Peeking at Victory — Learning Zoroark-GX First Turn Hand Lock

“Exodia”, as it’s called, is any archetype that aims to achieve a hard or soft win condition on the first turn of the game, ideally being the player to go first to prevent the opponent from ever doing anything to disrupt the strategy (usually a combination of cards that create a nearly unbeatable scenario). [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] is by and far one of the best cards in the game, so why not make a Zoroark-GX deck using an Exodia strategy? There’s no reason not to, and DeAndre Holmes and Le Bui have both shown us exactly how strong this archetype can be when paired with Trade.

So, first off, how does this work? One of the Exodia strategies is to kill your opponent’s hand. One way to do this in Pokemon is with the following three-card combination: [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] (or [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] and its Let Loose), followed by [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card], then a [card name=”Peeking Red Card” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]. This will leave your opponent with one card, but if you choose to put your opponent’s hand (should we even call a single card that?) into the deck after playing Peeking Red Card, the odds of redrawing a playable card are extremely slim. While your opponent will still be able to draw a card for the turn, a hand of two is tough to make playable and it’s unlikely that much will come of it. There are other ways to take this even further like [card name=”Absol” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Aipom” set=”Steam Siege” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trumbeak” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”165″ c=”custom”]Trumbeak[/card], or [card name=”Trick Shovel” set=”Flashfire” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card], but those are even more cards to ask for on top of a generous combination that can be tricky to pull off as it is.

Is this even balanced? As an opinion it doesn’t matter, but, no, I do not believe it is. If there is some justification for why this combo shouldn’t be banned immediately, it’s that it can be difficult to procure, so this isn’t a guaranteed combination by any means. The sad reality is that Expanded is full of so many draw cards that it will happen more often than not, so it is what it is. This is a deck built for the early turns, a bit of a midgame, but not much of a later one. Hopefully you’ve gotten to a winning position by then so your poor late game won’t come back to bite you. The draw to Zoroark-GX in a deck like this is to give it an attacker than can one-shot almost anything and an attacker that can carry you a bit past the first few turns.

To set the scene, let’s take a different Exodia concept for example: [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Milotic” set=”Flashfire” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card]. This deck aims to do something similar: to use Energy Grace to power up a Marshadow-GX which then copies [card name=”Dialga-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card] from the discard pile to use Timeless GX. This effectively allows you to play two Supporters — an [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] (since you’re down on Prize cards after Energy Grace) on the first turn, then a Delinquent on the second. This might seem like an unbeatable strategy in theory, but in practice it doesn’t always work. If your opponent happens to hit a small stroke of luck they can immediately offset this “wombo combo” by drawing a playable card, then punishing your fragile deck. Marshadow-GX isn’t a tank by any means and after you’ve floored the gas so hard that you’re left with scraps for the remains of your deck, well, the story doesn’t end well.

Zoroark-GX sets itself up for success with this sort of deck using draw cards like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Order Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], and others. Once the combination has been achieved, you’ll have a solid base to build off on your second turn and those to come with Trade, draw Supporter cards like [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card], and maybe a spare Shaymin-EX that you didn’t have to play. The idea here is to give yourself a second opportunity to build the lock if need be. Say your opponent draws out of it once — maybe they won’t be as lucky the second time around. You have Trade and more to dig through your deck a bit more to reach the degenerate combination of cards once more, and, if you have to, you can use [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] to go the extra mile with Resource Management to recover any missing pieces. If all goes well you’ll be using Riotous Beating by your second turn for one-hit Knock Outs and getting too far ahead for your opponent to ever recover. To sum it up, Zoroark-GX is the best partner for the Exodia strategy, and I expect this deck to quickly become a large part of the metagame moving forward to Texas Regionals and other Expanded format events.

Humble Beginnings

[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″][pokemon amt=”18″]4x [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”38″]2x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ 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=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Peeking Red Card” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Here’s the exact list that DeAndre Holmes used in Oregon for a commendable Top 16 finish. While it should have immediately sent shockwaves through the community that a deck like this existed with Zoroark-GX, it truly didn’t and went into California again as a sleeper pick.

Using this list as a baseline, some of the basic ideas were to use Marshadow more heavily as a way to axe your opponent’s hand and then to use [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card] as a way to recover from drawing a bad hand of your own from Let Loose. In theory this might seem strong, but it’s a fancy combination that doesn’t always work and takes up valuable space that could be invested elsewhere. While I like the idea, it’s clear to say that this was a starting point. Aside from that, this list doesn’t have many differences from this newer one; [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] becomes [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”custom”]Faba[/card], obviously, and a few other tweaks were made.

Here’s the concept, though. Let’s get into some further explaining of Le Bui’s Top 4 build.

[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″][pokemon amt=”19″]4x [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]2x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ 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=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Peeking Red Card” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Black and White” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Some major overhaul took place here, swapping out the Unown for better cards and fine-tuning some other pieces of the list. [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Black and White” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], and the fourth [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] to name a few. I think this is pretty close to optimal for this archetype. In a little bit I’ll share my own list with some wacky changes of my own.

[premium]

Four Zorua from Shining Legends

Also, if you’re not one to own [card name=”Zorua” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”70″ c=”custom”]Zorua with Paralyzing Gaze[/card], this is the deck for you! This might be the only Zoroark-GX in the Expanded format where I believe that [card name=”Zorua” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM83″ c=”custom”]Zorua with Ram[/card] is optimal; this deck wants to win quickly so any extra amount of guaranteed damage output for a pre-Evolution Pokemon like Zorua is best. Essentially, if you’re using Paralyzing Gaze in this deck you’re probably losing anyways, hence while it might still be useless most of the time, the best value from a Zorua that you can get in this deck is going to be from dealing damage, hence the decision to use Ram.

Four Shaymin-EX [cardimg name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This is a combo deck, one that wants to complete a puzzle every first or second turn. It is imperative that four Shaymin-EX are played (not Unown) to ensure that you can fly through your deck with as much ease as possible. The nice thing here is if you don’t use all four on your first turn you can save them for later to pull off the lock once more.

One Seismitoad-EX

This is another way to establish the lock, potentially slowing your opponent midgame to start chaining [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card], or as a way to solidify your own setup early. The issue with [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] is that it’s not going to be taking Knock Outs immediately and you won’t be using it every game. This deck wins almost every time the combo goes off and you set up decently well so I would rather have another consistency card in place of Seismitoad-EX to help execute the strategy more efficiently.

One Sudowoodo

Nice against mirror matches, if you can start with this you can stop your opponent in their tracks from doing much of anything. Also against Zoroark-GX decks in general if you get [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] down and complete the lock they aren’t going to have much room to do anything about it; even if they draw out of the lock, don’t expect wonders and especially don’t expect your opponent to take a Knock Out. With Sudowoodo you can buy yourself time to complete the lock again on a later turn if needed.

One Exeggcute

Normally a mainstay in Zoroark-GX decks, the original list opted not to play [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card]. I think it should have been in there because it makes all of your discarding effects cost nothing at all and it helps you speed through your deck with little risk of getting in too deep by spending valuable resources to serve as discard fodder.

One Ditto Prism Star and One Alolan Muk

These go hand in hand together. [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”custom”]Ditto Prism Star[/card] works as a “fifth” Zorua in this deck and also gives you the option to stop your opponent’s Abilities of Basic Pokemon. This is uniquely strong because it can stop some of the only things that would otherwise beat you like [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Shining Legends” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Shuckle-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”17″ c=”custom”]Shuckle-GX[/card], [card name=”Xurkitree-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM68″ c=”name”][/card], and more. [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] stopping Abilities also shuts off Shaymin-EX and [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] — ways your opponent could get back into the game after you complete the lock.

[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″][pokemon amt=”18″]3x [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Trumbeak” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”38″]2x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/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=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Peeking Red Card” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Black and White” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

[card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] is too slow for this deck, another piece to the lock that doesn’t alter consistency is wanted, and buffing out some of the preexisting consistency counts is a necessary measure. Putting all of this together you have the list I’ve been testing.

[card name=”Trumbeak” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”165″ c=”custom”]Trumbeak[/card] is cool to search following the combo and give yourself an idea of what’s to come. Depending on what you see you can play a little differently if necessary, and at best you can remove a Supporter card from the mix that will further delay your opponent’s efforts. It’s better than [card name=”Trick Shovel” set=”Flashfire” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] because you can search it out of the deck with Pokemon search cards, allowing you to find it much more easily. [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] makes more sense than Tapu Lele-GX since you’re running [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and create another out to find it by playing Level Ball.

Goals and Rhetoric

[cardimg name=”Peeking Red Card” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”169″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This deck is completely based around completing the lock. If you miss it you’ll be in a bit of trouble; unlike other [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] decks, your list is based primarily off of a speed engine to burn through your deck with little respect for the late game. Playing [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] can help a little, but it doesn’t fit with the general strategy and is usually unnecessary. Again, we are all in on the first or second turn lock while ideally saving a [card name=”Peeking Red Card” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Red Card” set=”XY” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] for later if you need to reestablish the lock for a deck that breaks out either with Ability draw or with a lucky top deck. Alolan Muk gives you a bit of a midgame by allowing you to keep it close with opposing Zoroark-GX decks that have a Sudowoodo, and you can continue to slow your opponent down with it and give yourself enough time to get the combination off.

This deck is good because it doesn’t give your opponent a chance to play the game, and decks like that are naturally good — if your opponent has no option but to pass after seeing their top deck, you’ve got a recipe for success. Obviously, this deck is incredibly weak to [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] with Bide Barricade, so if that card ever becomes a viable tech in something other than [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] this deck could be in trouble. For now Wobbuffet is nonexistent and I think that this deck will continue to be in the top tier until that changes. The game also doesn’t offer many options for Basic-Pokemon-based draw other than Oranguru, which only draws three cards, so as long as your opponent doesn’t have a chance to evolve into [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] or Zoroark-GX there won’t be many opportunities to draw extra cards during a turn after the opening draw.

Zoroark-GX is strong — that doesn’t take explaining. Pairing it with a degenerate concept like this is a match made in heaven. Other decks have tried this win condition like the earlier mentioned [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Milotic” set=”Flashfire” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card], but another comes to mind: [card name=”Glaceon-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card]. That deck didn’t pan out for similar reasons because it doesn’t hit for much damage and has nearly no way to win after an opponent draws out of the lock. Zoroark-GX, however, can smack almost anything for a one-hit Knock Out even if the deck does recover to which you will have ample time to rebuild the lock. It’s an amazing concept that can still “play the game” even if the combo fails, albeit as a more fragile Zoroark-GX deck, but a Riotous Beating monster nonetheless.

Options

This list is polished so only a few options come to mind, but those cards are as follows: [card name=”Alolan Grimer” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Order Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card]. Each has a unique use so let’s take a second to talk about each.

Alolan Grimer is a way to get Alolan Muk out against Ability lock decks, and also another way to ensure that you can get it out when you need it. It has synergy with Mysterious Treasure, which is purely another consistency card that can bolster your odds of hitting the first turn combo — you might want to switch back to Tapu Lele-GX if you do this.

As for Hoopa-EX, this is a throwback to older decks that relied on [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], much like this one. You can Scoundrel Ring out multiple Shaymin-EX and have the means to fly through your deck all at once without having to dig for more Shaymin-EX using [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] and such.

Finally, Order Pad is a weird inclusion, one that I’m uncertain of. It would almost certainly replace [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], not supplement it, but it’s another way to find the combo pieces and with it you can have a true guarantee of finding what you need (with a heads) rather than a random chance from Trainers’ Mail. Trainers’ Mail still might be the safer bet since it can find Sky Field and Order Pad cannot unless you use it to find [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] and then use that for the Stadium.

I’m just spit-balling some things to think about here. This should give you folks a look into some of the out-there thoughts I’ve had about this deck!

Ordering and Playing Openings

So ordering, sequencing, whatever — always a fun topic. This deck needs to get the combo on an early turn, often the first turn. How can you play most optimally to do so? Well let’s prioritize the big three cards: Delinquent, Peeking Red Card, and Red Card. With them you create the lock, so let’s think some things through. Using a draw Supporter is out of the question, so with our draw needing to remain Ability- and Item-based, it’s best to put your all into every move like you’re playing solitaire, because you kind of are. Always be looking for your next Shaymin-EX out — one might be good, but if you don’t have another way to do another Set Up afterwards, you could hit a wall. Decks like these can fizzle out without the right scripting to play. Thin, thin, thin. Battle Compressor can discard Delinquent to set up a play later on, but I’d only do that if you have both in deck.

[cardimg name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Let’s talk about Marshadow. Let Loose accomplishes the same goal as Red Card, but, truly, it can be a huge risk. If you don’t draw a follow-up way to either Delinquent or draw more cards with Set Up, you could instantly brick and be put in a bad spot. I would only do this as a last ditch effort or if your deck is incredibly thin with lots of outs to complete the combo. The card is certainly still worth playing for further down the road when you have Zoroark-GX in play to complete the combo for a second time if you need to. That’s the beauty of this deck, you can still lock your opponent out of the game if you stumble at first; going first is a huge advantage because you’ll effectively have two chances to get the lock down before your opponent can play something down like a Stage 1 Pokemon that has Ability-based draw.

Practice getting the combo off, even on the second turn, over and over until you feel you have it down. This is a deck that is adaptable for unique situations, but it’s one that you can get the gist of by playing hands against yourself. I would highly recommend doing this until you can’t do it anymore before playing this deck for an event.

Conclusion

Alright folks, I’ve said all I can about this deck. It’s a lot of fun to build the lock but not a lot of fun for your opponent. It’s a deck that’s easy to get the hang of with some practice, even if not with an opponent, so for those that are in need of an Expanded format deck for upcoming events this is the one for you. It might be the best deck right now, with truly an answer for everything if you can complete the combo on the first or second turn, or, heck, even at some random point in the game so long as your opponent doesn’t have Ability-based draw in play. Good luck with it! Let me know if you have any further questions in the Subscribers’ Hideout.

Peace,

Caleb

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