Gedemer’s Last Thoughts — Going Down Under
[cardimg name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
The second Internationals of the season is almost upon us. Australia is going to be the first major event to feature the Sword & Shield expansion — it’s always a highlight of the season to bring some of the new cards to life. The purpose of this article will be to drop a rundown of what the metagame is looking like before the big event. Whether you’re attending yourself or going to a different tournament this weekend, this piece will be useful to further acquaint yourself with “what’s good” and make sure you’re ready to win some games. Here’s the big picture of decks you should expect at this event along with how important facing them might be:
The Decks
Primary Threats
- [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] | Article
- [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]
- [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] Mill | Article
- [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]
- [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]
Secondary Threats
- [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card]
- [card name=”Lucario and Melmetal-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] / Zacian V | Article
- Mewtwo and Mew-GX / [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] | Article
- Welder Toolbox
Tertiary Threats
- Cinccino Control | Article
- [card name=”Florges” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] Mill
- [card name=”Frosmoth” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] Toolbox | Article
- [card name=”Galarian Obstagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card]
- Malamar Toolbox
- [card name=”Morpeko V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card]
The Guide
These aren’t the only decks out there though, there are some other solid choices to choose from. But these are the most popular decks, the ones that most players will gravitate towards especially on short notice. I can’t thoroughly review every deck, but I’m going to glance over the other decks I’ve mentioned at the top of this article. Each deck will be followed by my rating out of five, along with its “trend” (down, neutral, or up in terms of potential success) as well as why.
[premium]
Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / Zacian V
4/5 | Neutral: Believe the hype, target on its head might be difficult.
Most decks have this beast in mind during their building and testing. Fire types are problematic, we could see an uprising — Blacephalon is already a popular and strong deck — it’s almost impossible for this deck to beat it. Techs like [card name=”Skarmory” set=”Team Up” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] exist to give you a chance against one-Prize decks such as these; check those out if you haven’t already. I wrote about this extensively last time, but the one build that I didn’t talk about, one I hadn’t yet tried is [card name=”Aurora Energy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] techs along with [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card]. There’s [card name=”Entei” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM99″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Team Up” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] for starters. The first is for Fire-weak mirror matches, the first Mimikyu for [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] and the other Mimikyu for Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX. Also, in this version, you could play Aurora Energy and Energy Switch, activating any of these. The Fairy-type Mimikyu can also one-shot an opposing [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] that used Brave Blade, super cool. The problem with Energy Switch in “turbo” lists is that it loses all its value after the first turn when you’re looking to get a turn one Altered Creation GX. Thereafter, you now have something to do with them, something useful with these techs that swing games. Another personal gripe I’ve had about Zacian V decks is the excess of Energy you have at the end of the game, many don’t get used and this will change that. I’m not set on a list for this deck yet, it’s super hard to figure out if Energy Switch is actually worth it, the Aurora Energy attacker package might simplify that decision some but I need to play those first to see.
Do I need to beat it? Yes.
Blacephalon / Jirachi
4/5 | Neutral: Emerged as the best Blacephalon deck.
This deck’s Zacian V matchup is compelling but [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] can be tough (even with [card name=”Lucky Egg” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card]). [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] is the best way to play this deck, as you want to be as aggressive as possible. With Zacian V itself, this deck gains a lot at the end of turns where you can’t use Fireball Circus for significant damage. Intrepid Sword is a good Ability to draw cards! This is the best one Prize deck in Standard. [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] is pushed away by Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX with Zacian V. I like the list Stephane provided in his most recent article the most.
Do I need to beat it? Yes.
Cinccino Mill
3/5 | Down: A bad [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] matchup and potential techs are worrisome.
While this deck is very strong and degenerate (certainly the best “control” or “mill” deck right now) it’s got a glaring issue with Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX plus anything. On top of that, there’s loud voices calling for [card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] with Stinger GX to be added to anything that can play it to improve this matchup. Other than that, there’s not a direct tech that counters mill well. If [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] can’t Resource Management out of a bad spot, you’re going to run out of cards. I would tech for it if you can’t beat it, but if you have a chance without one I’d skip it. It looks like others will do the work for you with their own tech, beating the matchup and knocking it out of contention where you could potentially play it. I like the list I wrote about last time.
Do I need to beat it? Depends, probably not.
Mewtwo and Mew-GX / Malamar
4/5 | Up: Marnie was said to be good here, but the deck is good without it and you can be more consistent.
I used this Mewtwo and Mew-GX variant for the recent Costa Rica Special Championship, going 3/0/3 and getting 9th. The deck was somewhat clunky, but new Items like [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] will fix it. The deck was strong and had some amazing options. One problem I can foresee is the improvement of Blacephalon decks by getting Lucky Egg. Previously, you would use Reset Stamp to bring them down to two or less and use [card name=”Trevenant and Dusknoir-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM217″ c=”name”][/card]’s Night Watch them to zero, but now you might not be able to overcome that addition. [card name=”Big Charm” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] is the best Tool for this deck, increasing your Mewtwo and Mew-GX to 300 HP or the Trevenant and Dusknoir-GX itself to the same integer. Biggest thing here is this deck gets better, I’ve heard that it’s popular on the online ladder right now as well and that could be indicative of its upcoming popularity.
[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Trevenant and Dusknoir-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM217″][pokemon amt=”20″]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Inkay” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Trevenant and Dusknoir-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM217″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Latios-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Gengar and Mimikyu-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Cynthia and Caitlin” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]7x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]1x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Here’s my current list for the deck, borrowing most from the old version and skipping out on the usually included [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card]. This concept is polished enough on its own and boasts a favorable [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] matchup. Although that match is worse now with [card name=”Lucky Egg” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card], you can rely more on [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] to Sky-Scorching Light GX and seal the game that way to get ahead on Prizes in addition to [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] plus Trevenant and Dusknoir-GX’s Night Watch. [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] is a huge improvement for this deck over [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], as is Quick Ball. The [card name=”Tag Call” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] package has value but I could see dropping those for [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card]. The thing about Tag Call is that it opens doors to [card name=”Mallow and Lana” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”198″ c=”name”][/card] plays, a card that’s far more important than you would probably figure in this deck. You can heal out of [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]’s Shadow Box degeneration and survive Knock Outs, getting more hits in and opening up craft lines is how this build wins.
Do I need to beat it? So close to saying yes.
Pikachu and Zekrom-GX
4/5 | Up: Skip [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], Acro Bike, and go full turbo time! Marnie is bad too.
Big Charm improves this deck a ton as does [card name=”Tapu Koko V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card]. Jirachi is “too slow” and you want to push the advantage you have with this deck when you get the first turn [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] Full Blitz. It’s pretty simple to do with cards like [card name=”Stadium Nav” set=”Unified Minds” no=”208″ c=”name”][/card] to get [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card] and Quick Ball increases your odds further with a guaranteed [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] search. I have played a ton with Marnie / [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] lists, but I prefer Professor’s Research along with Acro Bike and a lack of Jirachi.
[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″][pokemon amt=”9″]2x [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”72″ 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=”Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”54″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”40″]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Electromagnetic Radar” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Big Charm” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”158″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Tag Switch” set=”Unified Minds” no=”209″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Stadium Nav” set=”Unified Minds” no=”208″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre Labs” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]11x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
[cardimg name=”Jolteon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM173″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This deck has a nice array of attacking options and no Bench space limitations with clunky Jirachi. Pure speed is much better right now. You want to get the best chance of attacking on your first turn and push that advantage that you have over other decks. I don’t have [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card] in the list currently but you could throw that in for some extra juice to clean up opposing [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. Another random thing is that [card name=”Jolteon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM173″ c=”name”][/card] can and will body [card name=”Galarian Obstagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] if you’re worried about that matchup, so remember that’s an option if you’re looking for a tech. Volkner has finally convinced me of its worth with the release of Quick Ball. Quick Ball was the missing piece, a searchable Tapu Koko Prism Star is amazing. Big Charm is a big help for Pikachu and Zekrom-GX. [card name=”Bill’s Analysis” set=”Team Up” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] may be solid in this deck. I’m about to test it right now, actually. Dunno what else to say, this is my frontrunner for the event right now. Didn’t think I’d be saying this ever.
Do I need to beat it? Yes.
Blacephalon-GX
3/5 | Up: [card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card]’s Stinger GX is very good in this format.
Playing against something with a Tag Team Pokemon-GX or a Pokemon VMAX? Don’t start dealing damage or attacking. Spread Energy cards around, set up [card name=”Naganadel” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] for Charging Up and get a bunch of Energy cards in play. Then you can use Psychic-type Naganadel-GX’s Stinger GX and have a checkmate set up. There’s nothing most decks can do about that. Same thing applies to Pikachu and Zekrom-GX matchups, as long as you have a [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] down to prevent Tag Bolt GX from winning the game. You lose to baby [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card], a pretty rough loss to take. Stinger GX also gets you a good matchup against mill. I don’t expect it to be very popular, but a few may pop off with it.
Do I need to beat it? No.
Lucario and Melmetal-GX / Zacian V
3/5 | Down: Pikachu and Zekrom-GX coming back is not good for this deck.
Hitting into Resistance is not fun, nor is your opponent using [card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]’s Full Voltage GX to recover Energy, build enough attacks, and sweeping up the rest of the game. I’m also wary of the matches with [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] mirrors that have [card name=”Lysandre Labs” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card], they can get around your [card name=”Metal Frying Pan” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] and one-shot you after Altered Creation GX. There are a lot of perks to playing [card name=”Lucario and Melmetal-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] to clear Energy and reduce damage, but there’s other ways to get around that in kind. This deck is also more inconsistent because it doesn’t want to play Dedenne-GX, as your game plan is to main Metal Pokemon to get the damage reduction. I’d stick with my list from my last article.
Do I need to beat it? No.
Mewtwo and Mew-GX / Welder
3/5 | Down: The first turn rule changes hurt.
While this deck can hang with the rest, it needs to run well. If you miss [card name=”Welder” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] you will be very far behind to the point where you will be losing games. Many decks are being built to attack on the first turn (assume it’s for enough damage to two-shot a [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card]) so if you miss your own first turn attack you’re behind on the trade. Mewtwo and Mew-GX can’t gain a Prize advantage through a GX attack or anything like that, except maybe Stinger GX? Either way, the techs are there but I’m unsure of this deck’s place in the metagame anymore because of its hit or miss first turns. I’d go for a list similar to the one in my article on the deck, but [card name=”Alolan Sandslash-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM236″ c=”name”][/card] is kinda sketchy the more I’ve played with it, I might drop that in favor of making sure I have Acro Bike and [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Sword and Shield” no=”174″ c=”name”][/card] maxed.
Do I need to beat it? No.
Welder Toolbox
3/5 | Down: The first turn rule changes also hurt this.
This deck brings a fiery punch to the table like Mewtwo and Mew-GX / Welder. Quick Ball and [card name=”Victini V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] are good additions, but it’s a Welder-based deck that wants a first turn Welder. You need to go second with this build and you want a Welder; that doesn’t always happen. When it doesn’t you’re super far behind and usually lose. I don’t like the Pikachu and Zekrom-GX matchup, but maybe playing [card name=”Mega Lopunny and Jigglypuff-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] is the answer here again. Need to play it a bit more, but my handful of games with it and against it have not bode well.
Do I need to beat it? No.
Cinccino Control
2/5 | Down: Oranguru as a frequent tech is rough, as is [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card].
I’m bummed to say, but lists have improved and while testing started well, [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] Control crashed and burned. Zacian V is nearly impossible to deal with, Intrepid Sword is a huge pain and you can’t truly lock a deck that has it. You can create an endless loop of putting one’s hand back in and resetting things, but you also have to deal with Metal Energy acceleration in lists playing it and it can be very difficult to rebuild things when you have to invest your entire [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]’s Resource Management to [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card], a hand-discarding card, and [card name=”Chip-Chip Ice Axe” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card]. Long story short, the deck has to work extremely hard to build a fragile lock and it’s better to go for an all out mill strategy. [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] is problematic once your opponent has taken multiple Prizes, they can sit there using Primate Wisdom until they finally get a Supporter card to build their hand back up or draw something to take another Prize outright. [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] can render some of these outs useless eventually, but the pressure these cards put on by drawing extra cards that you don’t necessarily know the name of is difficult.
Do I need to beat it? No.
Florges Mill
1/5 | Down: Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX decks with [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] are nearly impossible to beat.
Zacian V stuff with Altered Creation GX can’t be overcome. They take a Prize to start, then two sets of Custom Catcher seal the deal. If not that, eventually [card name=”Phione” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] will catch you. Too much is piled up against you here.
Do I need to beat it? No.
Frosmoth Toolbox
2/5 | Neutral: Inconsistent pile, the hype was not justified; deceivingly strong some games with hot hands then trash the next.
Truly, an intriguing deck and there might be a broken list for the deck out there, but I won’t be the one to introduce that. Unfortunately, the consistency with [card name=”Frosmoth” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t there and without a clear-cut Energy-efficient attacker the deck struggles to compete with faster, more consistent decks. Look at the Zacian V matchup if you need more convincing.
Do I need to beat it? No.
Galarian Obstagoon
[cardimg name=”Galarian Obstagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”119″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
3/5 | Up: I have not played a game with this deck but the potential is there.
One of the most obscure decks that hasn’t been tested much by most. I like Stephane’s thoughts on the [card name=”Galarian Obstagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] deck, check it out! It gets a bunch of automatic wins against a lot. A list with [card name=”Steven’s Resolve” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] seems best to me, one that prioritizes getting two of these Stage-2 guys out and locking the game up. If someone runs a tech, say Jolteon-GX for example in Pikachu and Zekrom-GX, you will outright lose. The deck would be scary to play against a mostly unknown field, maybe it’ll take a little bit for this to have its moment.
Do I need to beat it? Maybe?
Malamar Toolbox
2/5 | Neutral: It’s fine, mediocre, whatever you want to call it.
As with many decks, [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] is hard to deal with. The way I put this one, if they get the Altered Creation GX attack before Clear Vision GX, you lose; you getting [card name=”Latios-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card]’s Clear Vision GX is your only out to winning, but you lose some games when you do get it. Unfavorable matchup, leave [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] at home!
Do I need to beat it? No.
Morpeko V / Lillie’s Poke Doll
2/5 | Up: Can’t beat Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX / Zacian V but most everything else is fine.
Turned out to be a strong deck, but [card name=”Morpeko V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] struggles with the aforementioned Zacian V deck and mill decks, so it can’t be played. It beats a lot of decks because it hits hard and avoids Knock Outs. This is one deck that I wouldn’t be surprised to see well if it hits favorable matchups.
Do I need to beat it? No.
Conclusion
Alright folks, done talking about every deck I consider viable. I’m focused on being the ones I’ve marked as important to beat. Right now I like [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] the most. [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] are pretty good too. It seems like every deck has a Weakness and this metagame is wide open. Let me know if you have any questions in the Subscribers’ Hideout and I’ll do my best to get to them before the big day. Thanks for reading, good luck, and take care.
Peace,
–Caleb
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