Fantastic Mr. Fox — An Ode to Alolan Ninetales-GX

By: Stephane Ivanoff · Posted Posted onOct 24, 2018 at 10:37 PM · 0 Comments
Alolan Ninetales-GX from Lost Thunder

Are you tired of the current Standard format? [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM28″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] don’t excite you anymore? Then I have good news for you! In many different ways, Lost Thunder is going to completely change the metagame. New archetypes like Blacephalon-GX / Naganadel and Lost March will appear, Professor Elm’s Lecture will give decks like [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] a much needed boost, and even stall decks could reinvent themselves with Shuckle-GX. However, the card that I believe has the most potential to change things up, which happens to be my favorite card of the set, is Alolan Ninetales-GX.

Here’s the short version: Alolan Ninetales-GX has an Ability that boosts consistency, an efficient attack, and a situational but potentially amazing GX attack. You know what other cards can be described this way? [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and Zoroark-GX — cards that are generally considered to be pretty good.

As for the long version? That’s the rest of this article. That’s right, Alolan Ninetales-GX has so much potential that a whole article is needed to describe it. It improves existing archetypes, it brings back forgotten decks, and it makes many Pokemon much more viable. I’ll talk about many of Ninetales’ potential partners and give deck lists for each of them, both based on my analysis of many Japanese deck lists. But first, let me explain why this card is so good.

Why Mr. Fox is So Good

Although it’s unfair to reduce a card to just one of its components, the most important part of Alolan Ninetales-GX is its Ability. Items can be key components in many decks, but there are few ways to search them out. Currently, decks that need [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] to function, like [card name=”Magnezone” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card], are playing [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] despite not playing Lightning Energy. Sometimes, they play one Lightning Energy despite not having any specific use for it just because they can get it with Volkner. That’s how important getting Rare Candy is.

For such decks, Ninetales is a godsend: it’s a simple Stage 1 that can find two Items! So, at the minimum, you can find Rare Candy and [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Timer Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] to evolve into a Stage 2 Pokemon as soon as turn two. With a good hand, you can get two Rare Candy in order to get two Stage 2 Pokemon in play. And that doesn’t even use your Supporter for the turn!

Something else that might be obvious is that Ninetales evolves from [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card], a card that was already featured in some Stage 2 decks like [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card]. It was hard to justify running more than one, but now that it has a relevant Evolution, it’s reasonable to play three, which increases your odds of a turn one Beacon.

These two points combined mean that Alolan Ninetales-GX is an excellent partner for all sorts of Stage 2 decks, and single-handedly makes them more viable. As an example, let’s take [card name=”Garchomp” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card], a deck that always had issues with consistency. Since it generally plays Alolan Vulpix already, it’s not hard to add Alolan Ninetales-GX to the deck. Here’s a list that won a Gym Battle (the Japanese equivalent of a League Cup):

[decklist name=”Garchomp” amt=”57″ caption=”” cname=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″][pokemon amt=”20″]3x [card name=”Garchomp” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Garchomp” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Gabite” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Gible” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Lucario” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”67″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lucario-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Riolu” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x Alolan Ninetales-GX (Lost Thunder)3x [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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][/pokemon][trainers amt=”29″]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”142″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x Custom Catcher (Lost Thunder)1x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Unit Energy FDY” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Disclaimer: I don’t think this deck list is optimal. There are a number of cards that I would change, such as adding a second [card name=”Lucario” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] and Alolan Ninetales-GX; and cards that I don’t see the point of, like [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card].

Still, you can see the synergy between the cards. [card name=”Gible” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], Alolan Vulpix and [card name=”Riolu” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] can all be searched with [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card]. Alolan Ninetales-GX can find the coveted Rare Candy, but you can also use it to find both Custom Catcher! This means that in the mid game, Alolan Ninetales-GX can play the same role as [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] by bringing up a Pokemon from the Bench without using a Supporter, so you can still play [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] on the same turn.

This is where we start to see another great aspect of Alolan Ninetales-GX: its versatility. Thanks to the fairy fox, it’s now easier to play one-of Items and search them out at the right time, something that was previously only popular in Expanded Fighting-type decks thanks to [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card]. Examples include Custom Catcher (not a one-of, but something that you might need to search out at one specific time), [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Switch” set=”Evolutions” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card], and Counter Gain. That last card is a way to power up Ninetales in one turn in order to attack with it, provided you have an Energy. (Japanese players have access to Energy Spinner in order to find the Fairy Energy; we will have to make do with [card name=”Energy Loto” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card].)

Some deck lists even include [card name=”Looker” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Looker Whistle” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] so they can use Ninetales to grab a Supporter if needed. Although this seems a bit far-fetched, the fact that Ninetales can even turn into draw power is one more reason why it’s such a versatile card that rewards creative deck builders.

So, to summarise, Alolan Ninetales-GX gives Stage 2 decks a much needed consistency boost and even allows them to play tech cards, something they couldn’t afford before. To me, that’s enough to make it the coolest card in the set. But it’s not just cool, it’s also competitive! The rest of this article is dedicated to Pokemon that have a real shot in the metagame thanks to Ninetales.

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Gardevoir-GX

When Alolan Ninetales-GX was revealed, my mind immediately went to [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] — as did most people’s, I assume. Gardevoir has been the most successful Stage 2 Pokemon in recent memory. It’s already playing Fairy Energy and Alolan Vulpix, so it makes sense to add Alolan Ninetales-GX to the mix! Unfortunately, Gardevoir lost several cards to the rotation, most importantly [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card], as well as the Psychic-type [card name=”Ralts” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Kirlia” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] that could be grabbed with [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card]. On the bright side, now that the deck is focused entirely on the Fairy type, it can better use some of its tools, including Ribombee and [card name=”Diantha” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]. The deck also gained Gardevoir from Lost Thunder as an alternate attacker.

Although it is possible to play [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck, there’s no easy way to bring it into the Active spot in order to use Magical Ribbon on turn one outside of playing several switching cards, which is not the most exciting. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong to play it, as you can still use Beacon in situations where you can’t retreat into it; but, for a first draft, I decided to feature a more streamlined version of the deck:

[decklist name=”Gardevoir” amt=”49″ caption=”” cname=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″][pokemon amt=”20″]3x [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x Gardevoir (Lost Thunder)2x Alolan Ninetales-GX (Lost Thunder)1x Kirlia (Lost Thunder)4x Ralts (Lost Thunder)3x [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x Ribombee (Lost Thunder)1x [card name=”Ribombee” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cutiefly” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x Ditto Prism Star (Lost Thunder)[/pokemon][trainers amt=”27″]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Diantha” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]1x Professor Elm’s Lecture (Lost Thunder)4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”142″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”13″]9x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Ribombee” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”96″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This deck features six one-of Items, but it’s not an issue because they can be searched through Ninetales, and Diantha can even get them back if needed. Counter Catcher is experimental, but it’s been an effective card in other decks that have a way to search out Items, so I think it’s worth including one; Gardevoir can frequently go down a Prize or two before it sets up.

[card name=”Ribombee” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”96″ c=”from”][/card] might not be a necessary inclusion, but since we already run a [card name=”Cutiefly” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] and Ditto Prism Star, it only takes one spot in the deck. You can grab it with Ninetales via Ultra Ball, so it’s a roundabout way to get Energy if you don’t have some in the discard already. If you do have Energy in the discard, then [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card] is an easier way to get them.

Here are some other cards that were not included but might be worth trying:

  • Xerneas Prism Star: Xerneas is a powerful attacker. It can’t use [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card], so it can be a bit awkward to use; but it’s easier to put into play than Gardevoir. A possible downside is that it would be the only Basic Pokemon in the deck with a Retreat Cost higher than one. This means that if you happen to start with it, you would need a Double Colorless Energy, rather than any Energy, to retreat into Alolan Vulpix to use Beacon.
  • Timer Ball: Although Mysterious Guidance can get you a Rare Candy and an Ultra Ball for Gardevoir-GX, there will be times when you can’t afford to discard two cards from your hand. That’s why it might make sense to run a Timer Ball. It has a one-in-four risk of failure, which is not negligible; but if you’re ready to take this risk, then it might be worth a spot in the deck.
  • [card name=”Wishful Baton” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]: You may want to run this Tool in order to conserve Energy. I’m not a huge fan of the card to be honest, but if your opponent can’t find a Field Blower — or if the meta shifts in such a way that you don’t expect people to run Field Blower — then its effect is powerful in a deck such as Gardevoir. Once again, thanks to Ninetales, we can afford to play only one Wishful Baton and still ensure that we will find it during the game if we want it. Keep in mind that an opponent playing Ninetales can also find their Field Blower right when they need it!
  • Fairy Charms: In a Field Blower-less world, Gardevoir could even run the Fairy Charms. These are obviously specific anti-meta cards; still, it can be good to keep them in mind. For example, if we even find ourselves in a metagame where Buzzwole / Lycanroc is played but doesn’t run Field Blower, then Fairy Charm [F] could be the perfect card to run — mainly against Lycanroc-GX, since Alolan Ninetales-GX’s Sublimation GX gets rid of [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card].

In short: Gardevoir might make a comeback. I don’t want to sell this as a sure thing; Gardevoir’s revival has been mistakenly prophesied a number of times now, most recently before Worlds. Still, Ninetales is a significant boost to the deck. If you’re a Gardevoir fan, now is the best time to try it again. Be careful though — all of the deck’s main Pokemon have a Metal Weakness. You might think that’s irrelevant, but you would be wrong — a new Metal threat is on the rise…

Solgaleo-GX

Solgaleo-GX is a perfect example of a deck that would previously suffer from consistency issues. Thankfully, Alolan Ninetales-GX makes it more playable. According to an acquaintance of mine who lives in Japan, Solgaleo / Ninetales was one of the most popular decks even before SM8 (the Japanese set with Professor Elm’s Lecture, as well as Lost March, etc.). Although it’s true that it hasn’t done well in the Champions League in Tokyo, I wouldn’t jump to conclusions based on any single event, especially since, from what I’ve seen, the deck has continued to win Gym Battles since then.

Let’s look at what the deck can do. It has powerful Energy acceleration, the ability to one-shot any Pokemon with [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”from”][/card]’s Sunsteel Strike, no Weakness, unparalleled mobility thanks to Ultra Road, non-GX attackers, tankiness because of its 250 HP Pokemon, and healing options thanks to Max Potion and, if needed, Prominence GX. There’s really nothing the deck can’t do. Plus, Turbo Strike OHKOs an opposing Alolan Ninetales-GX thanks to Weakness, which is relevant.

I’ve seen several builds of the deck. The Pokemon lineup is already established, with a 2/2 split of Solgaleo-GX and a 3-2 or 3-3 line of Alolan Ninetales-GX. Non-GX options include [card name=”Solgaleo Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card], Dialga, and [card name=”Registeel” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card]. Dialga is particularly appealing against Pokemon that evolve from 60 HP Pokemon, such as [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] or opposing Solgaleo-GX. Such Pokemon should be more common now thanks to Professor Elm’s Lecture. Some lists also include a [card name=”Dhelmise” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card] in order to pump up the damage a little. In particular, it allows Solgaleo-GX to deal 130 damage with Turbo Strike, which is relevant against Giratina, [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], and Naganadel, among others.

The Supporter lineup varies a little more. Cynthia, [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] are must haves like in most decks. Professor Elm’s Lecture is great since [card name=”Cosmog” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] both have 60 HP, but I’ve seen people play any count from one to three. It’s the ideal turn one Supporter, similar to [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] in Zoroark-GX decks last season. However, you can’t discard the extra copies of Elm as easily as you could in a Zoroark deck, so there’s a cost in playing too many. A good thing to remember is that it is reasonable to play Mysterious Treasure in Solgaleo / Ninetales: this gives you more outs to a turn one Elm, and it can also get Cosmog or [card name=”Cosmoem” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card]. Other Supporters that could see play in the deck include Acerola, [card name=”Judge” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card], and even [card name=”Sophocles” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] in order to discard Energy cards for Turbo Strike.

With that in mind, here’s my take on the deck:

[decklist name=”Solgaleo” amt=”53″ caption=”” cname=”Dhelmise” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”59″][pokemon amt=”19″]2x Solgaleo-GX (PRSM #SM104)2x [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Cosmoem” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”65″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Cosmog” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”64″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x Alolan Ninetales-GX (Lost Thunder)3x [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Solgaleo Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Dialga (Lost Thunder)1x [card name=”Dhelmise” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”59″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”29″]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x Professor Elm’s Lecture (Lost Thunder)1x [card name=”Sophocles” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”142″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Multi Switch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Mt. Coronet” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]7x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]3x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Although most choices are self explanatory, I can discuss some of the more unusual cards:

[card name=”Multi Switch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] is an amazing card in a deck that has powerful attack-based Energy acceleration and the ability to switch freely between its attackers. After, say, a turn two Sol Burst GX, you could have a Solgaleo-GX from Sun & Moon, a promo Solgaleo-GX, and an Alolan Ninetales-GX all ready to attack. However, at this point, if you want to use another attacker, such as Dialga, you would need two turns to power it up. With Multi Switch, you can play Dialga, bring it to the Active spot thanks to Ultra Road, attach an Energy, and move a second one to it with Multi Switch. You can also use Multi Switch to recharge Solgaleo-GX more easily, and so on.

[card name=”Mt. Coronet” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] has two uses: the most obvious is that it gets you Energy back into your hand, which helps to power up your attackers. The second use is that it removes opposing Stadiums, especially Prism Star Stadiums that can’t be removed with [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]. This use will probably only get more important as the season progresses and better Stadiums are introduced. [card name=”Lysandre Labs” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] is another Stadium that would be decent in the deck in order to disturb the opponent’s setup.

The Pokemon search Item lineup I chose to play is not proven yet. Here as well, Timer Ball could be a good inclusion to get a Solgaleo-GX without having to discard cards.

In short: Solgaleo / Ninetales is one of the decks I’m most excited for. It theory, it has no obvious weakness — I mean, the Pokemon literally have no Weakness! We’ll have to see whether it works as well in practice, of course, but I would keep an eye on the deck.

Decidueye-GX

Pairing [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] with Alolan Ninetales-GX? That brings back memories! If you weren’t around when Guardians Rising was released, that combination was already popular at the time, although it used the original [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card]. I played it myself to a top 16 finish at the first North American International Championship, so the deck is dear to me. To give a brief explanation of the deck, the idea was to spread damage using Ice Blade and Feather Arrow to take KOs on any opposing Pokemon.

Now, it’s possible to play it with the new Ninetales! Like the original one, the Fairy-type Alolan Ninetales-GX can damage the Bench, so it acts as the main attacker of the deck. Shintaro Ito played the deck at the Champions League in Tokyo and got top 32 with it. His list is full of delightful tricks:

[decklist name=”Decidueye” amt=”52″ caption=”undefined” cname=”Mudkip” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”32″][pokemon amt=”18″]4x [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rowlet” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”9″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x Alolan Ninetales-GX (Lost Thunder)3x [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Swampert” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”35″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mudkip” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Larvitar (Lost Thunder)[/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x Professor Elm’s Lecture (Lost Thunder)2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”142″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Timer Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Net Ball (Lost Thunder)1x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Counter Gain (Lost Thunder)1x [card name=”Switch” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]4x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”XY” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”XY” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Boost Energy Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

(Shintaro Ito originally ran an Energy Spinner instead of the fourth Fairy Energy; I’ve made the change to adapt the deck to our Standard format.)

Look at this list! The 1-0-1 line of [card name=”Swampert” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”35″ c=”name”][/card] acts both as draw power and as a secondary attacker when equipped with [card name=”Super Boost Energy Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card]. Larvitar is a great innovation; it hits Zoroark-GX for Weakness but is also an efficient Basic attacker. With so much spread available in the deck, you can voluntarily keep yourself behind in Prizes by leaving opposing Pokemon alive with few HP in order to ensure that you will have access to Counter Gain and [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], then take the KO on them with Feather Arrow later. This strategy is also a great way to deny the opponent the use of [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] by going directly from five or six Prizes remaining to two.

Although I love the list, there are some changes that are worth considering:

[cardimg name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

  • More Grass Energy: A higher count of Grass Energy would allow the deck to make better use of Decidueye-GX. It might not seem like a great attacker, but with 240 HP it’s pretty tough, and Feather Arrows add a lot to its damage output. It’s also possible to include Life Forest Prism Star in order to make it tankier. It’s a bit of a risky inclusion if the opponent also plays Grass Pokemon such as Sceptile-GX because Decidueye relies on accumulating damage on the field; Life Forest could undo the damage from Feather Arrows.
  • [card name=”Energy Loto” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card]: Although Net Ball can get a Grass Energy, it might be worth including Energy Loto to get better access to other Energy cards. The issue is that the deck doesn’t play enough Fairy Energy to give Energy Loto decent odds to find one, so if you’re looking to attack with Alolan Ninetales-GX and need an Item to find a Fairy Energy, it would be a gamble.
  • The Water-type [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card]: It can still be effective to Knock Out low-HP Pokemon as soon as turn two, and Ice Path GX is a threat that forces the opponent to change their plans; if they, say, attack into it with Riotous Beating, that’s 120 damage you could bounce back in their face. From my experience running Decidueye / Ninetales, you rarely actually use Ice Path GX, you mostly use it to dissuade the opponent from attacking. Most importantly, what the Water-type Ninetales brings to the table is a counter to Fire-type Pokemon that threaten Decidueye-GX — mainly Blacephalon-GX. Sublimation GX and Swampert are already good answers, but both of these can only be used once — in Sublimation GX’s case because it’s a GX attack, and in Swampert’s case because you only run one and the opponent will KO it as soon as they can. With a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], Alolan Ninetales-GX deals 160 damage to Blacephalon, meaning you only need one Feather Arrow to finish it off. An ideal scenario would be to use Ice Blade for 160 on turn two, then Feather Arrow to finish the Blacephalon off and Sublimation GX to KO the next one on turn three, getting four Prizes in one turn and therefore preventing the use of Beast Ring.
  • [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]: This card has been good with Decidueye-GX in the past and it might still be worth running. For example, you might want to take a turn to use Hollow Hunt GX to get back some important cards. Your Decidueye-GX might take an attack that won’t be enough to KO it. Healing off that damage with Max Potion means you just got a free Hollow Hunt GX, plus 40 to 60 damage from Feather Arrow.
  • [card name=”Porygon-Z” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]: Decidueye / Ninetales’ damage output can be a bit low, especially against the massive HP of Stage 2 Pokemon. Originally, the plan in similar matchups was to use [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card]’s Miraculous Shine to devolve the opponent’s Pokemon, knocking them out thanks to the damage already on board. The main way to replicate that strategy in Standard would be a 1-0-1 line of Porygon-Z. I don’t think this would be realistic to pull off, but I wanted to mention that option because, if anyone manages to make it work, it would be the absolute coolest play.

In short: Decidueye / Ninetales was a skill-intensive deck, I loved it, and I’m glad to have it back in a new form. I’m a little concerned about how this deck will fare in the current format: Solgaleo / Ninetales is a difficult matchup even with Porygon-Z, Blacephalon / Naganadel seems dangerous, etc. That’s why I don’t want to hype Decidueye / Ninetales as the new BDIF. However, I think it has a lot of potential. For example, against [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], you can take KOs with Feather Arrow in order to avoid Spell Tag‘s effect, and the drawback of Giratina’s attack works actively to your advantage.

Buzzwole-GX

Unlike the other partners featured in this article, [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is not a Stage 2 Pokemon. It still works perfectly with Alolan Ninetales-GX because it, too, relies on a powerful Item: [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]. With Ninetales, you can play only two copies of Beast Ring and reliably have access to them when you need to. The synergy doesn’t stop there: Alolan Vulpix is searchable by [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card], just like Buzzwole-GX, [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. Jet Punch and Snowy Wind both deal damage to the Bench; combined, they can KO a [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] or similar Pokemon on the Bench in three attacks while still damaging the Active Pokemon. [card name=”Unit Energy FDY” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] can be used to power up any of your attackers. There’s so many reasons to run these together!

Whether to add [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] to the mix is another question, as including it and excluding it both have their merits. Against decks based on Ultra Beasts, Sublimation GX will be the better GX attack to use, so Lycanroc-GX doesn’t bring a lot to the table outside of its Ability, which can be replicated by Custom Catcher if needed. Against a deck like Malamar, Lycanroc-GX is an excellent attacker, being able to KO the biggest foes with Dangerous Rogue GX and the smaller ones with Claw Slash.

In an unknown metagame, I would prefer having the option to use Lycanroc-GX, so my list would probably look like this:

[decklist name=”Buzzwole” amt=”58″ caption=”” cname=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″][pokemon amt=”16″]4x [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Rockruff” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x Alolan Ninetales-GX (Lost Thunder)2x [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”31″]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lisia” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Switch” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”13″]8x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”XY” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]4x [card name=”Unit Energy FDY” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

[cardimg name=”Lisia” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”137″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Lisia” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] might be a surprising choice, but it’s one that’s found in many Japanese lists. It can find both Diancie Prism Star and [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] as soon as turn one, allowing Jet Punch to take early KOs and apply a lot of pressure. The heavier count of Buzzwole-GX and [card name=”Switch” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] also increases the odds of attacking on turn one.

Speaking of turn one, although Beacon is still an option in this list, it’s not the best one — that’s why we run only two Alolan Vulpix rather than the three that I run in most of my other lists. It’s also possible to include Ditto Prism Star to evolve into either Ninetales or Lycanroc as needed.

I would consider adding a Multi Switch in order to power up a Lycanroc-GX or Alolan Ninetales-GX in one turn. Playing some Double Colorless Energy is also possible in order to use Claw Slash more easily. Energy Loto could help to find Energy cards.

If you want to play a list without Lycanroc-GX, you’ll be more reliant on Ultra Beasts. On one hand, it means you’ll have a harder time with Sublimation GX and [card name=”Sceptile” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card]; but on the other hand, you can make better use of some of the Ultra Beast support. I would consider adding a third Beast Ring and maybe Lusamine Prism Star to the deck, as well as Custom Catchers.

In short: Buzzwole-GX is going nowhere. Alolan Ninetales-GX may not be required to play, but it improves the deck’s access to Beast Ring and gives it the ability to play tech Items like Field Blower and Multi Switch. With Zoroark-GX probably coming back thanks to Elm, Buzzwole / Lycanroc should find a solid spot in the metagame and, more than any other deck in this article, is sure to find many adepts thanks to its track record. Be prepared for it!

Outro

That’s all from me this week. I hope that this was enough to convince you of the incredible versatility of Alolan Ninetales-GX. There are probably even more decks that would benefit from it — if nothing else, it will probably be played with Zoroark-GX like every decent Stage 1 — but we’ll have to wait to find out which ones find the most success. One thing I’m sure of, though, is that in one way or another, the fairy fox will find its place in the metagame.

Until next week, best of luck in your games!

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