First or Second — Combo Decks Done Right (Featuring Exodia)

Hello everyone! Recently, I’ve been working on a couple of Expanded decks as I’m having more fun with the format, even though most online tournaments are currently running Standard. Rebel Clash introduced a few powerful cards into the game. [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] ruins the Standard format by gatekeeping anything that has an evolution or low HP in general, especially combined with multiple copies of [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card]. Because of this, my attention has shifted to the Expanded format.

Another card that everyone has their eye on is [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card]. This card is neat because it allows extra uses of cards such as [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Jirachi Prism Star” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], etc. It doesn’t work with Pokemon V or Pokemon-GX, but this restriction does not apply to Pokemon-EX in the Expanded format. Naturally, [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] is the best partner for this card. Scoop Up Net allows for many extra uses of Shaymin’s Set Up Ability, which is a huge boost for combo decks. I enjoy coming up with broken decks and I’ve been refining two first-turn-kill (Exodia) decks that heavily rely on Scoop Up Net.

Honchkrow-GX Lock

My first idea was to build a combo that locked my opponent’s hand on turn 1. However, the carefully crafted ban list invalidates about every hand-disruption card you can think of. There are very few options, but among the cards that aren’t banned are [card name=”Honchkrow-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Dusk Stone” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card], and Marnie. This combo can reliably work on turn 1 if you go second. If your opponent wins the opening flip and chooses to go second, you’ll have to wait a turn to pull it off.

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[decklist name=”honch lock” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Honchkrow-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”109″][pokemon amt=”11″]3x [card name=”Honchkrow-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Murkrow” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”108″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”81″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”44″]1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Plumeria” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hiker” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Dusk Stone” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”167″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trick Shovel” set=”Flashfire” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Wait and See Hammer” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ 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=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”5″]2x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

How to play Honchkrow-GX Lock

[cardimg name=”Honchkrow-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”109″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This is a combo deck that aims to go second when possible. [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] sets your opponent’s hand to four cards. Honchkrow-GX’s Unfair GX allows you to choose two cards to take away. Use [card name=”Trick Shovel” set=”Flashfire” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hiker” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] to control the opponent’s topdeck. [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] shuts off Abilities such as [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card]’s Intrepid Sword and [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card]’s Instruct in case your opponent has one of those Pokemon in play. Additionally, Silent Lab nullifies [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] as a draw out by turning off [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]’s Dedechange and Shaymin-EX’s Set Up. This means that Ultra Ball is an extra dead card that you can let your opponent keep when deciding what to do with Trick Shovel and Unfair GX.

One thing to note is that Trick Shovel does not have to be used after Marnie. Using it before Marnie can be useful as you are controlling what your opponent draws off the Marnie. You want to use one or two after the Marnie though.

Honchkrow-GX’s Ability complements this combo. By locking Special Energy, Stadium cards, and Pokemon Tools, the Ability creates more dead cards for your opponent. This means that you only need to use Trick Shovel and Unfair GX to regulate Supporter cards and a few other miscellaneous cards like [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]. Once your opponent is locked, Honchkrow-GX’s respectable damage output cleans up their board before they’re able to muster up an adequate response. The combo is simple but effective.

When forced to go first, the plan is usually to leave a Honchkrow-GX on the Active Spot and pass, unless the opponent’s deck threatens an immediate KO on the Honchkrow-GX. Although opponents can do more with a Supporter and an attack, they’ll be susceptible to the lock unless they bring a [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] active. This deck loses if the opponent plays down a Silent Lab before we set up. Fortunately, the only deck that plays Silent Lab is [card name=”Ultra Necrozma” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card]. Unless the opponent knows what you’re playing, they will be conservative with Silent Lab. They don’t want to use them unless they’re attacking on the same turn, which is correct in most matchups, but Honchkrow-GX will punish that. Furthermore, Honchkrow-GX’s Ability is very good against Ultra Necrozma.

The most realistic way for Honchkrow-GX to lose is if the opponent wins the opening flip, chooses to go second and gets multiple Energy into play on their first turn. This can realistically happen in some matchups such as against [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] variants. In any case, the matchup is roughly 50-50 at worst. If they win the flip, they have to draw well.

Three Honchkrow-GX, Two Murkrow, and Four Dusk Stone

The inverted [card name=”Honchkrow-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] line is intentional. [card name=”Dusk Stone” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card] requires a Honchkrow-GX to be in the deck, something that the player more or less has no control over. [card name=”Murkrow” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] is easy to search out and you only need one. If you prize or draw into too many Honchkrow-GX, Dusk Stone turns into a dead card. However, Marnie can put Honchkrow-GX back into the deck to reactivate Dusk Stone. Running only two Honchkrow-GX allows for many more things to go wrong. With three copies, it’s exponentially less likely that they’re all in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The reason I included four Dusk Stone is because it is a time-specific combo piece. Although this deck only needs one Dusk Stone per game (and it’s easy to dig through the deck), it’s important to find Dusk Stone before you see too many Honchkrow-GX. You want Dusk Stone as soon as possible. Even with the maximum number of copies, it’s sometimes annoying to find.

Four Shaymin-EX, Zero Dedenne-GX, Zero Tapu Lele-GX

An easy and efficient way to dig through the deck to make the combo work is using [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] would make a useful inclusion in the deck, as it allows you to easily grab Marnie. However with relatively few Basic Pokemon, starting Tapu Lele-GX would be a disaster. There’s no way to move it from the Active Spot aside from hard retreating and we need the turn’s Energy attachment for Honchkrow. The same goes for Dedenne-GX. If we were to include Tapu Lele-GX and/or Dedenne-GX, it would require taking an unnecessary risk or playing an extra switching card, which cuts too deep into deck space. If I were to play either of the Pokemon-GX, it would be Tapu Lele-GX. I would opt to risk starting it over adding something else like [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. I don’t know if that risk is worthwhile, as the combo is already consistent.

One Marshadow

Adding one [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] can easily counter [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card], two moderately popular Stadium cards that would otherwise destroy this deck.

One Exeggcute

Combo decks now have access to Ultra Ball, [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. These options add an insane level of consistency to any deck, and boosts combo decks in particular. Without [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card], it would be difficult to meet the discard demands of all of these cards. Exeggcute isn’t the most flashy inclusion, but it does dramatically increase efficiency.

One Team Flare Grunt, One Plumeria, and Two Wait and See Hammer

We need some way to regulate decks with Basic Energy. Honchkrow-GX is weak offensively, so it will lose a fair fight against any other Pokemon. With these Energy disruption cards combined with the brutal hand lock, it’s nearly impossible for opponents to build threats within the timer that this deck imposes. When deciding which cards to let your opponent have, it’s important to consider your current access to [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Plumeria” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card]. Getting rid of Basic Energy with Trick Shovel and Honchkrow-GX’s Unfair GX is great, but it’s better to let them have Energy cards as opposed to a potential Supporter.

With this deck going second more often than not, [card name=”Wait and See Hammer” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card] is a natural addition. It helps against everything, but especially decks like Zacian V that often attach more than one Energy on the first turn. A third Wait and See Hammer is on my mind, but I don’t feel it’s as necessary when running both Team Flare Grunt and Plumeria.

One Cynthia

This card was not originally in the deck, but I wanted to add [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] in testing. It can be better than [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] if your opponent leaves themselves with four cards or less on their turn. I wanted to draw cards too after locking my opponent. Under Silent Lab, Shaymin-EX is no good, so I was forced to use Marnie to draw cards. Marnie does refresh my opponent’s hand, which completely defeats the point of the lock. Cynthia becomes a draw option after you’ve set up the lock.

Two Marnie

This deck only needs to use Marnie once, the two copies are insurance against one in the Prize and for a bit of extra consistency. It’s unnecessary to run more. Marnie is easily found with some combination of [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], and Computer Search, if not drawn into naturally.

Four Battle Compressor

This is a ridiculously good card and I assure you that four is not overkill. It’s important to gain access to Marnie and Exeggcute as early as possible. Many other Pokemon and Wait and See Hammer quickly become dead cards as well. Battle Compressor can thin out extra Supporter cards as well as extra Dusk Stone and Energy cards once you’ve found the ones you need.

One Ordinary Rod

Use [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] as a more flexible third Darkness Energy. The third Energy is another card that can be in the wrong place at the wrong time, so sometimes it’s necessary to throw them away in order to continue digging through the deck. Ordinary Rod can manipulate where Honchkrow-GX is, as it can put any discarded copies back in the deck to activate Dusk Stone. Finally, Ordinary Rod can fill up the deck in case you’ve left yourself close to decking out after completing the combo.

Two Silent Lab

We play two [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] because it is a huge liability and we don’t want to see it until later in our turn. If you draw it early, you can put it back on the bottom of your deck with Marnie. After Marnie, it’s fine to hold onto it and use Shaymin-EX’s Set Up for one fewer card each time. It’s not a big deal. Too many copies of Silent Lab would be inefficient. Two is the minimum we can run. Silent Lab a necessary part of the lock, so we can’t afford one copy in the Prize, but we don’t want it in our hand either.

Latios-EX Donk

I was not the only person to come up with the idea that [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] could enable a donk deck due to its synergy with [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card]. I will say that there are lots of suboptimal builds out there. I’m here to share the optimal [card name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] donk list. This deck has been talked about in the past, but it’s more than a meme now. This donk deck is actually good. It’s a purely luck and statistics-based deck, winning a respectable percent of the time. While its overall success depends on the meta and the decks it faces, it’s incredibly strong in the Expanded format for a few reasons.

• The higher levels of power and speed in the Expanded format encourages most players to opt to go second.
• This deck hits for absurd amounts of damage, able to KO almost anything besides specific Tag Team Pokemon-GX before your opponent can take a turn.
• It can KO two low-HP Basic Pokemon before the opponent can take a turn.

[decklist name=”DONK” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″][pokemon amt=”18″]2x [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Regirock-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”43″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”40″]4x [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Shining Legends” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Roller Skates” set=”XY” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”PlusPower” set=”Black and White” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”2″]2x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”XY” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

How to Play Latios-EX Donk

[cardimg name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”58″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This deck thrives when the opponent does not know what you are playing beforehand. If they do, they’ll choose to go first, leaving a lot more up to the luck of winning the opening coin flip. I think it’s hilarious that this deck runs no Supporter cards too. Is it the first legitimate deck to not run Supporter cards for as long as Supporters have existed?

The goal of the deck is to win before your opponent gets a turn. Since Supporter cards cannot be used on the first turn, it’s possible that opponents don’t find the right Pokemon to avoid getting donked, even if they go first. This has happened more often than you’d expect. Although the PTCGO ladder isn’t indicative of a deck’s competitive viability, it happens to work when gauging a deck like this that operates purely on luck and statistics. I usually manage a win-streak of three to five wins each time before losing once, with my best win streak being seven games. Every once in a while, I’ll lose two or three in a row, but that’s rare and never more than three in a row.

Furthermore, PTCGO happens to be the best environment for this deck, a best-of-one format where the opponent doesn’t know the deck going in. This deck is extremely fun to play.

Lets talk about the situations where this deck loses:

• Opponent goes first and gets more than one high HP Basic Pokemon
• Opponent goes first and gets more than two Pokemon
• Opponent starts with a Tag Team Pokemon-GX that isn’t weak to Fighting or Psychic
• Opponent starts with [card name=”Cramorant V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card]. While not impossible to take out, the -30 Resistance to Fighting-type Pokemon makes it a huge issue.
• Opponent starts with more than one high-HP Basic Pokemon
• Opponent starts with more than two Pokemon

The most important thing to note is the opponent not knowing what we are playing beforehand. Since turn 1 hand disruption does not exist in the Expanded format, it’s actually optimal to hold extra Basic Pokemon in hand against anything that isn’t a Latios-EX donk deck. If the opponent knows this, it’s more likely they do not play down extra Pokemon.

Additionally, it’s likely that opponents choose to go second if they win the flip, unknowingly throwing us a free win.

It’s possible to use Galarian Zigzagoon’s Ability up to 12 times, but this requires flipping four heads on [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] and having optimal Prizes, so it’s extremely unreliable to do so.

Fighting-type Pokemon

The Fighting-type Pokemon package is the most optimal way to increase damage output. [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] copies Latios-EX’s Fast Raid from the discard pile. This way, we can further boost Marshadow-GX’s damage with [card name=”Regirock-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. Regirock-EX is slightly better than [card name=”Seviper” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card], as Regirock-EX adds more damage if the opponent is weak to Fighting-types. We only run three copies of Regirock-EX and [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] because of Bench space. I tried four of each as well as a three-four split, and three of each is optimal. This deck usually has four copies in some combination of Regirock-EX and Galarian Zigzagoon on the Bench, as well as Diancie Prism Star.

Mew over Mewtwo and Mew-GX

Compared to [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] that I originally had, [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] is better. It has free Retreat Cost, and the only way to move Mewtwo and Mew-GX from the Active Spot is by flipping heads on Super Scoop Up. Mew, being a one-Prize attacker, provides a way to KO [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Shining Legends” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]. The downside of Mew is that it requires Latios-EX to be in play instead of in the discard pile. Initially, I thought this meant Mewtwo and Mew-GX is better, but that’s wrong. If we are attacking with Mew, we don’t need any Fighting-types on the Bench and therefore have plenty of space for the [card name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]. A Psychic-type attacker is valuable to this deck because it offers a way to KO an opposing Mewtwo and Mew-GX.

Pheromosa-GX and Beast Energy Prism Star

Other considerations include [card name=”Pheromosa-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] because Pheromosa-GX can KO some high HP Pokemon if they have a Weakness to Grass-types, such as [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Stonjourner V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]. I do not think this combo is worthwhile because those Pokemon are not too popular and Pokemon-EX weak to Grass-types like [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] are easy to KO with Marshadow-GX

Trainer Cards Explained

Most of the cards in this deck are included to maximize consistency and damage output. [card name=”Roller Skates” set=”XY” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] can be thought of as a slightly weaker [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Shining Legends” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] in terms of drawing cards. Super Scoop Up can reuse [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]’s Set Up, which Roller Skates is basically doing for three cards. It’s undoubtedly better than [card name=”Bicycle” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card]. I prefer Roller Skates over [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], but Acro Bike may be a reasonable substitution. [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] can take care of all the fodder, plus I never want to be stuck discarding damage modifiers with Acro Bike. I included three [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card], though the deck only needs one because it is a time-sensitive card. We want to draw into Sky Field as soon as possible, otherwise the deck doesn’t work smoothly. All other single-use cards are included as a two-of to avoid prizing issues.

I’ve included [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] as it’s more versatile than [card name=”Scoop Up Cyclone” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card]. It can do the same thing while only costing one card out of the hand combined with [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card]. Dowsing Machine is useful to clear out our hand too. This is one of the few decks where [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] is not a consideration. Believe it or not, Computer Search adds nothing of value here.

The second [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] is the only questionable card in the list. The way I see it, Hypnotoxic Laser artificially generates a damage counter onto the field, much like [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”PlusPower” set=”Black and White” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card]. This makes it valuable for the deck’s strategy. Although two is a bit redundant because only one can be used, it isn’t much of a liability. I want as many damage modifiers as possible and that includes Hypnotoxic Laser even if one is Prized.

Overall, this deck is extremely consistent. It’s able to draw through the entire deck close to 100 percent of the time. If you fail to do this, you’ve probably sequenced something incorrectly. The sequencing isn’t intuitive, but it’s easy to get down after a few games. The deck rarely hits for less than 200 damage on the first turn. Unfortunately, [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] is difficult to KO but it’s doable. I’ve done it before but I wouldn’t expect to donk a Zacian V more than 50 percent of the time.

The situations where Latios-EX Donk wins occur much more often than those where it loses. It’s a legitimate deck that doesn’t run any Supporters!

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! I know these decks are completely degenerate because they aim to prevent the opponent from playing the game, but they’re so fun to play. Pulling off a combo like that is always satisfying. Give these decks a try! If Scoop Up Net doesn’t get banned in the Expanded format, it’s sure to be one of the most powerful cards in the format. I’m excited to see what other combo decks become enabled as a result, though the ban list does keep a lot of things in check.

–Grant

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