ABZard — Reshiram and Charizard with Abilities

[cardimg name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Going into Worlds I thought that [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] with Abilities was better than the [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card] build. Sadly, Tord Reklev lost in the semifinals, with our own Blaine Hill matching his finish; the jury is still out. Most recently, Robin Schulz played an updated version of the deck to a quarterfinals showing in England. The main identifying characteristic of these lists has been a non-GX attacker that can deal massive damage to one-shot even the likes of TAG TEAM Pokemon-GX. This is something that the Green’s Exploration list completely lacks and a clear advantage that you can bring to the table whenever facing a mirror match or other three-Prize Pokemon-reliant deck — you just get ahead on Prizes and win. Starting with Reklev’s list from Worlds, this deck has been a smashing favorite for Reshiram and Charizard-GX fans of the past; it’s been very popular at League Cup events for me lately. I believe that the updated of the deck is much better, but that’s up for debate. Let’s start with a short analysis of the Worlds list, the one that started it all over again with [card name=”Kiawe” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card]!

Deck Analysis

[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″][pokemon amt=”16″]2x [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Team Up” no=”16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Vulpix” set=”Team Up” no=”15″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Victini Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”7″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Turtonator” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Heatran-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”26″]4x [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Cherish Ball” set=”Unified Minds” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Heat Factory Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”18″]18x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”18″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

This list was a good start to where this deck wanted to go. Some of the cards are questionable like [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Shining Legends” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] and possibly even [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] (with thinner counts of important cards, perhaps playing more of those cards themselves would have been better.) One thing that was particularly disappointing was the low [card name=”Switch” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] count; without a full four the power of [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t optimized and I really missed having four in the games I’ve played with this list. The [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Team Up” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] is obviously a force to be reckoned with in this format and I’m glad someone saw its potential in a big way and made it work. High [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] counts in this format are really nice and this deck wants to go fast so the extra outs to Dedechange are also a welcomed addition. Most players wrote off [card name=”Heatran-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] with the release of Unified Minds, but Reklev and friends saw its potential and ran it in here. In addition, Shintaro Ito ran it in [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] so its strength has been made known and I expect to be seeing a lot more of it from here on out.

So why is this deck good? This build takes as much as it can from the Reshiram and Charizard-GX lists of last year with Kiawe. Kiawe has rotated of course, and without it, these types of decks lost a lot of their speed. To compensate you need to aggressively find [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] and in some cases even have a way to get more Welder back so you can use more than four in a game ([card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and/or [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card]). This deck also makes the best use of Ninetales of any deck in the format and has the flexibility to run a variety of tech attackers to have plenty of options for almost every scenario. This list makes the best use of non-GX Pokemon out there other than a pure non-GX deck like [card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] or something like [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] that attacks almost exclusively with non-GX Pokemon like [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]. So all in all this deck brings one-shot potential and a fast tempo together to forge a consistent and explosive deck like nothing else in the format.

Is it actually better than the Green’s Exploration version? I believe so, yes. It’s faster, more consistent, and hits for higher numbers. While the Green’s Exploration list is more methodical and perhaps might have a greater control on the game with techs and such, this list just goes as fast as possible, builds attackers, and hops to it. I like that this list has no problem finding attackers, which the Green’s Exploration list can have difficulty with. Simply put, I enjoy the one-shot potential so much, I think it’s needed in a format with decks like [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] that can one-shot anything you throw at them with [card name=”Magcargo-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s better overall with its speed and swaps cute techs for raw strength, a good trade if you ask me! Now for the updated list and banter all about it.

[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″][pokemon amt=”18″]2x [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Team Up” no=”16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Vulpix” set=”Team Up” no=”15″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Victini Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”7″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Turtonator” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Heatran-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”29″]4x [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Cherish Ball” set=”Unified Minds” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fiery Flint” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Heat Factory Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”13″]13x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”13″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Their new list includes buffed out counts of important cards, the removal of Super Scoop Up, and more. I really like what they did with it! There’s just a couple things I would change and I’ll get into those things after explaining the key components of the base list. Let’s do it!

Explanations

Four Jirachi

This deck is all in on Welder so when you don’t have one you want to do all you can to find one. One might argue that [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card] would be better in this slot, but for this deck there is not backup plan if you can’t attack with something. In those situations it’s better to just sacrifice a Pokemon, in which case Jirachi fits the bill. For that reason, Jirachi accomplishes two things at once, both serving as Pokemon fodder but also helping usher you along to finding Welder itself. Playing four boosts your starting odds and also gives you the opportunity to Stellar Wish multiple times in a turn, boosting your chances of finding Welder even more. Having four Switch goes hand in hand with this and gives you more Stellar Wish chances.

Three Vulpix and Two Ninetales

[cardimg name=”Ninetales” set=”Team Up” no=”16″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The third [card name=”Vulpix” set=”Team Up” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] is very nice. With [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] not being amazingly strong in this deck, you want to be able to find this very important Pokemon naturally as much as you can. Having a third copy helps you do just that and defends yourself against players that will seek to eliminate Vulpix as soon as they can. This is especially relevant in the [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] matchup! Two [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Team Up” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] is just fine because you’re not going to be looking to get multiple out in a game. Nine Temptations is an Ability you’ll only be using once a turn (don’t mess it up) and having two copies is for if you Prize one or if your opponent targets it down once it’s evolved.

Three Dedenne-GX

Dedechange speeds this deck along in more ways than even Jirachi can and gives you extra opportunities to find Welder. When you want to Welder in consecutive turns you’ll need more than just a few ways to draw cards. You’ll often find yourself using all three Dedechange Abilities in a game to whip through your deck and even get Fire Energy in the discard pile to boost the damage output of [card name=”Victini Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card].

[premium]

Two Reshiram and Charizard-GX

While there are only two copies this is still your main attacker. You’ll usually be using just one per game or one followed by another way later in the game after you use some of the rest of your supporting cast to offset the Prize trade. If you prize one you have so many other attackers that it’s no sweat off your back.

One Victini Prism Star, One Turtonator, and One Blacephalon

These are your non-GX attackers and each serves a unique purpose. Formerly, Victini Prism Star was the late game big hitter in this deck but with a lower Fire Energy count that’s not as much the case. However, it can flood your deck back up with Energy if you start to want more and that’s great for Welder as well as Nine Temptations. It can still smack for higher numbers but is mostly useful for recovery and trading with other non-GX Pokemon or lower HP Pokemon-GX. The [card name=”Turtonator” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] is for games where you can Welder in succession multiple turns or use Double Blaze GX and then have a [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] with a bunch of extra Energy. Explosive Jet gets those extra Energy out of play while dealing some big-time damage. The [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] fits perfectly alongside it and fulfills a different purpose: trading more aggressively against TAG TEAM Pokemon-GX decks. Say you’re up against Mewtwo and Mew-GX. You can’t reliably discard six Fire Energy from play with Explosive Jet in consecutive turns. However, you could do one six-Energy discard followed by a Fireball Circus from the hand for a one-hit Knock Out against two 270 HP TAG TEAM Pokemon-GX. Four [card name=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] makes the Blacephalon a powerhouse out of nowhere and with so many Jirachi to find the Fire Crystal you’ll be dealing huge damage with these little non-GX Pokemon in no time.

One Heatran-GX

The [card name=”Heatran-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] gives you better control over where your Fire Energy wind up. You can transition from a damaged attacker to Heatran-GX while gripping the reigns of what your opponent’s most worried about. This effectively changes the tempo of the game and forces your opponent’s attention away from finishing a big Knock Out when they have to worry about a new threat. Hot Burn GX can deal 250 for five Energy, whereas with Double Blaze GX you’re doing only 200 with five Energy on board. If you find yourself in a game where Double Blaze GX doesn’t seem like the play, Hot Burn GX can very well be a great option. Steaming Stomp isn’t going to one-shot big threats, but it can deal necessary chip damage and with 190 HP, Heatran-GX can usually take a hit before going down. It’s a very versatile card, another great attacking option for this toolbox-style deck.

Four Fire Crystal and Thirteen Fire Energy

This seems odd after the list started with eighteen Energy back at Worlds. Fire Crystal is needed to make Blacephalon work well and does nicely in this deck. Think if you just drop four for four Fire Crystal that seems like a fair exchange, and since Fire Crystal gets back three Energy at once, it’s like having more Energy overall if you think about it. That allows you to drop another in exchange for other important cards like the following.

One Reset Stamp

It is clear that [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] is a great card in this format and this deck sometimes needs to make a comeback. It’s a more linear deck, so if its strategy goes awry you want options. Reset Stamp shores up your mirror match (the [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card] version) even more, you now have a clear advantage. With many of your matchups being TAG TEAM Pokemon-GX Prize trades a Reset Stamp gives you another way to come back which is always welcome. I like a single copy a lot and wouldn’t even mind having a second!

One Pal Pad

I don’t like [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] but there’s a better option available. Stay tuned…

One Fiery Flint

It’s nice to have a non-Stadium option to find Fire Energy. A [card name=”Fiery Flint” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] can also set up a powerful [card name=”Victini Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] Infinity turn when followed by a Dedechange. This is one of the more flexible spots in the list and I could see cutting it for something more unique and different — something the list doesn’t “kind of” already have (in the form of [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card]).

Options

Mew

If you’re having trouble in the [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] matchup you should add this in. It doesn’t really have any use outside of that so I can’t say I’m a big fan of it. The Pikachu and Zekrom-GX matchup is already fine with so many [card name=”Switch” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] to get out of paralysis and you have many different ways to one-shot a full HP TAG TEAM Pokemon-GX of your opponent’s.

Mewtwo

[cardimg name=”Mewtwo” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”75″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

I love this card. It’s better than Pal Pad and I really like it in this deck too. Mind Report can put a [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] directly on top of your deck and then you can Stellar Wish and get it. Granted, the card is slightly worse in this deck than it is in a [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] deck (thanks to [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card]), but it’s great nonetheless. I could possibly see both a Pal Pad and a Mewtwo in here, but Pal Pad has always been weak since whenever you play it you either are already to the point in the game where you don’t need more Welder (game is almost over) or you can’t get enough value out of it (early on before a Welder is even in the discard pile). With only one copy of Pal Pad there’s no telling when you’ll draw it and the chances of finding it at an ideal time and then also finding the Welder thereafter are slim. I prefer Mewtwo, try it out!

Tapu Fini

Similar to Mew, this is a matchup-specific tech for [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card]. This deck has so many non-GX attackers that you already trade favorably enough, so I don’t think it’s necessary.

Volcanion

Another non-GX, one that I don’t think is needed either. I just wanted to point out some of the different options you could play, but I’m not a supporter of many of them. This can speed up your game plan with an early Flare Starter, but it’s hard to pull off with just [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] as your way to find [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] itself and you don’t want to play too many of them and decrease your [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] starting percentages. I would skip this one as well!

Zebstrika (with Ditto Prism Star)

Now this I like because it’s great against control decks. The entire goal of [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] Control is to put your opponent’s hand to zero and start controlling their topdeck. With [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card] you can draw back up to a hand of four and continue putting on pressure and taking Knock Outs. [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] can just be subbed in place of a [card name=”Vulpix” set=”Team Up” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card], so it’s just one spot to fit the Zebstrika. Pretty neat if I do say so myself, so if you’re ever expecting some control matchups I would advise you play this guy.

Matchups and Playing the Deck

Blacephalon-GX / Naganadel: Slightly Favorable

This matchup is swung in your favor slightly with your non-GX options. All of them can one-shot a Blacephalon-GX in their own right. Leading the game with one of them is your best bet, preferably your non-GX Blacephalon. Move into a [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] next for another two Prizes, and either finish with Victini Prism Star or [card name=”Turtonator” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card]. This matchup is very simple given the Prize-trading aspect of it and you have no choice but to play into [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]. Just trade Prizes, remember you have a lot of options, and even use [card name=”Heatran-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] in a pinch if you need to. You can alternatively opt to Knock Out a [card name=”Naganadel” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] or two to start the Prize trade to make it harder for your opponent to even take a Knock Out with Mind Blown.

Control: Unfavorable (without Zebstrika)

Without Zebstrika these matchups are mostly a wash. With it, you have all the options to attack that you could possibly need. You’ll have ways to find Switch and take all six of your Prizes. Against something like [card name=”Shedinja” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] you’ll have a cakewalk with [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Team Up” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] and against a [card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] deck you can use your [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] and/or Turtonator to one-shot it.

Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX: Favorable

You are playing your opponent’s worst matchup, don’t screw up and let them win. You can one-shot with your non-GX Pokemon, you have Jirachi to recover from Magical Miracle GX — but your opponent should never even get to that point if you’re applying the pressure you should be, taking Knock Outs, and in turn removing Energy from play for your opponent. Reshiram and Charizard-GX can Double Blaze GX for a one-hit Knock Out and you can either two-shot from there or go for a big Blacephalon or Turtonator play to finish things. Going for the two-shot route is sketchy because [card name=”Xerneas-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] can play some trickery with Sanctuary GX — I prefer the one-shot method.

Mewtwo and Mew-GX: Roughly Slightly Favorable (with Blacephalon)

[cardimg name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Blacephalon gives you a reactionary threat that your opponent cannot address. With the right hand you can one-shot a Mewtwo and Mew-GX right like that and don’t forget that you have your Double Blaze GX and Explosive Jet options as well. [card name=”Victini Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t as great as it once was because of all the [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] running around but the Blacephalon really carries you. Of course this is still very close, the new [card name=”Charizard-GX” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] can immediately one-shot with its GX attack and that makes it hard to loop [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] together as much as you ought to. That’s why I like [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] so much, it gives you more opportunities to get consecutive Welder plays. Look into that if you have issues with this matchup! Being as aggressive as you can with either opening with Blacephalon, then going into Reshiram and Charizard-GX (or ending the game with Blacephalon). Just make sure you follow the Reshiram and Charizard-GX with Turtonator to Explosive Jet the Energy off it — provided it wasn’t one-shot in return. Get the most value out of your Energy as you can!

Malamar: Slightly Favorable

You have Ninetales to move up [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] over and over and that should be the strategy you go for. Any of your Pokemon can attack, but Heatran-GX is the most balanced one to use starting off. If a Reshiram and Charizard-GX gets damaged you can go for some Outrage Knock Outs. To finish the game you can use your non-GX Pokemon to take the last few Prizes you need. A [card name=”Jynx” set=”Team Up” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] can screw up your Ninetales plans so try to get two Vulpix down if you can. Ninetales is your carry, go for it!

Pikachu and Zekrom-GX: Roughly Even

Like many matchups, you just have more ways to take one-hit Knock Outs than your opponent. Notably, some of those are non-GX which screw up the Prize trade for your opponent. Starting with a Reshiram and Charizard-GX for Double Blaze GX is a good rule of thumb because it will burn your opponent’s GX attack (probably) to one-shot it and then from there you will have a much easier time dodging anything your opponent can do. If you’re not under pressure it’s much easier to Fireball Circus for one-hit Knock Outs or use Explosive Jet to get things done. If the pressure if too overwhelming, this is another matchup where Mewtwo can be useful to “guarantee” you have enough early Welder to build attackers and respond to what your opponent does.

Reshiram and Charizard-GX Mirror: Even

The mirror match has a lot to do with the techs each player has. Some players may not have the [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] still, or have opted to drop [card name=”Turtonator” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] from their list. If that happens you’ll be a favorite, but the matchup is just a more smash-mouth Prize trade with no margin for error. You must find Welder early and often after. Avoid putting two [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] down so your opponent doesn’t have to Knock Out just two Pokemon. Ride your non-GX Pokemon for all they’ve got and try to take exactly six Prizes. Don’t complicate things by taking unnecessary Knock Outs. Focus on the Pokemon you want to take out and finish those. Usually it’s something like one Reshiram and Charizard-GX, one [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], and one non-GX of some kind (maybe a [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]). The [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card] version of the matchup is more easy with your [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] to disrupt your opponent late game and screw up their hand of resources. Value your Reset Stamp as much as you can and avoid discarding it because it can carry you late game if you fall behind somehow. Your non-GX Pokemon are again amazingly strong, especially Blacephalon; it must be two-shot by a [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] so your opponent’s non-GX Pokemon don’t even trade favorably with it. Mirrors, as they often are, are big Prize trade matchups — this one is no different.

Conclusion

This deck has secured a place in the metagame and looks to be a top contender moving forward. Many players have mained Reshiram and Charizard-GX since its release and this deck will be a fan favorite for sure. I prefer this one to the Green’s Exploration build because of its explosivity and raw strength. Check this deck out if you want an entry-level way to win games in this format. The better you get with the more games you’ll win from avoiding mistakes. As always, thanks for reading and take care. Hit me up with questions in the Subscribers’ Hideout!

Peace,

Caleb

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