Dragon Tales — Two Dragon Decks for Expanded 2021
Hey readers, it’s Charlie and I’m super excited to be back with another article! I’ve been working on two new decks for the Expanded format that I wanted to share with you guys. I’m working hard to find fun and innovative strategies that can spark joy in playing Pokemon, which is especially important in a time with no major tournaments and an atrocious Standard format.
In this article, I’ll share with you updates to two archetypes — one popular and one much more rogue — that I enjoy playing in Expanded now. Coincidentally, both of these decks are based on many different Dragon-type Pokemon and the power of [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], one of the most unique and interesting Energy cards we’ve ever seen. Since Dragon-types usually have two different basic Energy requirements, Double Dragon Energy lets us cover both at once while acting like two Energy attachments! This lets us accelerate high-cost attackers and use attacks that cost two Energy or less for only one attachment.
Garchomp and Giratina-GX
The first deck I’m going to share is an update to the [card name=”Garchomp and Giratina-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] archetype that won Dallas Regionals over a year ago now (times are crazy). With four new sets having been released, I feel this deck has only gotten better. It gained new options like [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] that allow you to further abuse damage placement and put out ridiculous numbers very early in the game. So without further ado, here’s the list!
[decklist name=”TinaChomp 2021″ amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Comfey” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”93″][pokemon amt=”17″]2x [card name=”Garchomp and Giratina-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Naganadel and Guzzlord-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”158″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Weezing” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Koffing” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”243″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Noivern-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Noibat” set=”Unified Minds” no=”158″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ 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=”Mimikyu” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giratina” set=”Unified Minds” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Comfey” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]3x [card name=”Roxie” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”205″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ 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]3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Stealthy Hood” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”186″ 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=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]4x [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
I originally started with a combination of Hunter Butler’s winning list and various lists that placed in Collinsville (where Sword & Shield was legal). This list felt the most consistent out of anything I used. This list is good for playing on the ladder, but you may want to make meta-specific adjustments if you’re planning to play in a tournament with it. I’ll go into a few of the card counts:
Two Garchomp and Giratina-GX and one Naganadel and Guzzlord-GX
[cardimg name=”Garchomp and Giratina-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”146″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
For our main attackers, I went with a 2/1 split of Garchomp and Giratina-GX and [card name=”Naganadel and Guzzlord-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card], both of which are incredibly potent attackers and threaten the opponent’s side of the board in many ways. Garchomp and Giratina-GX is the big hitter, you can take OHKOs on the vast majority of attackers in the game (save for a few Pokemon VMAX) and work to draw Prize cards as fast as possible. Naganadel and Guzzlord-GX is here to tank; its 280 HP and Violent Appetite Ability allows it to stay alive for a long time and dish out consistent damage to 2HKO everything. Naganadel and Guzzlord-GX has a useful GX attack that can finish out a game if you’ve taken enough Prize cards and can’t invest the resources to set up another attacker. Overall, Garchomp and Giratina-GX is used mostly to take down 270 HP or lower Pokemon (like Pokemon-GX, Tag Team Pokemon-GX, etc) and Naganadel and Guzzlord-GX can tank a few turns in order to score 2HKOs on Pokemon VMAX and OHKO single-Prize attackers. This combination lets you address all major types of attackers and gives you a solid out to all of them.
One Koffing and One Weezing
In combination with [card name=”Roxie” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”205″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Weezing” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] can add lots of extra damage to the board and give you the damage counters necessary to boost Garchomp and Giratina-GX’s Calamitous Slash. It’s also searchable with [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card]. I included a copy of [card name=”Koffing” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”243″ c=”name”][/card] that has the same Ability instead of a second Weezing; this isn’t necessary but it allows you to search out a Pokemon with this Ability using [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] as well. Overall, this combination lets you get damage onto the board early and often that you can later manipulate and use to Garchomp and Giratina-GX’s advantage.
One Exeggcute
This card is one of the best Pokemon in Expanded for good reason; [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card]’s Propagation Ability lets it be used as discard fodder perpetually for various effects. Not only do the classics of Quick Ball, Mysterious Treasure, and [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] appear here, but Roxie is also able to discard Exeggcute and draw 3 cards! Having Exeggcute guarantees that you’ll be able to draw 6 cards with Roxie and afford the discard cost for Quick Ball and Mysterious Treasure. This card has been a staple for years, and it’s better than ever in this deck.
One Noivern GX
Since we’re playing [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] why not add some Item lock into the fold? [card name=”Noivern-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] not only offers Item lock for a single Double Dragon Energy, it gives us the chance to lock Special Energy cards (with an additional Basic Energy attachment) and spread damage with its Boomburst GX attack! Noivern-GX is a multipurpose tool that adds another dimension of play to the deck and gives you outs to otherwise hard matchups that rely on Items, like Shock Lock. I like this inclusion and it’s definitely worth the two spots.
One Dedenne GX and One Crobat V
With [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] banned, we turn to both [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Crobat V” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] to help improve consistency. Both of these cards give us options to draw after playing a Supporter and are useful in all stages of the game. I wouldn’t mess with these counts unless it’s to add more of them, both cards are wildly powerful in a fast deck like this and deserve the spots.
One Jirachi-EX
I chose to include [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] over [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] because it can be reused with [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card], which makes it so much more powerful than being able to search it with Mysterious Treasure or having extra HP. You now gain another out to Supporters in the form of an Item whenever you have Jirachi-EX on the board.
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One Tapu Koko Prism Star
With this card, you have the extra Energy you need to use Calamitous Slash, Jet Pierce, or Sonic Volume without a second Double Dragon Energy. Add [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] into the fold and you can reliably get multiple Lightning Energy into the discard pile before firing off [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]’s Dance of the Ancients, skipping two turns of Energy attaching in one Ability. This acceleration lets you attack on the first turn going second if you draw well, a wildly powerful proposition that can win games outright in a much slower Expanded format. Overall, Tapu Koko Prism Star is a critical piece of this deck’s engine that takes it from too slow to Tier 1.
One Mimikyu
The [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] from Cosmic Eclipse has a unique Ability that we can take incredible advantage of: It shuts off the Abilities of all Pokemon-GX with damage counters on them. Since we don’t have any Pokemon-GX that actively use Abilities with damage on them (outside of Naganadel and Guzzlord-GX), we can use our damage manipulation abilities to selectively shut off opposing Abilities like [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card]’s Perfection and [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]’s Trade. This option is incredible with so many Pokemon-GX having high quality Abilities, and for only a single spot it’s absolutely warranted.
One Giratina
Unlike former lists, this [card name=”Giratina” set=”Unified Minds” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] doesn’t have Distortion Door; this one has the power to remove a Special Energy from your opponent’s Active Spot Pokemon when you play it down. I decided to include this because Scoop Up Net lets you reuse it, giving you the power to remove Special Energy from the few targets you can’t take down in one hit. I may switch this out for a second [card name=”Galarian Zigzagoon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] because that card is too powerful, but for now I like including one Giratina in the list.
One Galarian Zigzagoon
Speaking of Galarian Zigzagoon, this card gives you the power to drop one damage counter anywhere when you play it down. Now you can put damage on your opponent’s Active Spot Pokemon without needing to play Roxie (with Weezing) or attack! This gives you a huge advantage in attempting to attack on your first turn going second, as you can now miss Roxie and still hit for 240 damage. It’s also reusable with Scoop Up Net! This card adds so much to an already potent first turn and lets you not only hit turn 1 attacks more frequently, but place damage counters on the board more consistently throughout the game and hit bigger KOs than you would have been able to otherwise. No-brainer inclusion and I might want more.
One Comfey
Since Double Dragon Energy counts as Fairy Energy while attached, we can use [card name=”Comfey” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] to protect against Special Conditions! This gives us a pretty solid strategy against Shock Lock: Power up Noivern-GX, put Comfey on the Bench, and attach your [card name=”Stealthy Hood” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] onto Comfey, preventing [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] from shutting it off. This should make it virtually impossible for Shock Lock to escape Item lock, unless they play [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card]. However, by the time they have everything they need to lock you, you’ve likely already won! Comfey is useful against [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] too and other stuff that induces Special Conditions, so it’s worth the spot in my mind.
Three Roxie, One Professor’s Research, and One N
I went for this draw Supporter split because [card name=”Roxie” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”205″ c=”name”][/card] is the most powerful option in almost every scenario. [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] is almost exclusively there for early game, and [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] is important as a disruption card. You could go down a Roxie and add [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card], but I didn’t use it that often in testing because Roxie is usually better. I like this split for now.
Four Quick Ball and Four Mysterious Treasure
I’ve decided to circumvent [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] entirely even though we play double Exeggcute. Why? The only Pokemon [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] can’t get is [card name=”Weezing” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], which is searchable with [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card]. The risk of someone shutting off Exeggcute’s Ability or a painful discard early game is much higher than needing Ultra Ball, so I decided we could run without it altogether. So far, my hypothesis has proved correct, as this list consistent as ever with these two search Items.
Three Battle Compressor and Three Trainers’ Mail
Both Battle Compressor and [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] are important for consistency, so I went for three of each. Both are useful in early game setup — Battle Compressor discards [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card] and Lightning Energy, Trainers’ Mail smooths things out. I might consider adding more, but that might feel too cumbersome as both cards (especially Battle Compressor) get weaker as the game goes on. Keep these in the list if you want a smooth setup.
Three Scoop Up Net
The latest addition to this deck adds another dimension of play entirely. Not only does [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] let you pick up unnecessary Pokemon on the Bench (except your Pokemon-GX / Pokemon V) like an Exeggcute you started with, but it lets you reuse Galarian Zigzagoon and [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] multiple times. This card has insane potential and could be used in combination with other stuff that I haven’t thought of or tested yet, but what it has done for the deck in limited testing is already incredible. Whiffing the damage you need to hit with [card name=”Garchomp and Giratina-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] is pretty much never an issue now because you can reuse Galarian Zigzagoon so many times in one game. Keep these in and maybe add a fourth.
One Great Catcher
Older lists used to play two or three copies of [card name=”Great Catcher” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card], but with less Pokemon-EX / Pokemon-GX at the forefront of the current Expanded format, I slimmed it down to only one copy. This copy is wildly powerful; it gives you the opportunity to pick off [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] or any attackers your opponent may be powering up before your opponent is ready. Gusting up other targets is also useful against Pokemon VMAX decks — you may choose to avoid their Pokemon VMAX and try to take six Prize Cards from other Pokemon. Overall, Great Catcher has been pretty great (no pun intended) thus far and I might add back a second copy if the meta shifts towards more Pokemon-EX / Pokemon-GX.
One Stealthy Hood
I included a Stealthy Hood mostly to defend against Shock Lock, but also to protect stuff like [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] from being shut off by Alolan Muk. These scenarios may be niche, but anything could appear in the wild west that is the PTCGO ladder and having Stealthy Hood in your list could be game-breaking. It protects against [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] too, which if you read my last article you’ll know how good that card is!
That’s all the important card counts from my Garchomp and Giratina-GX list. Matchups are pretty straightforward; figuring out a good path to six Prize Cards is the most important part of winning with this deck. You’ll need to make sure you’re taking Prize Cards as fast as possible; lots of other decks in Expanded can win in less than four turns now, so not even 240 damage on turn 1 is enough anymore. You have an attacker for almost every scenario, so make sure to plan ahead and decide which attacker is the best for a given scenario. Every deck in Expanded has a weakness and you have enough options to usually exploit it!
Egg Splat Exeggutor
With that said, here’s the other deck I’ve been working on: Egg Splat Exeggutor! This deck has been around for two years now, but it still hits really hard for a one-Prize deck and is an absolute blast to play on the ladder. Here’s the list:
[decklist name=”EggSplat” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″][pokemon amt=”15″]4x [card name=”Alolan Exeggutor” set=”Team Up” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ditto” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”108″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Ditto” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Noivern-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”41″]4x [card name=”Roxie” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”205″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lance Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Stealthy Hood” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
This list has changed a lot from when it saw extensive play a couple of years ago; it has gained various new options to help address some of its major weaknesses. I’ll go into some of those below:
Four Ditto and One Ditto Prism Star
[cardimg name=”Ditto” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”108″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
The combination of [card name=”Ditto” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] allows you to get [card name=”Alolan Exeggutor” set=”Team Up” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] into play without needing to put an [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card] on your Bench the turn prior. Therefore, you can use that Exeggcute to do more damage! In combination with [card name=”Lance Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card], you should never have to leave an Exeggcute on the board unnecessarily. This combo is really strong and works well to keep this deck moving quickly!
One Noivern-GX
You can only put [card name=”Noivern-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] into play with Lance Prism Star, but when you get it out, it can be game-changing. Adding Item lock and Special Energy lock to an already potent attacking strategy lets you lock opponents out of the game who may have over-exerted themselves in an attempt to survive multiple high-powered Egg Splats. I personally remember losing to this card in my own streamed match against Egg Splat at 2019 Toronto Regionals; it can really put in work against an unsuspecting opponent!
One Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX
I threw in a copy of [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] (ADP) in order to increase our damage output and draw extra Prize cards in the process. ADP is incredibly useful if you can get it turn 1 going second; you can use Altered Creation GX, attack with it until it’s KO’d, then take an extremely favorable Prize trade for the remainder of the game. If you know your opponent doesn’t play [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], using ADP will guarantee you a favorable Prize trade.
Four Roxie, Two N, One Professor’s Research
This deck also loves the addition of [card name=”Roxie” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”205″ c=”name”][/card]; having four copies of Exeggcute lets you use it for six cards almost every time. I play two [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and a [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] for instances in when disruption is necessary or my Exeggcute have been shut off. This Supporter line has worked well for me thus far.
One Lance Prism Star
Lance Prism Star can not only get out Noivern-GX, but also do something much more powerful: get out two Alolan Exeggutor without the need for an Exeggcute! This pushes your maximum damage output to 270 damage with an Altered Creation GX; a ridiculous number that also nets you an extra Prize card. Lance Prism Star’s utility in this deck is incredible and I wish it was easier to find it mid-game.
Four Stealthy Hood
While this might not make much sense at face value, anything that shuts off your Abilities will shuts this deck down. In order to combat this, I included four [card name=”Stealthy Hood” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] so that you can do things like use Ditto’s Transform under [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]. While you will struggle to win these matchups, you have a genuine chance now that these are in the list. Plus, you can defend against [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Vivid Voltage” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] and Shock Lock!
Two Chaotic Swell
I chose [card name=”Chaotic Swell” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card] because it’s the best option to defend against [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card]. Chaotic Swell was the obvious choice to keep that awful card off the field. You can also keep any other annoying Stadiums from messing your game plan.
This deck’s strategy and matchups are relatively straightforward. But I’ll go over one major weakness this deck has: It plays no cards to switch your Active Spot Pokemon! Getting a Ditto locked in the Active Spot without any Stealthy Hood or other outs to turn its Ability back on loses you the game. However, if you pay attention to this fact while playing, you’ll realize that it’s easy to work around by not over-benching Ditto or putting ADP into play when it isn’t needed. Overall, just being conscious of this fact should be more than enough to help you through the game.
Conclusion
That’s all I have for you this month; I had a lot of fun testing these decks and I think they could be very good options for upcoming Expanded online tournaments. As always, feel free to ask me any questions in the comments below, in the Subscriber’s Hideout, or on my Twitter (@C4_TCG). Thanks for reading and I look forward to writing my next article!
Charlie
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