Optimal Upgrades — Standard Malamar and Expanded Doll Stall

[cardimg name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Hello everyone! I’ve been playing a lot of Standard lately because of League Cups and League Challenges, and I think I have optimized [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. It is consistent, versatile, and powerful; albeit, a bit slow. I’ve played Malamar at most small events this season and it’s only missed CP for me once out of 17 events. If you ask me, Malamar is the best Standard deck. Lots of people have been asking me about my Malamar list, which I’ve put below. Although there aren’t any major Standard events in the US until Sword and Shield comes out, this Malamar list can be used at smaller events until then. 

Additionally, I have some significant updates to my Expanded format [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”custom”]Doll[/card] Stall deck after working on it some more and playing it at another League Cup. Doll Stall is extremely strong in the Expanded format right now, but it’s rather underrated as people don’t like playing control decks. It’s currently one of my top considerations for the upcoming Dallas Regionals.

Malamar (Standard)

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[decklist name=”Malamar” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″][pokemon amt=”19″]4x [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Inkay” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Garchomp and Giratina-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Latios-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Spell Tag” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”190″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lana’s Fishing Rod” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”195″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]2x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”XY” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]7x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Malamar isn’t as insane as it was in first quarter of the season, but Cosmic Eclipse gave it enough new options to keep up with new decks. [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”name”][/card]’s omnipresence is Malamar’s biggest hurdle, but that’s not enough to keep it from being good. This list is similar to the one I used to make Top 16 at the San Diego Regionals and I’ve played this exact list to decent results at some smaller tournaments. The strategy is the same as it’s always been: Set up two (sometimes three) Malamar, keep [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] as a pivot, and use whichever attacker the situation calls for. Unfortunately, the list doesn’t allow for many tech attackers, but the roster we’ve got is enough to handle anything. Now that [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] is less popular compared to last format, two Malamar on the Bench are usually safe. Only against [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card] decks (and sometimes [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]) do you need to prep a third [card name=”Inkay” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card], or in rare situations in other matchups where you want a third Malamar.

Four Jirachi

For some reason, the Jirachi count is a point of contention in Malamar lists. Always run four–and no less! Malamar is significantly worse when it doesn’t open with Jirachi. You want Jirachi in play as a pivot. It drastically improves overall consistency, and more or less turns [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] into a Supporter out. Sometimes you might want two in play, especially in the early game. Oftentimes, you’ll have extra Jirachi in hand in the mid or late game, which is great because it’s a Pokemon Communication target when you need to find situation-specific Pokemon like [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Garchomp and Giratina-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card]. Jirachi is absolutely amazing in Malamar.

One Latios-GX

This card single handedly makes Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX a favorable matchup. Whenever you go first against Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX, you have two turns to set up [card name=”Latios-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card]’s Clear Vision GX. If you can prevent an Altered Creation GX, the rest of the game is a wash. When going second, the Turn 1 Clear Vision GX is a possibility. Clear Vision GX is strong against [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card]. If you’ve got [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench and Mewtwo and Mew can’t use GX attacks, their options are sorely limited and they’re forced to attack into [card name=”Spell Tag” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”190″ c=”name”][/card]. Latios-GX beats [card name=”Lucario and Melmetal-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”203″ c=”name”][/card] decks by itself, though Lucario and Melmetal-GX isn’t the most popular thing in the world. Plus, Latios-GX can be useful against Garchomp and Giratina-GX / [card name=”Mismagius” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] decks.

One Garchomp and Giratina-GX

[cardimg name=”Garchomp and Giratina-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”146″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Garchomp and Giratina-GX is ridiculous. It’s definitely the best one-of in the deck and the best card out of Cosmic Eclipse for Malamar. This card is absurdly powerful and easy to power up out of nowhere thanks to the many Pokemon search cards and [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]. While it is annoying to play Fighting Energy, the benefits far outweigh the costs. Garchomp and Giratina-GX in the deck helps offset the problem of opposing Mallow and Lana. All you need to do is fight through one Tag Team Pokemon-GX normally, and Garchomp and Giratina-GX can finish off a second one with its Calamitous Slash. You only need a few damage counters from Spell Tag, [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]’s Distortion Door, and/or ping attacks for Calamitous Slash to take out a Tag Team Pokemon-GX. Garchomp and Giratina-GX is a huge body to throw at your opponent when they get down to one or two Prize cards, making it that much more difficult for them to win even if they’re able to fight through hordes of regular Giratina.

Don’t forget about its other attacks. I’ve used both Linear Attack and GG End GX to win games. In particular, GG End GX is powerful against Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX immediately after they use Altered Creation GX, as it sets them back a few turns in Energy attachments. Although Clear Vision GX is your preferred GX attack against Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX, there’s a narrow window of opportunity for it so GG End GX is a solid backup plan.

One Blacephalon

Fireworks Bomb is ridiculously strong, and Malamar can force opponents into a three-Prize turn. You won’t use [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] in every game, as Giratina’s Shadow Impact is sometimes better because it does more damage, but never forget about Fireworks Bomb as a snipe option or to set up KOs. Blacephalon obliterates non Tag Team Pokemon-GX decks, though those are rather rare nowadays.

One Mew

Bench Barrier from Mew forces opponents such as Garchomp and Giratina-GX and Mewtwo and Mew-GX (copying [card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card]’s Venom Shot) to attack into your Active Pokemon, who ideally has a Spell Tag attached. Psypower is a decent attack for setting up strategic KOs, though Mew is in the list because it’s a pivotal piece in the aforementioned matchups.

One Mimikyu from Sun and Moon Black Star Promos #SM99

Copycat from [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM99″ c=”name”][/card] is broken. Common targets are Garchomp and Giratina-GX’s Linear Attack or Calamitous Slash, anything in the mirror match, [card name=”Charizard and Braixen-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card]’s Brilliant Flare, [card name=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card]’s Kaleidostorm and more. Copycat is a two Energy attack, which means it can be used as a crutch in situations where you can’t power up Giratina. It’s easy to prep with a single attachment, which makes it available on-demand for the rest of the game. Mimikyu’s Filch is a decent early-game attack, and it turns [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] into a weak draw card if you’re in a bad situation. I’ve used Filch to recover from bad hands and gone on to win the game multiple times.

Zero Mimikyu from Cosmic Eclipse #97

You may notice this list’s absence of the [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] that locks Abilities. This Mimikyu is more or less limited to the Mewtwo and Mew-GX matchup, which I think is fine without it. It’s neat in some fringe situations against things like Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX, [card name=”Weavile-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card], and the mirror, but overall the card isn’t that useful. It doesn’t auto-win Mewtwo and Mew-GX as they can use [card name=”Stealthy Hood” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card], Mallow and Lana, and non-Ability attackers to play around it.

Four Pokemon Communication

This is a strong consistency card that you want in your hand all the time. Going to less than four is insane. This deck constantly needs to search out Pokemon, whether it be the demanding early-game setup or situation-specific attackers throughout the game. Not to mention, using Pokemon Communication for Jirachi on turn 1 is a way to find a Supporter.

Three Switch

The deck plays three copies of [card name=”Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] due to Garchomp and Giratina-GX’s inclusion in the list, in addition to [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] being a more prevalent in the meta. Switch is great in Malamar because it enables cute and powerful plays, switching out of Jirachi without Escape Board, using multiple Jirachi in a turn and general flexibility. You will need it as soon as possible if you start with Giratina.

One Lana’s Fishing Rod

A card I was initially skeptical about, [card name=”Lana’s Fishing Rod” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”195″ c=”name”][/card] has proven itself to be an insane new addition to the deck. Not only acting as a fourth copy of Spell Tag, Lana’s Fishing Rod allows you to reuse tech attackers, recover off unlucky [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] plays, and compensate for prizing Malamar pieces. Use it for a third Escape Board against [card name=”Tangrowth” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”6″ c=”name”][/card].

One Great Catcher

Lots of Malamar lists are currently running two copies of [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card], which is honestly not needed. While Great Catcher is situation-specific, it’s usually used to close out games. By the end of the game, you will have gone through most of your deck so you can easily access the Great Catcher with a Supporter and one or two uses of Jirachi’s Stellar Wish. A second copy would be a liability, as I’ve never needed to use Great Catcher more than once in a game. It’s rarely useful at any point before the late-game.

Two Fighting Energy

Instead of a second Great Catcher, I’ve opted for a second copy of Fighting Energy. While it’s true that Garchomp and Giratina-GX only needs one Fighting Energy to attack (and you will likely never use two Garchomp and Giratina in a game), the second Fighting Energy is very good. First and foremost, it gives you easier access to Garchomp and Giratina-GX against decks with [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card], particularly Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX. With an opponent’s Chaotic Swell in play, this deck is left without access to [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card], which means we have to draw into Fighting Energy manually. With two copies and a few turns, it’s not hard to do this.

Running two copies of Fighting Energy gives you some leeway if you end up attaching or discarding one Fighting Energy early in the game. I’ve frequently been forced into attaching a Fighting Energy to Giratina to ensure an early Shadow Impact, so I’m happy to have the option to use Garchomp and Giratina-GX later in the game. Moreover, the second Fighting Energy destroys Lucario and Melmetal-GX decks, because you have an insurance against their Full Metal Wall GX. You can possibly get away with running one Fighting Energy, but that’s ill-advised if you ask me.

Matchups

I think [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] has strong matchups all-around, but the deck’s slowness sometimes catches up with it. I’d say the turn 2 Giratina’s Shadow Impact attack happens around 60-70% of the time. If you don’t start with [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] or a Supporter, Malamar is dead in the water. Fortunately, there are lots of outs to help it get going, so it can usually muster up a comeback if needed. A common obstacle is [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”name”][/card] but it’s far from a death sentence. Honestly, if Mallow and Lana wasn’t in the format, Malamar would probably be broken. At best, it evens the playing field for Tag Team Pokemon-GX decks.

Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX – Slightly Favorable

[cardimg name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

As I already mentioned, [card name=”Latios-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] automatically makes this matchup favorable. Plan A is to use Clear Vision GX before they can use Altered Creation GX. This is much easier if you go first, as you have an extra turn to find all of the combo pieces. If Clear Vision GX isn’t going to happen, plan B is to use [card name=”Garchomp and Giratina-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card]’s GG End GX immediately after they use Altered Creation GX. This might be hard to setup because your opponent’s [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card] makes playing [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] to find the Fighting Energy difficult, but it’s a powerful option because it sets the [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] player behind in Energy attachments. If they don’t get a chance to use Ultimate Ray, you can let Garchomp and Giratina-GX wreak havoc on their board while they scramble to reassemble an attacker.

Occasionally, you’ll get a chance to hit the Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX with Linear Attack and finish it off with Calamitous Slash. This is better than GG End GX if it’s available, though you may get KO’d by an opposing [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM99″ c=”name”][/card]. If you are able to return-KO the Mimikyu with something like [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]’s Shadow Impact, you’ll likely win as they are now out of Energy on-board and behind on attachments. Make sure to have Energy available if the opponent tries to go for a [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Cryogonal” set=”Unified Minds” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] play on Malamar. If they take four Prizes with Mimikyu, they only need one KO with Frozen Lock on a stranded Malamar. This exact situation played out in my win-and-in for Top 8 at the San Diego Regional (Latios-GX was prized), and my lack of foresight caused me to lose an otherwise locked game.

If Clear Vision GX pops successfully, you need to keep up with Giratina as well as Garchomp-GX and Giratina-GX to clean up the game. If Tag Purge is available, it’s a good option to prevent them from dealing damage with Ultimate Ray. However, you may want to retreat Latios-GX afterwards if you can attack with Giratina, forcing them to use some form of gust effect if they want to take out the Latios-GX. Keep in mind, [card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] can use its Resolute Blade GX attack post Clear Vision GX thanks to its Ability and a translation error, so you don’t want to feed them the Latios-GX for free.

If the opponent sets up normally with a Turn 2 Altered Creation GX and a Turn 3 Ultimate Ray, the game is likely over. Barring some shenanigans with Garchomp and Giratina-GX, Malamar is not going to make it out alive.

Mewtwo and Mew-GX – Favorable

Cutting the Shadow Box [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] is definitely a blow to this matchup, but it’s in Malamar’s favor. Giratina is an absurd attacker against [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card], dealing 260 damage or forcing them to spend a turn using [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”name”][/card] for their [card name=”Weakness Guard Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”213″ c=”name”][/card]. I like to use Clear Vision GX in this matchup. Combined with Mew’s Bench Barrier, Clear Vision GX forces them to attack your Active Pokemon with [card name=”Spell Tag” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”190″ c=”name”][/card] attached every time, which limits their options at the expense of sacrificing two Prize cards. Clear Vision GX takes away their [card name=”Espeon and Deoxys-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card]’s Cross Division GX play, allowing you to fodder off Shadow Impact recoil onto Malamar. Plus, it prevents them from copying a strong Pokemon-GX attack (such as [card name=”Charizard-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM211″ c=”name”][/card]) from taking out Garchomp and Giratina-GX in one shot. By keeping Giratina fully healthy, it prevents them from using [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM104″ c=”name”][/card]’s Turbo Strike to simultaneously take a KO and recover Energy from the discard pile. This doesn’t seem like a huge deal, but Mewtwo and Mew-GX often runs out of Energy because of this.

There are multiple paths to victory in this matchup. You can scrap through their first Tag Team Pokemon-GX with one-Prize attackers and finish the other off with Garchomp and Giratina-GX. You can KO a Jirachi and a [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] in multiple ways (using [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], Spell Tag or [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card]) and then you only have to take out one Tag Team Pokemon-GX. Sometimes you don’t use Clear Vision GX so that you can leverage on GG End GX to apply more pressure, it all depends on how the early turns shake out. You can use [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] in this matchup, particularly to copy something like [card name=”Charizard and Braixen-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card]’s Brilliant Flare, [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]’s Flare Strike, or [card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card]’s Venom Shot. Its utility as a two Energy attacker lets you attack while reestablishing your board in the unlikely event they do pop off a Cross Division GX.

Malamar packs lots of options (not to mention type advantage) that usually overwhelm Mewtwo and Mew-GX, making this matchup favorable. They can win by spamming Mallow and Lana and there’s nothing we can do about that, but it’s very much an uphill battle for them. Keep in mind that if you go in too early with Garchomp and Giratina-GX, they can neuter it with Tag Purge if they run Latios-GX. Your own Tag Purge can be situationally useful, but they can shred through it by using [card name=”Greninja-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM197″ c=”name”][/card], so it’s not the go-to strategy.

Garchomp and Giratina-GX / Roxie – Favorable (?)

I don’t have enough experience in this matchup to write a whole exposition about it. Smart opponents can definitely put up a fight. You need to play carefully to avoid losing to their [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] turn. If they start with anything that isn’t a Garchomp and Giratina-GX, you probably win on the spot because you can skip the Blacephalon turn altogether. If they put Blacephalon down preemptively, take as much time as you need to snipe it off. Do anything you can to skip their Blacephalon turn. You need [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] on your Bench Turn 1 to block Garchomp and Giratina-GX’s Linear Attack.

Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX – Favorable

Malamar is now very good against [card name=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] thanks to Garchomp and Giratina-GX. This matchup is straightforward. Take out their first Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX by any means necessary without using Garchomp and Giratina-GX. Then, finish off their second Tag Team Pokemon-GX with Garchomp and Giratina-GX. This is do or die; there’s no middle ground. You will find it exceedingly difficult to bring down two Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX (and a potential [card name=”Lugia-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card]) without Garchomp and Giratina-GX’s help because of Mallow and Lana. This probably sounds sketchy to you in theory, but in this format my tournament record against Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX is somewhere around 7-2 or 8-2, though I haven’t kept count. The matchup feels very easy every time I play it. Sometimes I enlist Blacephalon to snipe off a Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX if they moved it to the Bench without healing it.

Others

Ability Reshiram and Charizard-GX is favorable for Malamar. Blacephalon is huge in that matchup. Keeping [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Team Up” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] out of play is important, but the matchup is fine if that route is unavailable. Unfortunately, [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] Control is an auto-loss if the opponent knows what they are doing. As for [card name=”Lucario and Melmetal-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card], it’s easy to play against thanks to Latios-GX, Garchomp and Giratina-GX, and that second Fighting Energy. I have yet to lose to it despite playing against it in many League Cups. The Malamar mirror is weird, as usual. General tips would be to avoid excessive use of Giratina’s Shadow Impact, play around their Blacephalon turn at all costs, and never activate their Spell Tag. Malamar is a decent attacker because it does more net damage than Blacephalon, and attaching your own Spell Tag to your attacking Blacephalon and / or Mew is usually correct.

Doll Stall (Expanded)

[decklist name=”Doll Stall” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″][pokemon amt=”5″]2x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Girafarig” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”52″]4x [card name=”Steven’s Resolve” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Clay” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”188″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Plumeria” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tate and Liza” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Bellelba and Brycen-Man” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”38″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ 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=”Tropical Beach” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW28″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”3″]1x [card name=”Recycle Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”212″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

So as to stay relevant to Expanded, I’d like to leave you all with some notes on my revised [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”custom”]Doll[/card] Stall list. The list is similar to its last iteration, so I’ll refer you to my last article for a more comprehensive analysis. Unfortunately, it’s kept the two copies of Tropical Beach. The main change is the addition of [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card]. I’m not 100% sure about Sableye because it gets back one less card than [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card], but it’s useful in situations where you need a fast response to pressure from your opponent. By grabbing the Item cards directly to hand, it saves you the turn you would otherwise need to spend searching them out if you were to put them back with Oranguru’s Resource Management. You won’t need Sableye in every game, but it seems like a valuable addition to me so far.

I cut down on [card name=”Clay” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”188″ c=”name”][/card] because it’s not needed as a four-of and there were other cards I wanted. Clay is fine as an early game consistency option, but it’s less important than [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Steven’s Resolve” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. In addition, I reluctantly cut a [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] because [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] is so much better in many situations. Being able to use Green’s Exploration for an Enhanced Hammer and something else like a Tropical Beach has been very helpful. The Enhanced Hammer is a great addition because many decks in the current metagame play Special Energy cards. I play [card name=”Tate and Liza” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] for a pivot option under Item lock that is sometimes needed against [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”6″ c=”name”][/card]. Plus, it’s a decent draw Supporter option. Finally, I added [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] because it’s actually needed against a smart [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] player, and it’s a powerful disruption option in general.

Conclusion

That’s all I’ve got for now. Thanks for reading! I don’t have anything else that I’ve been working on for Expanded as of late, so Doll Stall is looking like one of my top picks for Dallas Regionals, though I might switch to [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card]. For Standard, try this Malamar list! I’ve been playing the deck nonstop and it is a strong pick.

–Grant

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