zorua, meaning you play one or two at a time as opposed to all at once. [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]’s game plan is to Silent Fear you twice followed by an [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] Miraculous Shine for multiple devolutions, so don’t help them in their plan any more than you should!
Finally, one thing that sets you apart from normal [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] lists in this match is the sheer number of cards that help deny Trevenant the upper hand. [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] means that even under Item lock you will usually have total Stadium control, and Hex Maniac on top of Ghetsis are as good as ever. Keep a good record of your prized cards each game, despite how tempting it might be to get lazy with that thanks to [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card].
Stall Decks — Varies (Mostly Highly Favorable)
I’ve decided to lump all of these decks together because despite being so different, they each aim for the same goals: deny resources, disrupt the board, and deck out the opponent. They all threaten you in a similar way that you threaten them, and some lists even employ the Lusamine Loop as well. The major difference, however, is that you Lusamine Loop twice as fast, meaning you can start dedicating resources to beat all of these degenerate deck discard concepts at their own game! Focus on setting up, but also never over-extending yourself and always assuming the worst when it comes to your opponent’s deck-out options.
- [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] — easiest lock matchup by far, and also most likely to be popular.
- [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] — watch out for Plea GX and especially Fairy Wind; plan around both.
- [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] — Xerosic and Ghetsis will be valuable in preventing lock-out situations. Be wary of N or even [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] drops.
- [card name=”Durant” set=”Noble Victories” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] — most likely to be unfavorable, but least relevant. If you find this matchup to be too tough, don’t worry.
Seismitoad-EX Variants – Favorable
Against all [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] matchups, your Energy denial is, without exception, a game-ender. Even against lists that use basic Energy, [card name=”Plumeria” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] will help keep them under submission, to the point where your one copy of Seismitoad-EX might become better at locking than their whole Seismitoad-themed deck!
I am fearless with this list against Toad with [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], but the scariest matchups by far are streamlined, simple Toad / [card name=”Seviper” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] builds, which threaten to beat you via benching turn one. If you play against this deck and are going second, it might be smart to bench a Basic at the start of the game that you normally wouldn’t, such as [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card] or even [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card].
Gardevoir-GX — Slightly Unfavorable
Despite all of our fancy Supporters, [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] are both beastly, bulky attackers that constantly threaten Knock Outs on Zoroark-GX. Also, cards like [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] threaten to shake up our hopes for a perfect lock, and Twilight GX makes it almost impossible to wear out their resources. A combination of Ability lock, Energy denial, and good old-fashioned Riotous Beatings will be how you win this one, so play tight and don’t give up.
Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX — Unfavorable
[cardimg name=”Buzzwole-GX ” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”104″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
All of your non-GX, non-EX Basics are Fighting weak, and a few inspired lists are running [card name=”Wide Lens” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] specifically to apply Bench Weakness in Zoroark-GX matchups. They also frequently run Pokemon-based draw like Octillery, making it harder to lock them out of the game completely. On the other hand, [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] provides many surprising lock-based wins.
Turbo Darkrai — Favorable
Although their explosive early starts can be intimidating, you wield so many truly crippling cards in this matchup, namely the [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] and infinite [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card]s. They are Ability dependent ([card name=”Darkrai-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]), oftentimes are forced to play their hand down to nothing, and are overall vulnerable to devastating Dual Brains combos. There can be times where they come close to overwhelming me, in turn making me believe a [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] could come in handy to mitigate the impact of their [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]s, [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]s, and [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card]s; should the matchup ever need improvement.
Turbo Turtles (Turtonator-GX / Volcanion-EX) — ?
This is an unknown to me, as I have honestly not tested the matchup. This deck could fall far behind early, but also not take much effort to mount a comeback. You can easily bait them into a no-card hand through a timely Delinquent, and a just-as-timely Plumeria can be a lifesaver. All in all, I could see them beating you, but it appears to be playable and about as relevant as Darkrai — meaning not much.
Greninja — Unfavorable
You likely just want to play aggressively in this matchup, and let Magnezone be an afterthought. Using Dual Brains will be impossible when we are constantly Shadow Stitched every turn, and Magnezone itself is a juicy target for a [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] lock — assuming they run Guzma. Luckily, big [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] KOs are easily attainable, and almost every utility Supporter in the list has a helpful effect against [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]: You can [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] turn one to ruin their hand, [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] to avoid Giant Water Shurikens, and perhaps make surprise Delinquent drops to devastate their hand.
(By the way, with Night March, Trevenant, and Zoroark-GX as the probable “big three” of Dallas, I could see a serious case made for dusting off Greninja in Expanded. Currently [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Magnezone” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] is my favorite, but if Greninja bodes well in testing, I might go with that for Dallas. Either way, it’s all risks in DFW!)
Conclusion
Two brains are better than one, which is why I’m more than happy to hear your thoughts. Go leave a comment, and maybe even offer up your own ideas for this strange yet fun and at times unfair deck. Here’s to hoping preparations for your next major Expanded tournament go well, and perhaps lead to a League Cup or Regional win with Magnezone.
-John
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