Zoroark’s Evil Twin — Weavile / Zoroark-GX in Standard

[cardimg name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Hey Beachers! Today I am going to be talking about one of my favorite cards to come out of Ultra Prism: [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. I love this card because it becomes more powerful when your opponent utilizes more Abilities. Any time you can punish your opponent for playing powerful cards is incredible, because it puts them in a position where they either play into your strategy or play sub-optimally in an attempt to avoid it. More importantly, the card has strong synergy with [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] which has defined the entire metagame.

Today we are going to take a look at a few different takes on the deck, what makes them unique, and how this deck fits into the metagame. It has several very strong matchups, but like anything else it does have a few weaknesses that have to be addressed.

Limitless Weavile / Zoroark-GX

[decklist name=”Limitless Weavile / Zoroark-GX” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″][pokemon amt=”18″]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=”BREAKthrough” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Sneasel” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]3x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

First up is the list crafted by the Limitless team from across the pond in Europe. This list managed to take 2nd place at the Malmo Regionals, with two more players piloting the deck to Top 32 finishes in Malmo, and a Top 32 finish in Collinsville.

Card Choices

[cardimg name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”142″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

2-1 Weavile

One of the first things you may notice about the deck is that it plays only a 2-1 line of [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. The primary focus here is still very much on [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] while Weavile is only used to take pivotal Knock Outs when needed. We do also have [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to retrieve Weavile from the discard, so we are not completely limited to attacking with it once, but it does make streaming Weaviles turn after turn exceptionally difficult.

Two Acerola

As mentioned above, this deck is still strongly focused on Zoroark-GX, which means it is focused on taking two-hit KOs. In order to keep that strategy viable, we need to pick up Zoroark-GX when it has taken some damage. The second [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck means that we are not merely using it as a way to occasionally prevent a Knock Out, but to actively deny Knock Outs.

Two Enhanced Hammer

This list is starting to look a lot like a traditional Zoroark-GX deck isn’t it? Two copies of [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] helps immensely against other Zoroark-GX decks, especially against [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] which requires multiple attachments. It is also a huge help against any [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] deck since it allows us to knock off any [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] our opponent attaches.

One Mew-EX

This card is going to be included in almost every Zoroark-GX deck from here on out, but it is still worth mentioning. This is currently the strongest counter for Buzzwole-GX. It allows us to hit for Weakness and easily take a Knock Out against Buzzwole-GX, and can frequently survive another turn. Buzzwole-GX is generally capable of efficiently hitting between 30 and 80 damage for one Energy, or hitting huge 200+ damage attacks for a whopping three Energy. Unfortunately for Buzzwole-GX, it does not have a good middle-ground. The only two Fighting Pokemon that can easily hit the 120 damage needed to Knock Out Mew-EX for less than three Energy are Lycanroc-GX (using its GX attack) and [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card]. If your opponent does not already have a Sudowoodo on the field with an Energy attached, this means they can usually only return the Knock Out if they manage to get a Sudowoodo, play a [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], hit a Fighting Energy off of the Max Elixir, and have the means to retreat into Sudowoodo. On top of that, if you attacked with [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]’s Riotous Beating, your opponent also needs a full Bench to hit 120 damage by copying your attack, or replace any missing Bench spaces with either a Strong Energy or a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]. You should usually expect your opponent to take a return KO on your Mew-EX, but it will take some considerable effort. On the flip side, you took your Knock Out with a Basic Pokemon and a single Energy attachment.

One Oranguru

[card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] is primarily a counter for all of those nasty Stall/Mill decks. Since we no longer have [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] in Standard, we do not have an easy way to infinitely recycle cards back into our deck. New to Ultra Prism, Oranguru gives us the means. One cool feature of Oranguru is that it specifically puts the cards on the bottom of your deck, making them much harder for your opponent to mill. That is a double-edged sword however, since it also means we cannot immediately access those cards.

Malmo Champion’s Zoroark-GX / Weavile

[decklist name=”Adam Hawkins Weavile” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”120″][pokemon amt=”19″]3x [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Zorua” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Sneasel” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/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=”SM31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]3x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Devoured Field” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Next up we have the Weavile list piloted by Adam Hawkins at the Malmo Regionals. He piloted this deck to a 1st Place finish, beating out the Limitless deck in the finals. This deck has a stronger focus on [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and a stronger focus on [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], even including multiple copies of [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. Let’s dive into the specific card choices.

Card Choices

[cardimg name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

4-3-2-2 Zoroark

This is an interesting evolution line. By playing two copies of [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and two copies of [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] this deck is really putting a focus on them. Mind Jack and Foul Play are both incredible attacks, so this leaves the deck with some powerful attackers. My concern with this focus is the hidden cost of evolving a [card name=”Zorua” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] into any card that is not [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]. The reason Zoroark-GX has become such a powerful and important card in the meta-game is because it has such an incredible Ability. This deck and every other Zoroark-GX deck succeeds primarily because it benefits from the draw and consistency that Trade provides. Any time you forgo Zoroark-GX and Evolve into Zoroark instead, you give up that draw power. You generally won’t notice that the turn you evolve, while you will notice the one big attack that Zoroark afforded you. A couple turns later, that extra draw starts adding up quickly. As a result, I am skeptical about shifting any focus away from Zoroark-GX.

2-2 Weavile

This list is more focused on [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] than the Limitless list, but this is still only a 2-2 line. Unfortunately Weavile’s attack does rely on your opponent to ramp that damage up, which means it is not perfect for every matchup.

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Matchups

Zoroark-GX / Gardevoir-GX

This is one of my favorite matchups for this deck. Literally every attacker in their deck uses an Ability. It is impossible for your opponent to adequately setup without leaving themselves vulnerable to a massive attack from Weavile. The only kicker here is that [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] resists Darkness, so even with several Pokemon in play with Abilities, you may have to attacking Gardevoir-GX twice to actually take the Knock Out. Given the investment in setting up a Gardevoir-GX, that’s a pretty fair trade. You should expect to win this matchup pretty handily unless something goes very wrong.

Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX

This is an interesting matchup, that is largely dependent on our opponent’s skill level. While [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] does not have an Ability, fortunately [card name=”Wimpod” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] does. In theory, our opponent can stagger their Zoroark-GX evolutions and keep unevolved Wimpods off the Bench. In practice, this is easier said than done. Most players will have a hard time balancing managing their bench and Evolutions, and will end up making suboptimal plays. This gives us a slight edge that we can take advantage of. It also means that even a good player will limit the number of Zoroark-GX they have in play, and hesitate to play down Wimpod once you have a [card name=”Sneasel” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] on the board. Forcing your opponent to make awkward plays is good on its own.

[cardimg name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”138″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX

[card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and how easily our opponent can get it into play makes this matchup swing wildly. Unless our opponent benches several Pokemon with Abilities, we don’t have an easy way to deal with Lycanroc-GX before it takes four or more Prizes. Fortunately, it is common for this deck to miss the turn one Energy attachment, or be forced to attach a Special Energy. The Limitless build plays two copies of [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] which means we can prevent a turn two attack from Lycanroc-GX, giving us time to setup before we have to stare down a fully powered Lycanroc-GX. With a few benched Pokemon (which is hard to avoid in a Zoroark-GX deck) we can use Foul Play from [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] or Trickster GX from Zoroark-GX to copy Dangerous Rogue GX and Knock Out a Lycanroc-GX that is giving us trouble. Similar to the Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX matchup, the threat of [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] can be enough to force our opponent into playing poorly enough to give us the win.

Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX

I hate this matchup. In the Malmo Regionals, both Top 4 matches were Zoroark-GX / Weavile vs Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX, and the Weaviles won both matches. I don’t get how. While obviously the matchup is winnable, a Lycanroc-GX with a small bench is anathema to our deck. Right off the bat, our opponent will usually take a couple easy Prizes with [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and Jet Punch. Buzzwole-GX puts some amazing early pressure on us by taking easy Knock Outs on all of our Fighting weak unevolved Pokemon. If we can respond with a Knock Out from [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] and our opponent misses the return Knock Out, that will shift this matchup strongly back into our favor. Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX does have some consistency issues that can work in our favor as well. Overall, this is not a matchup I would want to sit across from.

Buzzwole-GX / Garbodor

This matchup is usually even harder than the Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX. We are still relying on [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] to take Knock Outs on Buzzwole-GX, but [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] turns off our Abilities and leaves Mew-EX useless. This matchup comes down to hitting Field Blower at the perfect time to turn Mew-EX’s Versatile Ability back on and take a big Knock Out on Buzzwole-GX. Our opponent also uses little to no Abilities, which limits the damage output of [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] to almost nothing. Try to avoid these Buzzguys if you can; they are no bueno.

[cardimg name=”Glaceon-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”141″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Glaceon-GX

Of all the Zoroark-GX decks, ours has one of the easiest times handling [card name=”Glaceon-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card] because they usually have several Pokemon in play with Abilities. It is hard for them to setup without using [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and they usually want multiple Glaceon-GX in play to have a response once one is knocked out. Frankly, Glaceon-GX is an inconsistent mess, so I would not worry about it too much. If their deck works the way it is supposed to, and successfully prevents our deck from working the way it’s supposed to, we are going to be in trouble. Fortunately, this happens much less often than Glaceon-GX players would like it too. Far too often Glaceon-GX misses an important Energy attachment, and is left passing without attacking, giving us another turn to setup and unstoppable board. Taking advantage of those precious turns is how we can turn the tide of these games.

Vikavolt / Tapu Bulu-GX

[card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM28″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM32″ c=”name”][/card] can be a hot mess sometimes too, but it’s theoretically favorable against [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] variants. The underlying argument is that if VikaBulu can get out an early Vikavolt, and find its Choice Bands with some consistency, it will roll over any Zoroark-GX decks by taking three GX Knock Outs. In practice, the deck frequently fails to find the combo to set up a Vikavolt, and then fails to find the combination of Grass Energy and [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] needed to take a Knock Out on Zoroark-GX. Every turn it misses that combo, it gives us a massive advantage to catch up on the prize race and punish our opponent for missing what they needed. The [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] variant also excels in this matchup, because we can take an easy Knock Out on Tapu Bulu-GX by copying Nature’s Judgment for a single Darkness Energy. If our opponent fills the bench, we can also take a Knock Out with a Mind Jack from [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] if we have a Choice Band or [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]. We can even take an unexpected Knock Out if our opponent benches only four Pokemon and we Mind Jack with both a Choice Band and Professor Kukui. Vikavolt / Tapu Bulu-GX is a spooky matchup, just because you can’t control how lucky your opponent gets, but on average it isn’t so bad.

Magnezone Variants

Despite a massive showing in Collinsville, this deck struggled to show any decent results. I would expect most players to give up on it, but there will always be a few still sticking with it. If we play Zoroark BREAK, that is huge for copying [card name=”Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] to take an easy Knock Out. If our opponent benches a [card name=”Dialga-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] at any point and we have the ability to either Foul Play with Zoroark BREAK or Trickster GX with Zoroark-GX, we are almost guaranteed to win. Timeless GX is an absolutely nutty attack, granting an entire extra turn. If we can attach a Choice Band and take a Knock Out at the same time, we can very easily take four Prizes before our opponent gets to take their next turn. [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] can put in some work early game if our opponent plays either [card name=”Magnemite” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Magnemite” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] with Abilities, since they need to bench multiple if they want to make sure they are able to get a [card name=”Magnezone” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] into play. Past that, Weavile’s damage output can be underwhelming in this matchup, and we are going to be using Zoroark-GX mostly.

[cardimg name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”131″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Garbodor Variants

[card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] versus [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] has been a classic ever since Zoroark-GX was printed. Zoroark-GX did a great job at unseating Garbodor from its throne in the metagame, but Garbodor has adjusted and become more of a thorn to Zoroark-GX than it was originally. Usually Garbodor wins against Zoroark-GX by spreading damage until [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] is able to devolve any Zoroark-GX with Energy attached and knock out the [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] underneath it. Combined with Garbotoxin and [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] this leaves the Zoroark-GX player in “top deck mode” hoping they can draw into a draw Supporter or [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] so that they can actually play again. This puts a timer on Zoroark-GX to draw out of it before Garbodor manages to take six Prizes. In general, this matchup should be favored slight for Zoroark-GX, despite Weavile getting little mileage, but it will usually come down to that late game Espeon-EX, Garbotoxin, N combo, and how well it sticks.

Fire Guys

We play Zoroark-GX and they don’t. This gives us an invisible, intangible advantage over our opponent, because our core strategy is more likely to succeed. That being said, Fire decks have an easier time dealing 210 damage than we would really like. The threat of Weavile can make our opponent play smarter, but the damage output just isn’t impressive enough to keep up with Fire’s aggression. Mind Jack, Foul Play and Trickster-GX are pretty valuable tools though. Fire has some phenomenal attacks, and copying them for minimal investment is great. Bright Flame from [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card] even specifies Fire Energy specifically, which Zoroark obviously would not have any attached. The resultant ruling is that the attack goes though, but no Energy is discarded at all, because there are no Fire Energy attached to discard. Choice Band is essential to take these Knock Outs, since we don’t have the benefit of Steam Up to boost our damage output.

The Updated List

[decklist name=”Updated Weavile” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″][pokemon amt=”18″]3x [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Sneasel” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]3x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

This is how I would build the deck going forward. This list focuses a bit more on Zoroark and Weavile than on Zoroark-GX. I like taking fast Knock Outs, and this deck is built around making that happen. I will go over some of the card choices, and explain how they help mesh with the deck’s core strategy.

Card Choices

4-3-2-1 Zoroark Line

[card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] is an awesome card, but it’s such a hassle to get into play. By playing the one copy, we still keep it as a threat, which at minimum makes our opponent try to play around it. The Darkness Energy can be a pain to find when we actually want it too, which is another reason I try not to rely on Zoroark BREAK more than I have to. [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] on the other hand is a powerful card that is much easier to get into play. In general, we want to keep in mind that we need a free [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] in play (at least a turn ahead of time) so that we have Zoroark live as a threat to take a Knock Out if our opponent fills their bench. With a full bench and a Choice Band, we can deal an easy 190 damage on any EX or GX, which is enough to Knock Out almost every Basic EX and GX Pokemon. By adding a Professor Kukui as well, we boost that damage output to 210, which is enough to Knock Out [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] in one hit. Even without the Kukui, a simple Reverse Valley allows us to hit 200 damage and Knock Out any of the Eeveelution Pokemon-GX or [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card].

2-2 Weavile

I constantly flip between debating removing the second copy of [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], or keeping it and even adding a third copy of [card name=”Sneasel” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card]. Half the time I find myself constantly wanting more Weavile to punish my opponent, but half the time I find myself not even bothering with it and just attacking with Zoroark. In the end, I compromised and stuck with the simple 2-2 line. This makes it much more likely to attack twice with Weavile than a 2-1 copy does, which can make a huge difference. It also doesn’t leave us missing Zoroark-GX because we drew into Sneasel instead of a more useful card. Weavile also gains a little more value because of the next card we added…

[cardimg name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

One Captivating Poke Puff

[card name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] is a card that hasn’t seen a ton of mainstream success, but boy is it fun. This card plays off of both Zoroark and Weavile to boost the damage output for both of them. If you go first and manage to play this card, you have great odds of forcing your opponent to drop down Tapu Lele-GX to no effect, and potentially leaving your opponent with a dead hand, or at least no outs to Brigette. At the same time, you boost Weavile’s damage by 50, and Zoroark’s by 30. Another often overlooked benefit is just seeing your opponent’s hand. Having knowledge of what your opponent has in hand allows you to play your turn without just guessing what your opponent is capable of, since you actually know. Worried about a Guzma play? Now you know how much you need to worry about that.

Two Professor Kukui

[card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] is the only way for us to hit 210 damage with Zoroark which is that magic number to knock out Zoroark-GX and Golisopod-GX. The tough part about this card is that it is a Supporter, which means we cannot play a draw Supporter to dig for it, and still play it. Having a second copy vastly increases our odds of having access to it. If we have to discard Professor Kukui early, we have it available to us both from the Discard Pile and from the Deck, using either [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] to bring it to our hand. Taking one hit Knock Outs is vital to winning against Zoroark-GX, and this card makes that happen.

Three Field Blower

There are two main reasons we need to play an increased Field Blower count: [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. Both of these cards are a massive pain for us. We only play one counter stadium, so Parallel City has better odds of sticking than against some other decks. The third Field Blower gives us another way to win the Stadium war, and another out against a Garbotoxin plus N play.

Final Thoughts

Zoroark-GX / Weavile is a really fun deck, and it fares better and better the more mistakes your opponent makes. This makes it a great choice for League Cups, or for guaranteeing points at a Regionals. It is a strong play in any case, but it does have a harder time against Lycanroc-GX than any other Zoroark-GX variants. Right now for Charlotte Regionals, I am leaning towards some sort of Lycanroc-GX deck, either Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX or Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX, but this deck is still strongly in contention

Give the deck a whirl, and let me know what you think!

-Allred

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