Need For Speed — The Rogue Side of Lightning Decks
The Lightning-type in Pokemon tends to be associated with fast, powerful attacks whose power doesn’t sustain itself in the long run — at least, as far as Pokemon types can be said to have a mechanical identity in the TCG. There’s a whole debate here; my position is that they loosely do, but it’s not as marked as colors in other collectable games. Plus, what a type will focus on can definitely vary over time, so I’ll only focus on the Standard format and not make any grand statement about types from the beginning of the Pokemon TCG.
Here’s my evidence for that statement: The main form of Lightning Energy acceleration, [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] is a very powerful but one-time effect. Compare this to something like [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], which is slower but provides more Energy over the course of a game and you can see a distinction. Lightning support cards give their Pokemon power now without worrying about later. The same goes for [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s an insane power boost but works only once, unlike say [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] that is less powerful but more constant.
Of course, this interpretation of the Lightning-type isn’t perfect. One could object that [card name=”Magnezone” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] provides a form of Energy acceleration that’s slower and works over a long period of time. Obviously, every type in the game has Basic and Evolution Pokemon, so no type can be entirely focused on fast attacks by Basic Pokemon or only use Stage-2 Pokemon that play longer games. I would agree with anyone who thinks that the card designers could do much more to give each type a distinct identity.
I feel like my point stands. [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] is a card that completely captures this idea of Lightning Pokemon having high power in the moment. The way the card works, Zapdos will deal 80 damage once, but its subsequent attacks will only deal 10 damage. Power now and not later. Using Zapdos or the Lightning type in general becomes an exercise in dealing with their downsides. In Zapdos’ case, it means having many switching cards such as [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] to reset its effect and target your opponent’s weaker Pokemon at the same time. Zapdos hasn’t been seen much since rotation but the various Zapdos / [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] variants of last season were in my opinion, a great illustration of what the Lightning-type was about.
But what does it mean for Hoopa coming in Darkness Ablaze, a card that does the same thing as Zapdos but Darkness-type? I’m not sure, but I’d say either they decided to give Lightning’s previous mechanical identity to the Darkness-type or they needed a powerful one-Prize one-Energy attacker for the Eternatus VMAX archetype. So they copied the best recent example of such an attacker without thinking.
Since rotation, the main Lightning archetype has unquestionably been [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], which doesn’t fit the theme. It uses some of the cards I mentioned above (Tapu Koko Prism Star and Electropower), but it’s a deck that allows for sustained power over the course of the game. By using its Full Blitz attack, you put enough Energy in play to last for the rest of the game. The newest addition to the deck, [card name=”Boltund V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] provides another form of slower but longer-term Energy acceleration, so maybe the speed aspect of the Lightning type has definitely been abandoned.
Let’s look at [card name=”Luxray” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] from Rebel Clash. This card is a perfect example of the “power now and not later” theme, with Raid doing an unprecedented 160 damage for one Energy. However it’s only once, with Raid regressing to a mediocre 60 damage afterwards. Like with the Zapdos example above, to build a deck around Luxray you need to find ways to play around its attack’s downside — to continuously use Raid for 160 damage.
Luxray isn’t only a random example I’m taking to illustrate a point, it’s the focus of this article. Building a deck around a Stage-2 attacker that doesn’t have a way to stop other Pokemon from damaging it (unlike [card name=”Galarian Obstagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card]) may be foolish and I won’t claim that Luxray is a tier 1 deck. That said, Luke Fisher proved the deck’s worth by making it to Day 2 with Luxray at a recent online tournament. It’s a rogue deck, but like any rogue deck it can beat top tier decks with skillful play and the element of surprise.
In this article, I’ll explain the combination of factors that make Luxray an acceptable choice to build a deck around and how it can match up to other decks in the format. I’ll also talk about another deck, which happens to be Lightning-type. It’s [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], my favorite deck of the pre-Rebel Clash format! Similar to Pikachu and Zekrom-GX, this deck doesn’t have much to do with what I described the Lightning-type’s mechanical identity to be, which deprives me of the opportunity for a very cool thematic link between today’s decks. On the other hand, both decks play [card name=”Speed L Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] — it’s something! (I’ve talked about the power of Speed L Energy before).
Building Luxray
[premium]
[cardimg name=”Luxray” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”62″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Stage-2 Pokemon are numerous, and most of them are completely forgettable. What makes Luxray interesting is that there are several factors that give it much more power than you’d expect.
First, there’s the Lightning support. Tapu Koko Prism Star and [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card] are useful even for a deck that attacks for one Energy. Electropower is the amazing card it’s been since its release and Speed L Energy adds some draw power to the deck.
The issue of Luxray only dealing 160 damage once is easily solved thanks to [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card]. Assuming Luxray survives an attack, you can use Scoop Up Net to get it back to your hand, then play the Luxray on top of a [card name=”Luxio” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] and attack with it. This requires you to have at least one Luxio on the Bench (and preferably a second one or at least a [card name=”Shinx” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card]), but that’s to be expected in a Stage-2 deck. Of course, Scoop Up Net lets the deck use a Jirachi engine.
The most interesting aspect is Luxray’s evolutionary line. This is a classic case of Pokemon from different sets but the same evolutionary line working together, something that usually comes at the end of a season (when the time gap between the earliest and latest sets is at maximum) or in the Expanded format (Shock Lock being the best example). In this case, Luxray can be played with Shinx and Luxio from Ultra Prism. Shinx can evolve on the first turn if you go second, which means you can use Luxray as soon as turn 2. Luxio is actually a decent attacker thanks to its Disconnect attack. Rogue players have tried to make Luxio work for a long time, but the power of Item lock isn’t enough to overcome the weakness of a 80 HP attacker. In this deck however, Luxio acts mainly as a stepping stone for Luxray. There are cases when Luxio is the right attacker even in the midgame.
For example, [card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] decks use low HP Pokemon such as Spiritomb itself. You don’t need Luxray to OHKO a Spiritomb, Luxio’s Disconnect (combined with an [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card]) will be enough to deal with it, and Item locking your opponent can be strong since it makes it impossible to use Jirachi unless there’s already an [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] on it. Disconnect also shuts down the use of cards like [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] that your opponent will need to retaliate.
Against [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card], they will have huge trouble with Item lock since it shuts down [card name=”Fire Crystal” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] which lets them get their Energy back. If they’re out of resources you can lock them out of the game. If they aren’t, not being able to access [card name=”Fiery Flint” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] means that getting a KO with Fireball Circus will be hard for them, especially if you combine your attack with a [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card]. In some cases, you can force them to bring up [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] to attack with Mind Blown, then you can retaliate with Luxray’s Raid for two Prize cards.
Another example that’s less obvious is [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card]. Brave Blade will easily OHKO anything in the Luxray deck, but prevents Zacian V from attacking again. Usually, that’s easily dealt with thanks to a combination of manually retreating, using [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] or Scoop Up Net. But without these items, Zacian V will have to pass the turn Active or retreat into a non-attacker (They won’t be able to charge another attacker and retreat to it without [card name=”Metal Saucer” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card] either). You can’t win by spamming Disconnect against Zacian V, but you can use Disconnect after each use of Brave Blade in order to get some free damage on their attackers. Don’t do this if your opponent has another Zacian V on their Bench that’s ready to attack or they’ll retreat manually to it.
Here’s what my list looks like right now:
Luxray Deck List
[decklist name=”Luxray RCL” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Luxray” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”62″][pokemon amt=”20″]4x [card name=”Luxray” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Luxio” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”47″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Shinx” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”45″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”82″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”31″]4x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”102″ 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=”9″]4x [card name=”Speed L Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Throughout testing, what struck me was the deck’s lack of consistency. That’s to be expected for a Stage-2 deck, but it’s frustrating to lose a game because you can’t get a Shinx on turn 1. This is why I added more Supporters and search Items, cutting techs from the deck. You still have to use [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]’s Dedechange on turn 1, but now you can set up a couple of Luxio. [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] is particularly pleasant to use. It’s normally a dead card on the first turn, but it’s not in this deck since you can evolve Shinx into Luxio on turn 1! This means that you won’t have to discard it when using Dedechange or [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card].
Another card that works on the first turn is [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Luxray” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card]’s Raid does require a Lightning Energy but Disconnect only needs a Colorless Energy, so you can use Capture Energy for it. Of course, the deck still needs basic Lightning Energy in addition to [card name=”Speed L Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] for [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] and occasionally an opponent’s [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card].
The addition of [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card] may be going a bit too far consistency-wise, but this is a deck that needs cards all the time in order to keep attacking even if it’s only a Scoop Up Net or a Luxray. You don’t want to have to pass your turn because your opponent used a [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] in the late game. What’s more, the deck already plays Evolution Incense and I wanted a [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] as a fifth Shinx. Zebstrika feels like a safe addition in this situation.
Having added Zebstrika and maxed out on Professor’s Research for consistency, I found that I was sometimes running out of resources. You can have issues if you have to discard a Luxio early on and another copy is in the Prize. I was playing one Ordinary Rod and found myself thinking, “I need to find it this turn or I lose” several times, then not finding the Ordinary Rod. I don’t regret adding another copy.
All in all, the only card that’s not dedicated to the deck’s primary strategy of using Luxray (or [card name=”Luxio” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card]) consistenly is the lone copy of [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]. When the opponent manages to KO your attackers faster than you can set them up, it can be useful to have a Basic Pokemon attacker to use. Due to its compatibility with [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], Speed L Energy, and Electropower, Zapdos is the ideal choice. Its damage is lower than Luxray’s, but you don’t always need 160 damage. For example, Raid and Thunderous Assault are enough to KO a Zacian V. Add an Electropower to one of the two attacks, and you can KO any 270 HP Pokemon.
Luxray Deck Options
That doesn’t mean that there are no cards I’d like to add to the deck. On the contrary, I think the following cards could be great additions to the strategy. The issue is finding space for them.
Mew
As you can expect, [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] is a tech against [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]. Without it, you need to set up three Luxio (or [card name=”Shinx” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card]) so that you can retaliate with Raid if the Pikachu and Zekrom-GX player KOs two of them in one turn. An alternative plan is to use Raid before Pikachu and Zekrom-GX can use Tag Bolt GX, then use Zapdos to finish it off after they attack. But Mew would help.
Galarian Zigzagoon
While [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] is necessary in this deck in order to reuse Luxray (if you don’t have them, your opponent can ignore your Active Luxray), in many cases your opponent will KO Luxray after it attacks. This means you don’t have much use for Scoop Up Net. You can use it with Jirachi, but if you already have a Jirachi with an [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] you won’t find many opportunities to use Scoop Up Net. This is where [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] can come in. It gives the deck a reliable Scoop Up Net target and can help fix the math when [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t enough.
Reset Stamp
Hand disruption is good in general, but Reset Stamp shines here combined with Luxio’s Item lock. This is already something the deck can do with [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card]: Give your opponent a four card hand and stop them from playing Items. Or use Luxio to Disconnect, and when you’re ready to evolve into Luxray to attack, use Marnie in order to stop them from using the Items they accumulated in their hand. Reset Stamp would allow a similar pattern, but more effective in the late game.
Great Catcher (or Third Boss’s Orders)
Like Reset Stamp, these cards are generically good but they work well with Luxio’s Disconnect. Gusting up a high retreat cost Pokemon on your opponent’s Bench and using Disconnect to prevent the use of Switch, Escape Rope or Scoop Up Net is a classic strategy that can buy you time to set up if you’re behind on board. Raid deals exactly the right amount of damage to OHKO Dedenne-GX, so [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card] can be used effectively to close out games.
Mewtwo
Instead of a third [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card], one could use [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] to get back a previous Boss’s Orders, then draw it with Jirachi, Speed L Energy, or Zebstrika. As with Galarian Zigzagoon, Bench space could be an issue, which is why I’m not suggesting to add [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] as well.
Electrocharger
I’ve mentioned how often I have to discard cards, which has led me to play two Ordinary Rod. It’s not only Pokemon that are getting discarded though. Several times I’ve had to use Electropower for no effect. In theory, [card name=”Electrocharger” set=”Team Up” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] could be helpful to give the deck more power in the late game by getting back Electropower. This is a fringe option because I think the card is rather weak. However, if it shuffled two Electropower in the deck with no flip required, it would be a serious consideration for the deck.
Overall, Luxray can beat [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] thanks to the power of Luxio, and I think the Item lock (combined with Marnie and the option of a big KO thanks to Luxray’s Raid) should be enough to beat Mill or Control decks. Against Pokemon with higher HP, Luxray is the key. The Combo [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] matchup is interesting because you need to weave Disconnects in between Raids so it can be surprisingly close.
The bad news is that Luxray can’t beat [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. The deck needs Shinx and Luxio on the Bench to function and it’s far too easy for Dragapult VMAX to KO Shinx whenever it’s played thanks to Max Phantom’s damage counters. Luke Fisher’s original list included three [card name=”Big Charm” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] that I assume was to help Luxray and its pre-evolutions last longer especially against Dragapult VMAX. But from my games, they weren’t enough to change the matchup and I would rather focus on other matchups.
Morpeko’s Revenge
[cardimg name=”Morpeko V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”79″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
One of the main casualties of Boss’s Orders’ arrival on the competitive scene was [card name=”Morpeko V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. But what if Morpeko V is still usable? After all, many Blacephalon decks don’t play Boss’s Orders so they can’t touch a Benched Morpeko V. The decks that do use Boss’s Orders usually don’t have enough power to OHKO [card name=”Morpeko VMAX” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card], so they would need several of them in a row. It’s not that easy! What’s more, [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] has seen less play. It used to be an issue for Morpeko V when it managed to get a turn three Ultimate Ray on a Benched Morpeko V.
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows for Morpeko V, of course. Zacian V is faster than ever, and it OHKOs Morpeko V before it evolves. Morpeko V needs to adapt, both to the new threats in the metagame and to new options at its disposal.
If you’re new to the deck, I strongly recommend you start by reading Taking the Electro Wheel — my guide to Morpeko V, as well as the updates to the deck in the intro of Days of Thunder. The final list posted there (with the [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] I mentioned in the article) acted as my basis for the deck as I made changes for the Rebel Clash format.
Morpeko V gains two new cards from Rebel Clash, Boss’s Orders and [card name=”Speed L Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card]. Speed L Energy provides more draw power so it has to go into the deck. This means that we play less Basic Energy, so I cut [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] from the deck. [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] only made sense thanks to Volkner, so Boss’s Orders is now the best way to target an opponent’s Pokemon.
Note that the lower amount of Lightning Energy hasn’t been an issue with [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. Unlike in [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], we don’t use Tapu Koko Prism Star very aggressively to secure a turn 2 attack. In most cases, it’s used later in the game to recharge Morpeko VMAX to attack, as well as another Pokemon. By that time, you may have drawn into at least two Lightning Energy and discarded them with [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card]’s Make Do or Electro Wheel’s effect.
I removed [card name=”Tapu Koko V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card] (as it was never as impressive as I liked) and replaced it with [card name=”Boltund V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card]. A turn 1 Electrify can help to power up Morpeko V and its a good way to deal with the deck’s issues when going second. We’re now committed to Morpeko V being the main attacker (Bolt Storm is usable after Electrify, though) and there’s no other plan. For this reason, I increased the Morpeko V line to 3-3. Morpeko V can be KO’d and we should be ready to use a second one when that happens.
Big Charm was cut since its main purpose was to protect Morpeko V from Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX’s Ultimate Ray, something that isn’t too much of an issue now. I added a second [card name=”Switch” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] instead, since we’re losing Tapu Koko V’s free retreat. The second Switch can help achieve the turn 1 Electrify when we don’t start the game with Boltund V.
I kept Oranguru. While Mill is not seen as much as before (and should be beatable in any case thanks to Boss’s Orders and Marnie), using Resource Management for three [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] can essentially give the deck three turns, especially as many players are cutting [card name=”Phione” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] from their lists. Boss’s Orders can get around Lillie’s Poké Doll, but most players will have a limited amount of them and it’s only temporary. Lillie’s Poké Doll remains for the next turn. Alternatively, instead of Oranguru you can add a fourth Boltund V. I could also see [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Evolution Incense” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”name”][/card] in its spot.
Here is the current list.
Morpeko V Deck List
[decklist name=”Morpeko RCL” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Morpeko V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”79″][pokemon amt=”20″]3x [card name=”Morpeko VMAX” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”80″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Morpeko V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Boltund V” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”67″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Minccino” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”29″]4x [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Tate and Liza” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”148″ 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=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lillie’s Poké Doll” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”197″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Great Ball” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]4x [card name=”Speed L Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Memory Energy” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”194″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
It’s a work in progress. I’m viewing Morpeko V as a side project, something I can spend time on when I’m in the mood for an unexpected deck. The Players Cup is on the horizon though, and at this time of writing I think I should be qualified for the main phase of the tournament in July. I’ll take this tournament seriously, so I have to focus on more mainstream decks!
Conclusion
Speaking of the Players Cup, congratulations if you qualified! You probably got enough points by playing decks you know that works for you. But if you want my advice, I recommend to stick with a reliable deck. Pikachu and Zekrom-GX, [card name=”Dragapult VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], and Combo [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] are the three best examples as they can all beat (almost) anything. In a tournament where you can only afford one loss, it’s better not to fear any autoloss. Of course, you could play [card name=”Blacephalon” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] and try to prey on these decks. It’s a gamble, Blacephalon does lose to a lot of random stuff (such as the decks in this article). But by the logic I’ve stated, you’re not very likely to face these decks in the Players Cup if everyone takes it seriously.
If you want more updates to these tier 1 decks, feel free to follow me on Twitter! I like to play in online tournaments and I post my decklists there whenever I do well. If you’re curious about my latest Dragapult VMAX or Zacian V lists, this is where you’ll find them first!
In any case, thanks for reading and good luck in the Players Cup or any other online event you’re playing in! Stay safe, wear a mask, and see you next time.
–Stephane
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