The Elite Four — Four Decks for Bochum Regionals

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

Hello, readers! I know some of you are preparing for the upcoming Expanded Regionals in Dallas, but once again, this article is going to be focused on Standard. As we’re approaching Bochum Regionals, the only major event of the quarter in Europe, I want to talk about the decks to expect and, most importantly, the ones I like the most. I hope this can be useful to those of you who will be competing in Germany this weekend, but also in League Cups all over the world, or who are preparing for Sao Paulo Regionals later this month.

Before we begin, a disclaimer: this article is not an exhaustive list of all the good decks in the format. [card name=”Garchomp and Giratina-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Mismagius” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Roxie” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”205″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Moltres and Zapdos and Articuno-GX” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] are all powerful decks (in the case of RoxieChomp, possibly the best deck in the format), but I won’t talk about them directly here. This has nothing to do with their power level, and it’s mostly because I don’t have any particular insight on these decks — either because I didn’t practice with them much or because I haven’t found any card or trick to improve the versions of the deck that have already seen success.

On the other hand, the four decks I mention here are ones I have things to say about. I can’t say for sure that I’ll play one of these four decks this weekend, but it’s looking extremely likely. I’ll try to explain along the way the things I’ve added to them, and also what makes me consider them for Bochum Regionals.

ADP / Keldeo-GX

Let’s start with a classic choice: Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX / [card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card]. I think this deck has been on a slow but steady decline since LAIC, as new decks (especially TinaChomp) have emerged that can surpass it. That said, I’ve stuck with ADP at League Cups, and it’s been working out very well for me. What’s interesting is that the deck never feels like an amazingly strong choice. The [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] and Mewtwo & Mew-GX matchups are not easy, Garchomp & Giratina-GX is scary, [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] is a favorable matchup but they’re including annoying techs (like [card name=”Trevenant and Dusknoir-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM217″ c=”name”][/card], which can discard your Energy) now, and so on. Yet, ADP’s consistency and inherent strength means it can prevail anyway. It simply needs less than other decks to do powerful things, most of the time.

I’ve already talked about this deck multiple times so I won’t bore you too much with the theory. Here’s my latest list:

[decklist name=”Bochum ADP” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Drampa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”159″][pokemon amt=”12″]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cryogonal” set=”Unified Minds” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Drampa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”159″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]3x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Rosa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”204″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Switch” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Cherish Ball” set=”Unified Minds” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Gain” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”170″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Helmet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”13″]6x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]5x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Generations” no=”82″ c=”deck2″ amt=”5″][/card]2x [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

It’s mostly what I’ve been playing for weeks, and written about, with some small changes. I’ve removed Girafarig since Mewtwo & Mew-GX was not popular in my local metagame, but added [card name=”Choice Helmet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] to deal better with Garchomp & Giratina-GX (among others). Choice Helmet also lets ADP survive [card name=”Charizard-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM211″ c=”name”][/card]’s Flare Blitz GX in the Mewtwo & Mew-GX matchup (as long as you don’t attach a [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card]), which means you can now use ADP there. Of course, you still lose to Double Blaze GX which goes through Choice Helmet, but it’s pretty hard for Mewtwo & Mew-GX do get this early, with [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card] preventing the use of [card name=”Giant Hearth” set=”Unified Minds” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card].

The other card I’ve added is the second [card name=”Cryogonal” set=”Unified Minds” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card]. This is partly motivated by the local popularity of baby [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] (more on this later), but Cryogonal has all sorts of uses against Reshiram & Charizard-GX, [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] Control, and other decks. Even with two Cryogonal in the deck, we rarely use more than one per game, but the second copy helps to ensure that we do get one consistenly. (The same thing happens when you play two Absol.)

I was a bit worried that going down to 12 Pokémon would make it harder to use [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] correctly, but it hasn’t been an issue in practice. That said, I wouldn’t go below 12, so if you don’t like Cryogonal, I strongly recommend you replace it with another Pokémon, such as a second [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Team Up” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Lucario and Melmetal-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM192″ c=”name”][/card].

Overall, I think ADP is a strong deck and I would consider playing it out of comfort if nothing else. That said, the metagame is shifting in a way that doesn’t favor it: Garchomp & Giratina-GX is an annoyance (not only because of the risk of a turn 2 KO, which can be mitigated by cards such as [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”name”][/card], Choice Helmet, or even [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], but also because of GG End GX removing your Energy from play before you can use Ultimate Ray), and people are starting to include Mimikyu in more decks to deal with it, but Mimikyu can also be dangerous for ADP itself. That’s why, even, though I consider ADP a solid backup plan, I’m looking for other decks for Bochum, such as the following ones.

Gardeon

[card name=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”205″ c=”name”][/card] is uniquely well positioned in the metagame right now. It’s the deck that gets the best results against RoxieChomp, while still keeping good matchups against the rest of the metagame, and that has made it rise again recently. It has issues with stall and control decks, but these are not very popular right now, which makes it safer than it used to be. In addition, [card name=”Lugia-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] helps the deck deal with threats such as Lucario & Melmetal-GX, so it’s not easy to tech against it. Here is what I’ve been playing around with:

[decklist name=”Bochum Gardeon” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”130″][pokemon amt=”5″]4x [card name=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Lugia-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”159″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”46″]4x [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Coach Trainer” set=”Unified Minds” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Switch” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Tag Switch” set=”Unified Minds” no=”209″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Great Potion” set=”Unified Minds” no=”198″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Energy Spinner” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”170″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Cherish Ball” set=”Unified Minds” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fairy Charm P” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”175″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fairy Charm L” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Helmet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Stealthy Hood” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]9x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

[cardimg name=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”130″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Gardeon lists are getting streamlined. The lists running [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Weakness Guard Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”213″ c=”name”][/card] (or [card name=”Draw Energy” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”209″ c=”name”][/card]) and multiple Fairy Charms have disappeared, and [card name=”Omastar” set=”Team Up” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] is also getting cut because it’s not enough to beat Pidgeotto Control. You will notice, however, that I chose to keep [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card]s in this list, when other players are cutting it and running a higher count of [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card] instead. Actually, I value Custom Catcher in many decks, for several reasons. The main reason is that it can target non-GX Pokémon, so you can target Malamar, [card name=”Victini Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card], or whatever threat is bothering you at any point. The discard cost of Great Catcher can also be bothersome especially when you’re already discarding cards to Mallow & Lana. Finally, Custom Catcher can be used to draw. That’s not very important in Gardeon because you have huge hands most of the time, and even after [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card], you run a lot of outs to prevent dead drawing. That said, it does matter in the Gardeon mirror match. That matchup comes down, most of the time, to using Magical Miracle GX to shuffle the opponent’s whole hand in their deck, then beating them before they can draw out of it. If you play Custom Catcher, you have four more cards that you can topdeck in such a scenario, and that gives you a non-negligible statistical advantage.

I’ve included two other unusual cards in the list: [card name=”Fairy Charm L” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Stealthy Hood” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card]. Fairy Charm Lightning is obviously for [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], a deck that I believe is coming back (more on that below!). Stealthy Hood is there to deal with [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Weezing” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] (which both put damage on the board to prepare for Calamitous Slash, in Malamar and RoxieChomp respectively), and also helps against [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Team Up” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] in AbilityZard. Because it protects you from Ninetales’ ability, you can stockpile Energy on a Benched Gardeon with Kaleidostorm when you think your Active one will be KO’d, without fear of it getting Knocked Out and you losing your Energy.

Gardeon is definitely a strong play, if only because it’s the best counter to RoxieChomp. I do think that it might be one week too late for it to be the best pick: since it’s picked up in popularity, it’s more expected now and people will be more prepared to deal with it. In its short history, Gardeon has done best when it was unexpected and disrespected: at both of the two Regionals it won, in Sheffield and Daytona Beach, people didn’t expect it do to well, and some even wrote the wins off as flukes afterwards. That’s why, now that it’s in the spotlight, I’m a bit worried about its chances, since I assume people will be prepared for it. I don’t know what form this awareness will take — an increase in Pidgeotto Control, maybe — but I don’t think Gardeon will be the deck to win Bochum. It’s still good and worth playing, though!

[premium]

PikaRom

Pikachu & Zekrom-GX seems to be back: while it’s still anecdotal, I’m seeing plenty of good players from everywhere in the world pick up the deck again. This may in part be due to the fact that it won the most recent Champions League in Japan. Of course, that tournament was in the Sword & Shield format, with the new first turn rule, and the winning list included some cards that we don’t have yet, the most important being Quick Ball. Still, it showed that PikaRom was still alive, and that may have inspired players to try it again, substituting Pokémon Communication for Quick Ball and [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] for Professor’s Research.

More importantly, the idea that PikaRom can’t be a major part of the metagame seems silly. Since its release, it has been an absolute powerhouse, thanks to its combination of speed, huge damage, and versatility. Why should that stop now? Even though it’s been neglected in the Cosmic Eclipse era, at first due to a fear of [card name=”Mega Lopunny and Jigglypuff-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card], the stage seems to be set for its comeback, and it’s my prediction that PikaRom will perform admirably, and possibly make Top 8, in Bochum this weekend. Everything seems to be set for it: Mewtwo & Mew-GX and ADP, two matchups it can struggle with, are on the back foot. On the other hand, PikaRom can match RoxieChomp in speed, but it will have an easier time reloading after the first KOs are traded. It also does well against Gardeon, especially since many lists don’t play Fairy Charm Lightning anymore. Mega Lopunny & Jigglypuff-GX isn’t played much anymore, and it’s possible to build the deck not to care about it. With [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] and Tag Team Supporters, you don’t need to rely as much on [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] (or [card name=”Electromagnetic Radar” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card]) anymore. Not playing Dedenne-GX also removes a liability from your Bench in several matchups, including the mirror match, and makes [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] a card you don’t care much about.

This is the list I’m running with, although it’s still a work in progress. I’ll discuss my ideas to improve it afterwards.

[decklist name=”Bochum PikaRom” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″][pokemon amt=”14″]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”54″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Unified Minds” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Eelektross” set=”Unified Minds” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”81″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]4x [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma and Hala” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”193″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Switch” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Tag Switch” set=”Unified Minds” no=”209″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Helmet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]11x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card]1x [card name=”Unit Energy LPM” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

As you can see, this list looks different from the ones that were popular in the Unified Minds metagame. It still achieves a very consistent turn 2 Full Blitz GX thanks to Tag Call, Guzma & Hala, and [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card]. We play four Tag Call because it’s amazing if you can get it on turn 1. A common opening play for the deck is to use [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] for Tag Call on the first turn, get Pikachu & Zekrom-GX and Guzma & Hala, then attach a Lightning Energy on PikaRom. On the second turn, you can use Guzma & Hala to get Thunder Mountain Prism Star, [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Unit Energy LPM” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card], attach the Energy to PikaRom, retreat to it and use Full Blitz. [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] is often used only later in the game to charge up another attacker. The deck doesn’t need [card name=”Stadium Nav” set=”Unified Minds” no=”208″ c=”name”][/card] anymore thanks to this new plan.

[cardimg name=”Eelektross” set=”Unified Minds” no=”66″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This list plays a variety of non-GX Pokémon. We need non-GX attackers to deal with Keldeo-GX, and there are three of them in this list. [card name=”Eelektross” set=”Unified Minds” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] hits the hardest, and it’s generally easy to get it into play. [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Unified Minds” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] are useful because they only need one Energy. Hoopa is stronger in the matchups it’s used in, such as Malamar or Mewtwo & Mew-GX, but Zapdos can benefit from [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card], making it a better way to close out games when you’re low on Energy. For example, against AbilityZard, it may happen that you have a fast start and use Tag Bolt GX to take five Prizes by Knocking Out a Reshiram & Charizard-GX and Dedenne-GX, but you’ve used Tapu Koko Prism Star and Thunder Mountain Prism Star along the way. Zapdos is the best way to close out the game by Knocking Out a low-HP Pokémon such as Ninetales that would be out of reach of Hoopa.

PikaRom is a hard deck to build right now. The list above is testing well, but there are many cards that I want to find space for. In no particular order: Great Catcher, second Reset Stamp, one Dedenne-GX for security, [card name=”Lysandre Labs” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] (against Fairy Charm Lightning, Choice Helmet, and, to a lesser extent, [card name=”Spell Tag” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”190″ c=”name”][/card]), Power Plant (for Keldeo-GX), [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] or some other tech for Mewtwo & Mew-GX, fourth [card name=”Switch” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], and maybe a second Guzma & Hala since we rely so heavily on it.

Emery Taylor — a man who it’s unclear whether he has ever played anything else than PikaRom — recently posted a list that included [card name=”Rosa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”204″ c=”name”][/card] that he played at a League Cup. My list is partially inspired by his, but I didn’t include Rosa. Although this new variant plays a bit similarly to ADP, and Rosa has proven strong in ADP, I’m not convinced by Rosa in PikaRom yet. It is a nice way to search for Tapu Koko Prism Star, but you will very rarely get to use it before using Full Blitz so it doesn’t help you get that all-important turn 2 Full Blitz. Volkner does the same job as Rosa most of the time, and although Rosa is definitely stronger on the turns when you can play it, it’s not different enough. If you don’t want to use Volkner on a given turn, you probably need something pretty different instead, such as Cynthia or Mallow & Lana, rather than Rosa.

I’m not sure whether PikaRom can be said to have the advantage of surprise since it’s getting more visibility right now, but I think it will be underestimated and the average player might be unprepared for it, which already gives it a nice edge. Playing PikaRom right now means having a deck that can beat almost anything, without the usual downside of playing a popular deck that everyone is expecting. That makes it a strong play for this weekend, one I’m strongly considering, but I’ll need to settle on the right list first.

Baby Blowns

Finally, let’s talk about Blacephalon / [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card]. This deck is still being played a lot and doing well in Belgium and the north of France, but that popularity hasn’t reached the rest of Europe, or (to my knowledge) the world, yet. I’m not sure why, since this deck can beat non-GX and GX decks alike. Despite its lack of results since its second place at the Paris SPE, I believe it’s underestimated.

Blacephalon can reach 300 damage on turn 2, so it can do very well against GX decks, including the bogeyman RoxieChomp. It also trades decently with Malamar. It is weak to control decks, but those are not doing so hot right now. Its other weakness is ADP / Keldeo, because of Cryogonal, but even that matchup is winnable. Although the deck has a reputation of being weak to Reset Stamp, I think that it’s exaggerated and it can recover very well from it, although it will set it back one turn.

Here is a list I like a lot:

[decklist name=”Bochum BBBlowns” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″][pokemon amt=”6″]4x [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Victini Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”7″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”38″]4x [card name=”Green’s Exploration” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”175″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Rosa” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”204″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Fiery Flint” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cherish Ball” set=”Unified Minds” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Ultra Space” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Heat Factory Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”16″]15x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”15″][/card]1x [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

[cardimg name=”Cryogonal” set=”Unified Minds” no=”46″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The deck hasn’t changed much since the beginning of a season, but there are a couple of new tools in this list. Credit for them goes to my friend Ithiel Arki, who’s been playing this deck for a while and has innovated all sorts of new techs in it, mostly to try to beat ADP / Keldeo. Here is how the matchup usually goes. The ADP player will get to use Altered Creation GX, then Blacephalon will get a KO on it. Then Cryogonal comes into play and uses Frozen Lock, preventing the use of [card name=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Fiery Flint” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], leaving the Blacephalon player unable to take KOs with Fireball Circus. To deal with Cryogonal, the Blacephalon player needs one of their other attackers: Blacephalon-GX or Victini Prism Star. Thanks to [card name=”Cherish Ball” set=”Unified Minds” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card], it’s now easy to search for Blacephalon-GX even when Chaotic Swell is in play, so you can start to charge it up before Frozen Lock is used.

Switch is another new inclusion, replacing [card name=”Pheromosa” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] which doesn’t do that much for the deck and is a liability against Absol. In some matchups, including ADP, the opponent may use Blacephalon’s lack of mobility against it. For example, if you play [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] on turn 1 on your Active Blacephalon against ADP, they may use Custom Catcher to bring up a Benched Blacephalon or Blacephalon-GX (or even Victini Prism Star, which has a Retreat Cost of 2 with Absol in play) to use Altered Creation GX with less risk of getting KO’d back. Switch lets you get out of this kind of situation. Overall, I believe the ADP matchup is still unfavored, but it’s much closer than it ought to be.

Playing this deck gets you the advantage of surprise against many players who are not prepared for it, which is something I value in a deck. I also like the fact that Burst GX is good against decks that try to manipulate Prizes, such as RoxieChomp. Because you can get a free Prize at any point, TinaChomp can only use one Mismagius against you, which limits their options.

The other reason to use the deck now is that it’s probably the last time to do so. If we get the new turn 1 rule that prevents the use of Supporters for the player going first, Green’s Exploration decks (which need Supporters more than any other deck) will take a huge hit, and non-GX Green’s Exploration decks even more because of the risk of getting donked. Of course, that may not be a good reason to choose a deck for a major event… but it worked for me with [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card], so why not!

My worry with the deck, however, is that games are often very close. Despite the fact that you’ll most likely survive it, it’s always scary to get hit with a Reset Stamp in the late game. Blacephalon doesn’t have games where it takes a huge lead and becomes unreachable, the way that many other decks can. (This is because it always needs cards in hand, if only for Fireball Circus.)

Conclusion

That’s it for today! As you may have noticed, all four decks I’ve talked about include Custom Catcher. I’m not sure that including them in Gardeon and PikaRom is objectively correct, but on the other hand, if you’re not at least considering them, you’re making a mistake. Adding Custom Catcher to ADP / Keldeo was the best thing that happened to the deck, and I think that the versatility it offers is almost just as strong in other decks that can afford it.

I’m excited to play in a Regional again this weekend! It’s always hard to choose a deck, and I can’t say that I’m the biggest fan of the current format, but I’m sure it will work out in the end. If you’re playing in Bochum this weekend, feel free to come say hi, it’s always a pleasure to meet readers — and of course, best of luck to you!

Stéphane

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