Hit And Run, the Trashy Version — The New Expanded Hitmonchan
[cardimg name=”Hitmonchan” set=”Team Up” no=”74″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
The Standard metagame has been evolving lately. Top-pick [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] was a popular deck is now abandoned by most top players. Perhaps it’s due to its highroll nature: if you draw well, the deck is impressive. But if you don’t (for example, if you don’t hit a [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] early), it’s underwhelming. At least, that’s what drove me away from the deck. In addition, the rising popularity of [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] (some decks are now playing a full four copies) means that Welder-based decks are not as strong as they used to be. Because of the need to get Welder and Fire Energy cards in the same hand, Reset Stamp is particularly effective against them.
On the other hand, [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] Control, and [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] have all shown to be reliable and powerful decks. As you’ve probably noticed by now, Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX is my personal preference, but any of these four decks has a shot at winning any given event. [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Naganadel” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] comes close, and is mostly held back by [card name=”Tapu Fini” set=”Unified Minds” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]. However, if people choose to cut Tapu Fini from their decks, then Blacephalon-GX will become a real contender.
And then, of course, there’s [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card]. Two very different variants of the deck won the two Regionals in Cologne and Atlantic City, played by some of the world’s best players. Azul Garcia Griego’s list fits into to the Perfection variant that won Worlds and kept doing well afterwards. Whereas Tord Reklev’s deck was much more innovative, using such unexpected cards as [card name=”Shedinja” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lysandre Labs” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Weakness Guard Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”213″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hapu” set=”Unified Minds” no=”200″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Red’s Challenge” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”184″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ve noticed more players have been experimenting with [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card] and Hapu, making their lists closer to what we expected the archetype to look like before Worlds.
I’ve been disenchanted by the Perfection variant for a while since the deck feels unreliable. You need to hit Welder to function, and you don’t get it in hand all the time. That’s why Tord’s list, which runs more Supporters and relies on [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM104″ c=”name”][/card]’s Turbo Strike to accelerate Energy, is much more appealing to me. I’m not sure about some of the choices (mainly Shedinja and Weakness Guard Energy) but I think that this approach—more Supporters, less focus on using Welder, and a slower game plan with more emphasis Turbo Strike—is the better one.
At this point, I wish I had a good Mewtwo and Mew-GX list to unveil, but I haven’t played the deck much. I will definitely focus most of my efforts on it in the coming weeks, as I feel it could be a great play for the Nanterre (Paris) Special Event in November. For now that’s all for my thoughts, in Standard, at least.
When I’m tired of Standard, I try to play a few games of Expanded to keep up with that format. So much has changed since the latest Expanded events that the metagame is in an unknown state. To help you get a better understanding of the format, I’ll talk about a deck I’ve been playing ever since it’s been legal.
Hitmonchan / Wobbuffet — What Has Changed?
[cardimg name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I attended the first Expanded Regional after the release of Team Up back in March, in Toronto. Long-time readers may recall that I was enthusiastic about the new [card name=”Hitmonchan” set=”Team Up” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] archetype, and wrote all about it before the event. Although that article is dated, don’t hesitate to give it a look if you’re looking for an introduction to the deck!
I did end up playing the deck in the tournament, getting Top 32 with it and only repeatedly losing to [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]. Moving forward, Jon Eng, who worked with me on the initial list kept refining the deck and made Day 2 with it at every Expanded Regional, finally reaching Top 8 at the last one in Hartford.
Hitmonchan / Wobbuffet relies on the simple idea of having Wobbuffet as your Active Pokemon. It’s Bide Barricade Ability shuts down popular Abilities such as [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card]’s Deluge, [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]’s Set Up, [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]’s Trade, etc. Many decks in Expanded rely on Abilities and Wobbuffet can singlehandedly shut them down. The most reliable attacker in the deck is Hitmonchan, which can hit for up to 90 damage for one Energy card (thanks to [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]) and hide back behind Wobbuffet. The deck can run secondary attackers, usually Ultra Beasts which can have some very powerful effects for only one Energy card (think [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Nihilego” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card]).
[premium]
Currently, Expanded has got some new powerful cards and more counters to Wobbuffet. One of the most dangerous attackers in the game, Mewtwo and Mew-GX, is Psychic-type and therefore not affected by Wobbuffet’s Ability. This is an issue because it might become the main attacker in the popular [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] Blastoise deck. With only two Energy, Mewtwo and Mew-GX can copy [card name=”Kingdra-GX” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card]’s Hydro Pump to KO Wobbuffet, so Deluge isn’t needed. In addition, there are attempts to make Toolbox decks based on Mewtwo and Mew-GX, and these decks can use attacks such as [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card]’s Flash Ray to prevent our Pokemon from dealing damage.
One possible solution to Mewtwo and Mew-GX is [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card]. Although slightly redundant with Wobbuffet, it is helpful not only against Mewtwo and Mew-GX but against [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] too, the one popular support Pokemon that Wobbuffet doesn’t cover. With Power Plant in play, Mewtwo and Mew-GX can neither use Hydro Pump or Flash Ray. Provided the Stadium sticks, it will probably whiff an attack at some point. Fortunately, Expanded decks don’t usually run as many Stadiums as Standard decks, although [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] (and sometimes [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]) exists.
Another card that can give Wobbuffet trouble is [card name=”Stealthy Hood” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card], which can be attached to a Pokemon to make it unaffected by Wobbuffet’s Bide Barricade. Stealthy Hood on Blastoise means it can use Deluge without any trouble. We can run Field Blower to remove Stealthy Hood but if the opponent already has six Energy cards in play, then it’s too late and Stealthy Hood has done its job anyway.
To combat these new threats, I think that the best thing to do is add an old friend to the deck: Trashalanche [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. Instead of relying on Wobbuffet for the whole game, we now add another non Pokemon-GX attacker that can take over the game in a few quick attacks. Garbodor is the best choice for a few reasons. First, its damage output is crazy, especially in the Expanded formats where Item counts can get very high thanks to [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] replacing Supporters and decks relying on Abilities for draw power. It’s reasonable to expect Garbodor’s Trashalanche attack to OHKO Tag Team Pokemon in the late game. It’s especially strong against Mewtwo and Mew-GX because of Weakness too. Second, Garbodor is an Evolution Pokemon so it can counter Jolteon-EX’s Flash Ray, [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”6″ c=”name”][/card] BUS, and basically any other card that would otherwise be an issue for the deck.
Garbodor improves matchups against other decks too. For example, [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] has been a decently popular deck that has a good matchup against Hitmonchan / Wobbuffet. However, the addition of Trashalanche Garbodor means we now have enough powerful attackers to take six Prizes in six attacks.
I’m enjoying the addition of [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] to the deck in order to help against Mewtwo and Mew-GX. Dimension Valley lets Wobbuffet hit for one Energy, which is relevant against the high-HP Tag Teams which Hitmonchan can’t 2HKO. For example, if Hitmonchan hits Mewtwo and Mew-GX for 90 damage with Hit and Run, then Wobbuffet’s Psychic Assault is a KO on the next turn. Dimension Valley lets you use [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card]’s Tool Drop more easily. It’s a surprisingly decent attack!
The changes in the deck are not limited to older cards. Hitmonchan / Wobbuffet gained plenty of new toys to play with as well. One of these is [card name=”Pheromosa and Buzzwole-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”1″ c=”name”][/card], a great inclusion in this one-Prize deck because it gives the deck a GX attack to use and a way to win the Prize race against another one-Prize deck by getting two Prizes in one attack.
The New List
With all that taken into account and taking inspiration from some Japanese decklists, this is what I’m currently playing with:
[decklist name=”Hitmonchan” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″][pokemon amt=”16″]4x [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Hitmonchan” set=”Team Up” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”65″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Noble Victories” no=”48″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pheromosa and Buzzwole-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”1″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ 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=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Adventure Bag” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”167″ 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]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]4x [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Many of the choices in the deck have not changed this its first iteration and you can read about them in my initial article. However, I would like to clarify some inclusions.
Two Trubbish PLS, One Trubbish NVI and Two Garbodor
[cardimg name=”Trubbish” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”65″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
With Dimension Valley in the deck, the Tool Drop version is the best [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] to use. In [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor, I like to include a copy of the Garbage Collection [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Noble Victories” no=”48″ c=”name”][/card], because it can have some unexpected uses. I wouldn’t blame you if you decided to play only Tool Drop Trubbish. I only run two Garbodor because of the lack of space, but I could see adding a third one if the meta is full of aggressive Tag Team decks.
One Buzzwole
While I did cut most of the secondary attackers to have space for the Garbodor line, [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] is too good not to include. It can use any Energy in the deck and hits for 160 easily with [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card].
One Oranguru
One of the deck’s most important cards. It’s common for the opponent to play a late-game [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] (or [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card]) and [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] provides a way to draw out of it.
The Supporter Lineup and Four VS Seeker
Because of the lack of strong draw Abilities (Oranguru is more of a protection against hand disruption than an actual draw Ability), we need to play a high number of Supporters in the deck. After all, we don’t have [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]. To be honest, I’m not sure that it is necessary to play four [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck. Their spots might be better used for additional Supporters. VS Seeker is definitely a strong card and having a way to use more [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] is strong, but I could see cutting them down to two or three since, unlike [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] decks, we don’t have a way to make immediate use of it in the early game.
One Ultra Ball
Although we don’t want to discard too many cards, one [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] is necessary so we can search for Garbodor. I don’t think we need any more than this and I could see removing the Ultra Ball for the third Garbodor, although that would remove the option to search it with [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card].
Four Strong Energy, Four Rainbow Energy and One Psychic Energy
With the inclusion of Garbodor in the deck, I had to replace [card name=”Prism Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card], which fortunately doesn’t matter most of the time. I removed [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] as well due to the low amount of Ultra Beasts in the deck. Instead, the one copy of Psychic Energy makes Garbodor’s Trashalanche easier to use. It can be searched with an opponent’s [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card], which is more relevant than you’d expect. This is especially important against [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] .
Other options
Given the difficulty of testing Expanded, especially in an area that doesn’t favor the format, I make no guarantees that the list above is optimal. In order to help you improve it and adapt to what you expect to face, here is a (non-exhaustive) list of other possible options for the deck.
Kartana UNB
This is one of the many non-GX Ultra Beasts that have a powerful effect for one Energy. In Expanded, [card name=”Kartana” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”19″ c=”name”][/card] might be more important than any of the others because of its Grass typing. This means it can be used against [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Magikarp and Wailord-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM166″ c=”name”][/card] (and most other attackers in the Archie’s Blastoise deck), [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] and more.
Hitmonlee
[cardimg name=”Hitmonlee” set=”Team Up” no=”73″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Although the [card name=”Hitmonchan” set=”Team Up” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hitmonlee” set=”Team Up” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hitmontop” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] combo is bad, a single copy of Hitmonlee in a deck that attacks with Hitmonchan most of the time makes a lot of sense. It’s especially useful in the mirror match and against other one-Prize decks such as Night March. The card is better with [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] so that it can be used more effectively to finish off damaged Pokemon-GX or EX (or OHKO a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] with only two damage counters from Shrine of Punishment). If you dare, you can add a [card name=”Wide Lens” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] so that Hitmonlee can OHKO a [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench. I can’t objectively recommend it, but it will definitely catch your opponent off guard!
Nihilego
Another non Pokemon-GX attacker, for [card name=”Nihilego” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] to work your opponent has to have exactly two Prizes left and have a Pokemon on the board with an attack you want to copy. That said, there are situations where Nihilego can definitely save the day by copying a great attack, and it could be worth having it so you can copy [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card]’s Miraculous Duo GX attack for a KO thanks to Weakness.
Hoopa
Hitmonchan / [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card]’s main issue used to be [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]. Here, [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Unified Minds” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] helps a lot in that matchup by being hard to KO and OHKOing Trevenant for one Energy. I don’t know if Trevenant will be relevant—I would assume no, but it’s surprised me more than once—but if you think you’ll face it, you should definitely include Hoopa.
Garbodor BKP
Given that this deck runs many Tool cards and a Garbodor line, it might be surprising to you that I haven’t included a Garbotoxin [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck. I don’t think it’s needed. Plus Garbotoxin removes Oranguru’s Ability, which is often needed late game. There might be matchups where Garbotoxin is actually very good so don’t hesitate to experiment with it. It’s definitely a card to keep an eye on since, depending on what the metagame turns out to be, it could actually become a staple inclusion.
Shrine of Punishment and Power Plant
I’ve already mentioned [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] above, and [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] is the original Stadium to run in the deck. They both have their merits and a split might be the best option. I do think that Shrine of Punishment is not as good as it used to be because of the high HP of most Pokemon, but I have run into situations where an extra 10 damage would have allowed me to take a KO.
Counter Catcher
Although the deck runs three Guzma in order to target the Bench more effectively, [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] is an alternative option. It can be grabbed with Teammates or Korrina, which means you can take a KO on the Bench if you don’t have Guzma.
Enhanced Hammer
Although many decks in Expanded run Special Energy, [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card]’s most important use is to remove [card name=”Flash Energy” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] from a [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] so you can attack it for Weakness. It’s recommended if you expect to face this matchup a lot.
Choice Band
It’s possible to include a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] instead of [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]. I recommend Muscle Band as your main Tool because it’s useful all the time, and it’s easier to KO evolving Basic Pokemon (such as Trubbish). However, because of all the search cards, a one-of Choice Band is a reasonable inclusion.
Beast Energy Prism Star
Even with few Ultra Beasts in the deck, [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] is valuable because of [card name=”Pheromosa and Buzzwole-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”1″ c=”name”][/card]’s Beast Game GX. With Beast Energy Prism Star and a Muscle Band, Pheromosa and Buzzwole-GX can take an extra Prize card on any Pokemon with 100 HP or less, which is pretty impressive. If you include Beast Energy Prism Star, I recommend adding Counter Catcher as well, so you can grab both with Teammates in order to use Beast Game GX more effectively.
Matchups
Here’s a list of some popular decks and how [card name=”Hitmonchan” set=”Team Up” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] should play against them. I might be missing some decks or including unpopular decks because of how unclear the Expanded metagame is right now. Nevertheless, I think that this should be a solid starting point if you’re looking to play this deck.
Archie’s Blastoise
[cardimg name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
If there’s one deck I expect to be popular in upcoming major Expanded events, it’s [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] . I would rate this matchup as slightly positive, although it could be better or worse depending on what is actually being played in it. Wobbuffet does a lot of work in this matchup, but it can be countered by [card name=”Stealthy Hood” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card]. However, your [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] will be a huge threat to your opponent later on. If you’re able to hold them back with Wobbuffet while you’re building your board, you should be in a good position to win the game. Consider including [card name=”Nihilego” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] to help against [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card]. Remember that you can Beast Game GX a Blastoise for two Prizes.
Mewtwo and Mew-GX Variants
Unknown. I don’t have a good picture of this matchup as there are too many cards that can be played in combination with Mewtwo and Mew-GX. I will say that I’ve been having good results so far against this deck, but it’s possible my opponent’s lists weren’t very refined. My impression of this matchup is that the more defensive lists, with [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Altaria-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card], and so on, aren’t all that strong against Hitmonchan / Wobbuffet because we have Garbodor. Some lists include [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”6″ c=”name”][/card], but it isn’t very good against Wobbuffet, plus these feel very clunky. That said, a more aggressive Mewtwo and Mew-GX deck that’s perhaps closer to what we’re used to in Standard might have a better shot.
Zoroark-GX Variants
I would expect [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] to be mostly played with [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], but other variants can pop up. In any case, this is a favorable matchup. Wobbuffet shuts off their draw engine and Hitmonchan hits Zoroark-GX for Weakness, so there’s not too much they can do. Zoroark-GX can be full of surprises and can include unexpected techs, so you should never underestimate them. But if they can’t draw early on, it will be hard for them to play these techs. As a Hitmonchan player, you should be happy if your opponent flips a [card name=”Zorua” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card].
Greninja and Zoroark-GX Variants
The good news for Hitmonchan is that there is more than one popular deck with Fighting Weakness. And [card name=”Greninja and Zoroark-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] is the latest incarnation of the popular Turbo Dark archetype, which places many Energy in play thanks to [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and deals a lot of damage with some crazy attacks. The Prize trade is in your advantage in this matchup and [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] alone can easily take two or three Prizes in one attack, so it’s a favorable matchup.
Pikachu and Zekrom-GX
This is another matchup where Hitmonchan can hit [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] for Weakness and Wobbuffet shuts down some key Abilities, in this case [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]’s Dedechange, [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]’s Dance of the Ancients, and [card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]’s Thunderclap Zone. However, [card name=”Flash Energy” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] can help with this deck’s Weakness issue. I think that with an [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card], the matchup is comfortably favorable for Hitmonchan. Without it, it’s probably slightly favored, but you can definitely have trouble if they get a fast opening with [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s possible to include [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”47″ c=”from”][/card] to prevent your opponent from taking a double KO with Pikachu and Zekrom-GX’s Tag Bolt GX, but be aware that many of these decks will run [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] for this. Apart from that, most of your strategy should be hitting whatever has Energy with Hitmonchan’s Hit and Run.
Reshiram and Charizard-GX
I’m not sure how [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] decks will look like in Expanded, especially since they’re held back by the popularity of Archie’s Blastoise. But with [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Kiawe” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] (and maybe [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]), there’s potential for a strong deck. Because their Energy acceleration is Supporter-based, Wobbuffet isn’t going to do much in this matchup, and Hitmonchan doesn’t deal that much damage, so this should be an unfavorable matchup. Nihilego could help, though, by copying Reshiram and Charizard-GX’s Flare Strike for a big KO. If they’re running [card name=”Starmie” set=”Evolutions” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] to get Energy back to their hand from the Discard Pile for Welder and Volcanion-EX’s Steam Up, that can be a good Pheromosa and Buzzwole-GX Beast Game GX target.
Trevenant
Unfortunately, [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] is a bad matchup and apart from playing [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Unified Minds” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], there’s not much we can do about it. The combination of a Psychic-type Item lock Ability and spread damage from [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] is too strong to overcome.
Night March
[cardimg name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Night March relies on draw Abilities and has very low HP, so this matchup is a simple Prize race in your favor. You should be able to take a KO every turn and finish them off with Pheromosa and Buzzwole-GX’s Beast Game GX if you’re behind in the Prize race. It’s likely that they’ll miss an attack at some point because of Wobbuffet shutting down Oranguru, Shaymin-EX and Dedenne-GX’s Abilities.
Rayquaza-GX
It might be outdated, but [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] did win the last Expanded Regionals we had, so it’s not unthinkable that it could see significant play. Wobbuffet is once again very useful here because it delays a lot of the Energy acceleration (Tapu Koko Prism Star and Rayquaza-GX’s Ability). Every additional damage counts in this matchup so [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] can be a good addition. Trashalanche Garbodor will get OHKOs by mid-game so this matchup should definitely be favorable.
Sableye / Garbodor
There has been some talk of this being the secret best deck of the format. I’m not sure it’s the case, but [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is a hard matchup to deal with. Ideally, try to KO [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Noble Victories” no=”48″ c=”name”][/card] before it can evolve, so you can keep drawing cards with Oranguru. Your Garbodor’s Trashalanche and Pheromosa and Buzzwole-GX’s Beast Game GX are both very good attacks, but because of all the disruption your opponent runs you might not be able to use them effectively and will have to use whatever you can actually draw.
Conclusion
That’s it for today! If you’re not convinced by Hitmonchan… I can’t fault you. In a format with so many crazy strategies, deciding that your main attack is one that deals 30 damage seems pretty insane. And yes, the damage output can be underwhelming and the deck can feel clunky.
That said, non Pokemon-GX decks are a relevant part of the Expanded metagame and Hitmonchan / Wobbuffet is one of the better ones—definitely better than it looks. It is less reliable than it used to be because of some of the new counters to it. But if people don’t expect it, or don’t respect it, then the deck has a lot going for it and can do very well! If I was attending the upcoming Expanded Regionals, I can’t say for sure that I would play this deck, but I would definitely consider it.
In any case, good luck in whatever event you’re attending next!
–Stéphane
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