The Hexperiment — 50 Games with Disruptive Zoroark-GX
Hello, PokeBeach! This is Grant once again. I have not been playing a whole lot of Pokemon recently, but there is one deck I have been testing in my spare time: Disruptive [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]. The title gives it away, as this Zoroark-GX deck revolves around [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], which means we’re looking at the Expanded format today. My next major event is Roanoke Regionals, which is in the Expanded format. While there is still over a month until that event takes place, it’s never too early to start preparing for one’s next event. Before Roanoke, Salt Lake City Regionals will also use the Expanded format. This article should be useful to those of you attending either of these upcoming events.
[cardimg name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM84″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
At some point after Dallas Regionals (I’m not sure exactly when), I had an idea. What if my opponent was always Ability-locked for the entire game? Most decks, especially the plethora of Zoroark variants, would cease to function without their Abilities. This is the idea behind the successful [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] deck that won Costa Mesa, but I wanted to take it a step further. Aside from my personal dislike of Drampa-GX / Garbobor in Expanded (I really don’t think it’s that good), Garbotoxin’s Ability lock can be countered by either playing [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] or by Knocking Out the Garbodor. In fact, every form of Ability lock in the format has some sort of counter. That is, except for Hex Maniac.
Hex Maniac is the only form of Ability-lock in the game that cannot be countered, so my mission became to find a way to consistently Hex chain my opponent for the entire game. [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] decks were able to do this to some extent, but now M Rayquaza-EX is bad. One could argue that [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]’s Shadow Stitching is a hard lock as well, because [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] is seldom played and cannot easily be found after an [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] + Stitch play. However, Hex Maniac is much faster than Shadow Stitching and can be used more reliably on turn 1. In order to get a first turn Shadow Stitching, one would have to go second and build a deck around [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card]. This leaves you without the devastating option of a first turn Ability lock while going first. Playing Hex Maniac instead of Greninja also allows me to use attacks that deal more than 40 damage.
Disruptive Zoroark-GX
After much thought and 50 games of testing and refining, here is my current list:
[decklist name=”Zoro” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″][pokemon amt=”17″]4x [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Zorua” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”39″]4x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Red Card” set=”XY” no=”124″ 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=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
From time to time I’ll have an optimal list for something, but I still think that this one could use some refining. I’m sure that the utility of a single [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] would be quite useful, and I am not completely convinced that [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] is good. The reason why I’m hesitant to add a Float Stone is because I don’t think I’d need it very often. I can always use my first turn to prep a retreat with a preemptive Double Colorless Energy attachment should I open with an undesirable starter. As for Acro Bike, it ends up forcing painful discards more than I’d like, but I can’t think of anything better that can dig as an Item. [card name=”Order Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Roller Skates” set=”XY” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Black and White” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] are unreliable options as they rely on a flip and don’t dig as efficiently as Acro Bike. [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] seems like it would be good but it’s actually terrible. Bench space is too valuable in this deck and trading away your entire hand for only four random cards is too risky.
[cardimg name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
4-4 Zoroark-GX
We all know why Zoroark-GX is good. Trade is an absurd draw option and it makes Hex chaining opponents easy. It is extremely convenient that Zoroark functions as an attacker too, otherwise I doubt this deck would have the room or the Bench space to function. One thing that annoys me is how many people play the wrong version of [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card]. People complain about the price of the Paralyzing Gaze [card name=”Zorua” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card], but that is silly for four reasons. First, price is an invalid argument when it comes to a competitive TCG. Second, the same people that complain about Zorua’s price also have three [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] in their deck no muss no fuss. Third, Zorua isn’t even that expensive. Finally, that Paralyzing Gaze can save your life! Especially against [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card], and especially in this deck that runs over 30 Items!
Four Shaymin-EX
Gotta find that Red Card plus Hex Maniac combo on your first turn every game. You also need to have a Zorua or two ready to go, as well as a Double Colorless Energy if you need to retreat someone into said Zorua next turn. Keep digging until you find everything!
One Exeggcute
[card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card] is busted! However, we only run one because starting with it really sucks. We also don’t rely on it to fill our Bench unlike the Zoroark-GX / Exeggcute deck.
One Giratina
[card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”name”][/card] turns the Greninja matchup from a complete and total autoloss into an extremely favorable matchup. How much Greninja will there be at the upcoming Expanded events is anyone’s guess, but I like have autowins instead of autolosses. If you want to cut Giratina, add a Float Stone.
One Mewtwo
[card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] is here in preparation for the upcoming Roanoke Regionals where I am assuming Beast Ring will be legal. Mewtwo, with [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], OHKOs a [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] which could otherwise run through two Zoroark-GX. Under Red Card and Hex Maniac, it is generous to assume that the Buzzwole-GX player will be able to power up two Buzzwole-GX during the game. In that event, one can be taken care of by 2HKOing it with either Zoroark-GX or Tapu Lele-GX and the other can be OHKOd by Mewtwo. The hope is that your opponent won’t be able to quickly assemble three Fighting-type attackers. The game should be over before that opportunity arises thanks to Zoroark-GX’s fast pressure.
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[cardimg name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
One Guzma, Four Hex Maniac
The goal is to use Hex Maniac every turn every game. I started off with only four Hex and zero [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card], and found that I wish I had Guzma in order to close out games. Guzma can easily be retrieved late game with [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], or even Wonder Tag. Guzma is better than [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] because it also bails you out of random situations such as [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] putting you to sleep.
Four Trainers’ Mail, Four Acro Bike
The goal of the deck is to dig through as many cards as is necessary in order to find the Hex Maniac plus Red Card combo whenever you want. Both [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] are excellent forms of Item draw that add a layers of consistency to this deck. I admit that Acro Bike is a bit questionable because there are so many cards in here that you won’t want to discard, but I feel that they are necessary for consistency. The deck plays literally zero draw Supporters, so Acro Bike helps pick up the slack.
Four Red Card
Nearly every Zoroark deck runs one or two copies of Red Card so that they can pull of the Red Card plus Hex Maniac combo during crucial turns. I thought this was unreliable because the opponent could simply draw a VS Seeker or a [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] and nullify the whole combo. Sure, when it worked, it won games, but I didn’t think it was a great strategy. Running four Red Card somewhat fixes the problem of the opponent potentially drawing a Colress off Red Card. If the opponent draws out of it, simply Red Card them again next turn. You can Red Card your opponent virtually whenever you want, so you have a permanent Red Card plus Hex Maniac lock instead of it being a once (or twice) a game thing.
Three Field Blower
I think that four copies is too many and that three is enough to counter Garbotoxin. [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] is also great against other Zoroark decks because it removes Choice Band. A boosted Riotous Beating plus an un-boosted one is only 190 damage under [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], whereas if you leave the Band on the opposing Zoroark, they can still 2HKO you under Parallel.
Two Level Ball
[card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] is actually extremely useful. It compensates for the lack of [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] and allows you to consistently get Zorua into play. I also find myself using Level Ball to find [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card].
One Choice Band
Choice Band is primarily for Mewtwo to OHKO Buzzwole-GX, which I suspect will become more popular in both formats with the release of Beast Ring. Choice Band also allows Sky Return to set up KOs for Riotous Beating while preserving a DCE and allowing another use of Shaymin. Additionally, you can use an opponent’s Sky Field along with your own Choice Band to make Riotous Beating hit for 210 should the situation call for it.
[cardimg name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Three Parallel City
I’m sacrificing the ability to swing hard with Zoroark in exchange for a near auto-win against other Zoroark variants and a solid counter to other Parallel Cities (especially relevant against Drampa / Garb). Parallel plus Hex plus Red Card is hilariously devastating against Zoroark and it regulates their Riotous Beatings to 3HKOs against your 2HKOs. Sure, they can get out of it once, maybe twice, but all of these disruptive cards together win the matchup more often than not. Zoroark still applies good pressure without Sky Field, so swapping it for Parallel City isn’t as counter-intuitive as one might think.
Matchups
After testing 50 games on PTCGO, my record turned out to be 38-12. I don’t see this as an accomplishment whatsoever, though it isn’t terrible either. I faced a lot of weird stuff, as Zoroark’s meta matchups are fairly strong overall. I would have liked to log 100 games, but I simply didn’t have the time for that.
Zoroark-GX Variants – Highly Favorable (7-1)
I want to preface this by saying it should have been an easy 8-0. One game against Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] I was really bad and forgot to Hex Maniac not once but twice. I was unfamiliar with the deck at that point, and would have easily won had I not been an idiot. Zoroark-GX “mirrors” are incredibly easy to defeat. That is this deck’s strongest selling point. It doesn’t really matter if you go first or second, you destroy other Zoroark-GX decks.
The combination of Hex Maniac, Red Card, and Parallel City is too much for them to handle. Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] and Zoroark / Eggs are easy matchups. Zoroark / Lycanroc-GX is easy, but Lycanroc-GX is annoying sometimes due to Fighting Weakness. Sorry for the lack of strategy here, there isn’t a whole lot of skill involved when facing other Zoroark decks.
Night March – Highly Favorable (1-0)
I’m not sure if Night March is really a thing anymore, seeing as I only faced one of them out of 50 games. Anyway, Red Card plus Hex Maniac destroys Night March. There’s not much else to say here.
[cardimg name=”Barbaracle” set=”Fates Collide” no=”23″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Glaceon / Barbaracle – 50-50 (0-1)
I’ve only played against this deck once, so I can’t give much more than theory, but I believe this matchup is 50-50 and is dependent on who goes first. If we go first, we can go Red Card, Hex Maniac, and rush them down with Riotous Beating. Going second is a probably loss because a first turn Freezing Gaze from [card name=”Glaceon-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card] shuts down our entire deck. [card name=”Barbaracle” set=”Fates Collide” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t really an issue because we have like 8 million counters to it.
Even going second, a Shaymin-EX loop is possible due to Glaceon-GX having no way to OHKO it besides a massive Tapu Lele-GX (which breaks the Ability lock). I’m not really sure how often a Shaymin-EX loop strategy would end up winning though, as they can always use N to disrupt it. They could also use [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] to have infinite Stadiums for the Barbaracle lock. Maybe a strategy using Sky Return to soften up Glaceon for a Riotous Beating KO could work? I’m not really sure, the matchup seems quite poor if the opponent goes first and gets a first turn Glaceon.-GX
Drampa / Garbodor – Favorable (4-0)
I also faced Espeon / Garbodor and went 1-1. I believe that both of these Garbodor variants are quite favorable. Parallel City prevents their Parallel City from ruining our Bench. Triple Field Blower offers a somewhat reliable answer to Garbotoxin while also removing opposing Parallel Cities if theirs comes down first. Hex Maniac may seem useless in this matchup at first, but it is critical for breaking the Garbotoxin plus Roadblock lock.
Usually, the Garbodor player has both Garbotoxin and [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] in play. This line of play creates a trap for Zoroark-GX players. Even when Zoroark-GX has access to Field Blower, the player must choose if they would like to use Abilities at the cost of their Bench being limited to four Pokemon. This is a problem because it prevents Zoroark-GX from OHKOing [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. In this deck with 31 Items, we absolutely cannot let Garbodor fire off more than one Trashalanche and must eliminate it ASAP. The high count of Hex Maniac is quite useful because we can use Field Blower to access Abilities, and later in the same turn we can use Hex to free up another Bench spot, which allows Riotous Beating to once again hit for 120.
You can play around Righteous Edge to some extent by using Sky Return to prep a KO. Keep in mind that sometimes it is better to go for the 2HKO on [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] with Riotous Beating and accept losing a DCE, though it is situation-dependent. Drampa-GX is weak so it usually won’t be able to OHKO a Shaymin-EX. In addition to all of this, their Bench is almost always limited to three which is quite annoying for them, and they also are constantly being bombarded with Red Cards. It is common for one of your Red Cards to stick, leaving them with a dead hand for a few turns. Mewtwo is also really good in this matchup. It is a 7th-Prize attacker that preps Drampa-GX or Tapu Lele-GX for a Riotous Beating KO.
[cardimg name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Seismitoad-EX Variants – Unfavorable? (4-3)
- Vs. Seismitoad-EX / Garbodor 3-1
- Vs. Seismitoad-EX / [card name=”Seviper” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] 1-1
- Vs. Seismitoad-EX / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] 0-1
The latter two matchups felt much more difficult than the Garbodor variant. It is impossible for this deck to beat Chaos Wheel and Seismitoad-EX / Seviper can OHKO Shaymin-EX with Quaking Punch when I’m trying to Sky Return loop. I’ve got a 3-1 record against Toad / Garbodor, but I doubt the matchup is any better than 55-45. It may even be unfavorable. Seismitoad-EX / Garbodor is quite clunky and inconsistent. It isn’t uncommon to stick them with a dead hand with an early Red Card + Hex Maniac. If they get stuck, you can run through them with Zoroark-GX.
On the other hand, if you’re forced to play a real game against Seismitoad-EX / Garbodor, it starts to get tricky. Quaking Punch literally shuts off more than half of this deck. The general idea is to Sky Return loop because Seismitoad-EX has no way to OHKO Shaymin. My one loss was to a Seismitoad-EX variant that actually played Water Energy. I’m not sure if Water Energy is common. At the very least, forcing them to Grenade Hammer will break the Item-lock. Regardless of whether or not you’re playing against the version with Water Energy, try to use Shaymin-EX to prep the Toad for a Zoroark-GX KO.
Another issue with this matchup is Hypnotoxic Laser’s 25% sleep chance. If Seismitoad nails a one of those while [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] is in play, you are down a Shaymin-EX. However, if Parallel City is in play, and particularly if the red side is facing the Seismitoad-EX player, the Shaymin-EX may survive another full turn. You’ve also got one Guzma, so use it wisely.
One last thing to keep in mind is that you will always have one turn of Items against Toad, and that’s going to be your first turn. Always go for the Red Card plus Hex Maniac, but don’t forget that this deck can pop off on the first turn. With four Ultra Ball, four Trainers’ Mail, four Acro Bike, and four Shaymin-EX, you should be able to blaze through a ton of Items. This is important as it thins out your deck for when the Seismitoad-EX player inevitably goes for the [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] in an attempt to stop the Shaymin-EX loop. Don’t go too crazy though. If you are forced into a Shaymin-EX loop strategy, the game will take a long time. If it takes too long, you’ll deck out because this list runs no way to replenish cards in the deck.
Also, barring a cheap fast win, if the opponent runs both [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card], you straight up lose.
And Paralyzing Gaze is pretty good, just thought I should mention that again #ParaPlug.
Greninja – Highly Favorable (2-0)
Get out Giratina. Easy win. Without Giratina, you would auto-lose to [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] and Shadow Stitching.
Trevenant – Autowin (2-0)
Just like Night March, I’m not sure if [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] is much of a thing anymore, but this deck has an auto-win against it! Four Hex Maniac, a Guzma, and the Giratina are plenty of ways around the Item lock. Zoroark-EX easily OHKOs trees and abuses Trade. Red Card plus Hex Maniac gives them a taste of their own dead draw medicine. You can even mess around with Sky Return if you want.
Lucario-GX – Unfavorable (0-2)
Lucario-GX is bad in Expanded because it doesn’t reliably beat normal Zoroark-GX variants (or anything else). However, I faced two of them during my run and it is definitely an unfavorable matchup for this Zoroark-GX variant. Our whole deck is easily OHKOd by Aura Strike and there’s not much we can do to fight back. I was thinking about adding a Sky Field or two and potentially another Choice Band so that we could OHKO Lucario, but I doubt Lucario will actually be a thing in Expanded because it’s bad. The reason why this matchup isn’t an auto-loss is because you can sometimes cheese out a win with Red Card + Hex Maniac.
Other Fighting Variants – idk (1-1)
I faced two random [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] stuff. I don’t think these are good either and I’m pretty sure they lose to normal Zoroark-GX decks. I don’t think they are great matchups for disruptive Zoroark-GX but they certainly aren’t as bad as Lucario-GX. Mewtwo is extremely useful here.
Conclusion
I conclude that disruptive Zoroark-GX is a good deck! It is a little clunky sometimes, but I blame PTCGO for that. One time I had a dead hand and I topdecked six Hex Maniac / VS Seeker in a row! I don’t remember how I survived long enough to do that, but it was quite funny. Another time, I opened with three DCE and three Hex! And let’s not forget the game I prized three Zorua and still won, or the time I prized three Zoroark and still won! I did go first 31 times and only went second 19 times, but I don’t think that makes that much of a difference. Going first and landing a Red Card plus Hex Maniac certainly feels nice, but usually going second isn’t a problem.
Thanks for reading! Try out this deck!
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