The Warring Triad: Navigating Tier 1 for Internationals

Not too long ago, a good friend of mine asked me, “If the North American International Championship were tomorrow, what would you play?”

My answer to this was less than stellar — something akin to, “Desperately over tech a [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] and go three wins, six losses.”

At any rate, I realized the struggle that hundreds of players will be facing at this year’s North American International Championship. Whereas in previous seasons we had a reasonably clear idea of what decks were good and how best to counter them, the stranglehold our current top three decks have on the format is uniquely strong — but also quite complex.

Today we will be going over my takes on the top three decks, as well as how they all relate to one another. We will analyze the various ways we can adjust our lists to accommodate each matchup, as well as prepare for any surprising rogue decks between now and July. Finally, I will share my take on a few decks that don’t fall neatly into tier one, but at least show promise.

Buzzwole

At the moment, [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] decks comfortably stand on top of the 2017 – 2018 Standard format. Even with incredible Psychic opposition in the form of [card name=”Malamar” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY58″ c=”name”][/card] decks, as well as techs including [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card], Buzzwole is still putting up tournament placings like a champ. The new Buzzwole, [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] all come together to make an already winning strategy win more — even when the competition is specifically countering you.

[decklist name=”Buzzwole” amt=”60″ caption=”undefined” cname=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″][pokemon amt=”13″]3x [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rockruff” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Regirock-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”43″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ 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=”15″]10x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”10″][/card]4x [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Perhaps this is a testament to the season Igor Costa has had, but I again see a deck list of his I don’t want to alter. The problem with this, however, is that if all of us head into the North American International Championship with nearly identical lists, hundreds of players will be thrown into a pit of unsatisfying mirror matches determined by dumb luck on [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] discards, and Prizes.

[cardimg name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

As a result, my one and only significant change to an otherwise wonderful formula is [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card]. Although Mew cannot benefit from any of your damage modifiers like Strong Energy or Diancie, you can hit for Weakness against both Buzzwole and Buzzwole-GX. This allows for some great shifts to the flow of your mid and late games, and can even nab you an easy GX Knock Out to close out the match. Aside from its mirror benefits, Mew FCO also functions as a different application of the theory behind three [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] in most lists (better odds of free retreat), as well as a surprise Sledgehammer against Malamar variants for 240 damage.

If you don’t like Mew FCO as a Psychic tech attacker, perhaps consider making space for a 1-1 line of [card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] . You will lose the free retreat and non-GX versatility of Mew on top of an extra space, but you will gain a far bulkier Psychic attacker that does a much better job of sweeping up Buzzwole. You also gain a nifty GX attack that can accelerate a winning game, or slow down a losing one. My only concern here is that you would be running three 1-1 lines of Stage 1 Pokemon.

Expectations for the NAIC

Buzzwole could easily run away with this tournament. Zoroark has to run multiple Psychic tech attackers just to keep up with you, and even with the Weakness advantage, Malamar is a close match. Additionally, most novelty rogue decks trying to beat the format struggle with or outright fold to Buzzwole. However, as a personal preference I will avoid playing this deck at all costs, because I want a distinct advantage against the sea of people who will be copying Igor Costa.

[premium]

Malamar

Not far behind Buzzwole is the other emergent deck from Forbidden Light, [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. Like [card name=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″ c=”from”][/card] before it, Malamar provides excellent Energy acceleration for a wide variety of attackers. We’ve seen this deck take two forms: one based on [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card], and another based on pure Psychic type attackers. If you’re looking to preempt the Buzzwole metagame, then mono Psychic is the safer call; but if you’re looking for an overall more balanced list that competes with mirror and Zoroark-GX better, then Ultra Necrozma is safer.

Want a list that goes for the strong Buzzwole matchup while staying competitive with the other big three? Listed below is a sample of a more unusual tech direction you could take the deck.

[decklist name=”Malamar” amt=”60″ caption=”undefined” cname=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″][pokemon amt=”17″]4x [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Inkay” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Steam Siege” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM59″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3 x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3 “][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor’s Letter” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1 x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1 “][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]8x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]2x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Two Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX

Even with only two [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] and a wide variety of attackers, we still run two copies of Dawn Wings Necrozma because its GX attack is the wall that can stop a furious early game assault completely. Additionally, Invasion is critical for safe [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] plays.

Necrozma-GX

Since we are running this card in a list that utilizes Ultra Necrozma-GX and Metal Energy, we can use Prismatic Burst without discarding all of Necrozma’s Energy cards. This actually allows regular Necrozma-GX to keep the damage flowing on turns where you don’t have all of the necessary Energy to attack with Dawn Wings, but still want to avoid promoting Ultra Necrozma-GX itself for whatever reason. Try the list and you will find this Necrozma-GX to play out in a very different way than in pure Psychic builds.

Hoopa

[cardimg name=”Hoopa” set=”Steam Siege” no=”51″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

We’ve recently seen heavy-hitting non-GX attackers become popular answers to Fighting decks reliant on the new non-GX Buzzwole. However, Hoopa STS stands head and shoulders (all six shoulders) above the other non-GX attackers in this list because Hyperspace Punch softens up big attackers early in the game. It also helps that Hyperspace Punch doesn’t cost Psychic Energy, meaning you can drop a Metal on it if all you intend to do is deal small bursts of first turn damage.

Marshadow-GX

Without a Fighting attacker, it’s easy for Malamar to get overwhelmed by Zoroark-GX decks. Marshadow fills that void easily by utilizing the attacks and Energy costs of discarded Pokemon.

Ultra Necrozma-GX

Finally, [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] is the big catch-all attacker we can rely on for every matchup. There are a lot of compromises in this build that are made specifically to allow for running Ultra Necrozma-GX, but it’s an especially useful attacker to overpower the mirror match. Since Malamar will easily be one of the most widely played decks at the NAIC, I’d like to start preparing for this match as early and as heavily as possible without sacrificing the other two big matchups.

Two Professor’s Letter

While I believe our regular readers already know the reasons for our other Trainers and even their counts, I felt this at least needed an explanation. Two Professor’s Letter are vital to keep the Metal Energy flowing freely and quickly, preventing you from running more copies of non-Psychic Energy than necessary. Additionally, Professor’s Letter does wonders for your early game setup, since you can immediately search for multiple Energy to discard for multiple [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] on the same turn.

Expectations for the NAIC

I think Malamar’s weekend will depend heavily on its interactions with Zoroark matchups, which are naturally quite difficult. Not only is Zoroark-GX still one of the most consistent archetypes; if Malamar overcomes the Zoroark lists, then I could see a champion cruise to the finals with it — perhaps in a close match with Buzzwole. But if they fail to defeat Zoroark, then it’s basically over for the squid guy.

The above list is my latest attempt to keep the Zoroark matchup strong, but I should also note that it’s a two-way street when it comes to improving important matchups. As Malamar players are trying hard to beat the field, so too are Zoroark-GX players. Which leads us right into our final member of the triad…

Zoroark-GX

[cardimg name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM84″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

From Shining Legends until Forbidden Light, [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]’s supreme consistency and draw power coupled with its efficient attackers allowed for a winning combo. Now that Buzzwole is a dominant force in the format, Zoroark must run multiple single-copy Psychic Pokemon just to keep up in the prize exchange. While this may seem like a dire situation for our dark fox friend, a solidified metagame where Zoroark-GX can accurately pick its best techs is the best position for Zoroark to be in. It’s much harder to lose whole matches on dead draws with a deck that constantly lets you draw extra cards each turn, meaning you are rarely caught in a position where your hand is unplayable. For a grueling event such as the NAIC, this very well may be your best friend, and thus the safest choice if you need a small but crucial amount of Championship Points.

Where Zoroark-GX players suffer is in the wide variety of choices at their disposal. Most players seem to be settling on [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] as the variant of choice. With a recent win at a well-attended European Regional Championship in Sheffield, UK, there is momentum in the deck’s favor, and it is indeed a great variant. However, currently my preferred version of the deck is with [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card]–which also performed well at Sheffield as well as the Mexico City Special Event (a low-attendance but densely-packed tournament full of great players). Between having 210 HP and Armor Press to add additional bulk, Golisopod-GX provides our list with the tank Pokemon necessary to hold back big beats.

[decklist name=”Zoroark-GX/Golisopod-GX” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″][pokemon amt=”18″]4x [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Zorua” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM83″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Wimpod” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”16″ 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=”SM30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”142″ 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=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”6″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

4-4 Zoroark-GX

The linchpin of your draw power and the very reason why you would run this deck. Never go below this count.

2-2 Golisopod-GX

Only running two [card name=”Wimpod” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] is lower than the popular count of three. However, I find the third Wimpod to be largely unnecessary, as in most board situations you will only ever need one Golisopod-GX in play. This decision results in a couple important trade-offs, such as worse odds for prizing a piece of the Golisopod line or one getting knocked out prematurely. But if you agree with me and find the extra space created by this call to be worthwhile, then keep the line at 2-2.

Tapu Koko

Even with the rise of Fighting Pokemon, Tapu Koko is still a great card both for its free retreat and its Flying Flip attack. Now that 190 HP Pokemon-GX are becomingly increasingly prevalent, Flying Flip lets you “tenderize” those big Basics, making them easier Knock Outs later in the game when you start swinging with Zoroark-GX or Golisopod-GX. Tapu Koko even has some unexpected applications, such as softening up Buzzwole FBL for a later attack with First Impression.

Mew-EX

When dealing strictly with damage output and ease of access, Mew-EX copying Zoroark-GX’s Riouting Beating is about as reliable as you can get when one-shotting big attackers. Since it’s awful frail for a Pokemon that nets two Prizes when Knocked Out, you should usually use it to get rid of other two Prize threats.

Mewtwo EVO

[cardimg name=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

When you need more bulk and fewer Prizes given up against Fighting Pokemon, Mewtwo acts as a great substitute for Mew-EX. The only downside is that its Psychic attack relies on the opponent playing too many Energy on their active Pokemon, meaning that in some positions you will be unable to respond with a Knock Out of your own. This is most common when competing with Buzzwole FBL, which can frequently Knock Out Pokemon for a single Energy.

Both Mew-EX and Mewtwo EVO are becoming less attractive to me due to the aforementioned difficulty with Buzzwole FLI. Although it’s currently a work-in-progress, I am actively experimenting with running multiple copies of [card name=”Mesprit” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Uxie” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]. As I mentioned in my Forbidden Light set analysis, Mesprit is a non-GX Pokemon that can Knock Out either Buzzwole or Buzzwole-GX for a single Double Colorless Energy when Uxie is in play, meaning you have a non-GX attacker that also never relies on the cards your opponent attaches.

Two Professor Sycamore

Like with the Malamar list, I don’t want to bog down our short time together with Trainer explanations. However, the reason why I run so much discard draw in the list is to give us the option to speed up our early game. A major reason why would you not want to [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card] but instead go for a risky, aggressive early game draw is if your opponent went first and is already threatening you with huge attacks. You’re most likely to see this board state pop up with Buzzwole, which also happens to be your hardest matchup among the warring triad.

(Alternative option: cut a Professor Sycamore for a fourth Brigette. That way you maximize your odds of a conservative turn one, but at least have the single copy of Sycamore at your disposal.)

Four Double Colorless Energy, Two Grass Energy

For all of your attackers, Double Colorless Energy is essential, and thus the reason why we run four copies. The two copies of grass Energy might raise eyebrows, but this decision is largely for the same reasoning behind the two Wimpod: space. This is arguably riskier than running two Wimpod copies because there are far fewer ways to search out Grass Energy, although at least we still have Mallow.

If you find in testing that you want to thin down only one aspect of the Golisopod line but not the other, I’d recommend decreasing the Wimpod before the Grass Energy

Expectations for the NAIC

Zoroark-GX is my current number one pick for the NAIC. Despite its past shortcomings against big Fighting, the deck is in a very favorable position that stands to only improve. It’s also the most flexible deck to change in case of a sudden metagame development, whereas Malamar and Buzzwole enjoy fewer flex spaces due to their high Energy counts. Finally, chances are good that if familiarity with a deck is a big factor in your choice, then you will likely fare much better with Zoroark-GX because you’ve been playing it for half of the season!

The Disruptors

Finally, here are some of the decks I think could be threats to all three pieces of the warring triad. These decks might be held back for different reasons, but I’m actively looking for ways that each could possibly challenge the NAIC metagame and come out strong.

Attacking Hoopa

Prior to Forbidden Light, [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Shining Legends” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] as an aggressive Prize-taker was seeing some substantial success, especially against Zoroark lists. It also seems to have an excellent Prize exchange with Malamar attackers, so really all that’s left is its poor Buzzwole matchup. How do you overcome all those bulky non-GX Pokemon?

Enter Mesprit. With multiple copies of Mesprit and Uxie, we now have a completely new strategy when competing with Buzzwole. Instead of relying on Hoopa at all, we spend the whole game using Mind Splash. This would require a couple modifications to the traditional Hoopa formula, like running [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] instead of [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] but ought to have each tier one boxed checked. Unfortunately, we can’t forget that the NAIC is a large tournament; you can and will see decks outside of the expected metagame, which a theoretical Hoopa / Mesprit list could lose to horribly. It’s just a matter of whether you want to take that risk or not.

Greninja

In theory, Greninja ought to beat all three decks comfortably, but at least two of the three regularly include a copy of [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”name”][/card]. And other than fluke board states, Greninja can rarely overcome the loss of its Giant Water Shurikens.

So what’s a Greninja player to do? One approach I’ve taken is to run a 1-1 [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] line with Float Stone. In theory this sounds inconsistent and clunky, but in practice it’s no less disruptive to the flow of your deck than [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card]  were. The downside is that even if these list choices don’t disrupt consistency, you are still going to on average prize a piece of the Alolan Muk line every other match. Alternatively, you could run several switching cards like [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] so that you could Knock Out the Giratina, which depends largely on the opponent never finding a way to [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] back said Giratina Promo.

Greninja players can beat the triad; however, I fear they can’t beat the Giratina.

[cardimg name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”56″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Beast Box

Since Naganadel is an inexpensive, high-HP Psychic attacker, the right version of this list will enjoy a satisfying Buzzwole matchup. This is especially true against copies of the first place Madison, WI Regional Championship list, which have no solid answers to Naganadel other than Lycanroc-GX. Additionally, a mix of Buzzwole and Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX can provide you with a positive Prize exchange against most Zoroark-GX variants.

Where we stumble a bit with Beast Box is the Malamar matchup. At best we have an even Prize exchange of our Naganadel-GX to their Necrozmas, and at worst their non-GX attackers ([card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM77″ c=”name”][/card], Hoopa STS) will overwhelm us. One possible answer to this dilemma is to just rely more heavily on the GX attackers not weak to Psychic, but at that point your resource exchange will suffer, even if your prize exchange appears to be even.  Alternatively, you could run at least one copy of [card name=”Dusk Mane Necrozma” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM107″ c=”name”][/card], a non-GX ultra beast that meshes well with the Energy in a list already featuring Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX. The promotional Dusk Mane might not be scoring easy KOs, but it could certainly make the difference.

Conclusion

Whether you choose to be part of the warring triad or find some way to rebel against it, your preparations for the North American International Championship should revolve heavily around Buzzwole, Malamar, and Zoroark. As of writing, I am still actively looking for ideas I might have missed, and am totally open to discussing any experiments you might have posted on the forums! Regardless of the specifics though, I am convinced that if you can comfortably beat all of the top three decks by even a single percentage point, yet still hold your own against the more obscure decks, then the biggest tournament of the season will go very well for you.

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