Regis – Dream Team or Just a Meme?

[cardimg name=”Regigigas” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”130″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Recently I attended the Full Grip Games event, where there were tournaments for both the Standard format and Gym Leader Challenge with thousands in cash prizing. I was fortunate to win both of them, but one deck that nearly ended my Standard format run was the Regi deck. This deck has exploded in popularity since Astral Radiance’s debut at Full Grip, and for good reason. Nolan Freda brought Regi to the world’s attention with a Top 4 finish at Full Grip. The deck does not look good at first glance, as it can only function with all six different Regi Pokemon in play. Furthermore, each attacker is situational and requires several specific Special Energy to work. That said, the deck is actually surprisingly consistent and has strong matchups against the meta. While playing the deck, it feels like an anti-meta deck, but is soon becoming a meta deck itself.

This is the deck I’m going to discuss today to help you understand how the deck functions, its matchups, how to beat it, and how to beat its counters. Let’s take a look at my current list.

Regi Deck List

[decklist name=”regis” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Registeel” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”108″][pokemon amt=”12″]2x [card name=”Regigigas” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Regieleki” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Regidrago” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Regirock” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Regice” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”37″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Registeel” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”108″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Zinnia’s Resolve” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Bruno” set=”Battle Styles” no=”121″ 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=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Trekking Shoes” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”150″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Energy Loto” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Stormy Mountains” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”13″]4x [card name=”Aurora Energy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]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=”Twin Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”174″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist]This list is heavily based off of Nolan’s original list, but there are several differences. Although I’ve already made several changes, the deck still does not feel completely optimized. It will be interesting to see where it goes from here. Nonetheless, this list is powerful. The deck is strong and consistent. You’re able to fill the board with every Regi on turn 1 or turn 2, and if it takes until turn 3, you’re just having a bad game. This deck aims to be fairly aggressive when it comes to drawing cards and digging through the deck, and ideally you will find the Regis and several Energy cards as a result of that. You are extremely limited in that you cannot play any non-Regi Pokemon in this deck, so the only real innovations that can be made are with the Trainer lineup.

I’ve cut [card name=”Powerful Colorless Energy” set=”Darkness Ablaze” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] entirely, simply because they are way too inconsistent. They are definitely strong cards, but only in niche situations, and they are difficult to find on demand. I’ve added a fourth [card name=”Ordinary Rod” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Stormy Mountains” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card] to help patch up the deck’s fragility. With Regi becoming more popular, counters such as [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] are making their way into lists. Those Stadiums are instant game-enders if you do not have the immediate response with Stormy Mountains. [card name=”Avery” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] is also an annoying card to deal with, but the extra Ordinary Rod makes it less of an issue.

[cardimg name=”Regidrago” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”118″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

We play two of each Regi to take up as little deck space as possible, as well as one [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] in case both copies of a Regi are in the Prize. However, the Hisuian Heavy Ball can be difficult to find especially when you need it most, so a second copy is a strong consideration. Furthermore, if you don’t Prize both copies of a Regi, the Hisuian Heavy Ball can still be useful as a regular search card. This is because it is fairly likely that at least one Pokemon is Prized, which makes Hisuian Heavy Ball have some value. The same logic applies for the argument in favor of adding a second Hisuian Heavy Ball. However, a second copy of this Item card is only truly needed when the following two criteria are met: 1) Both copies of a Regi are prized, and 2) You are unable to find the original copy of Hisuian Heavy Ball that’s already included. Because those conditions only apply in a very small percentage of games, I’ve concluded that the second Heavy Ball is ultimately not worth including.

There is another [card name=”Regidrago” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Regieleki” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] that this deck could play. However, they are far too situational. This list is geared towards consistency, as this deck will usually win when it is able to function at its full potential. When testing with the other Regidrago, I never had an opportunity to use it in a match. Regidrago can be incredibly powerful and useful in theory. The current Regidrago is far too important with its draw-power Ability, and you can usually only have one Regidrago in play at a time anyway. I have not tested the other Regieleki yet, but that’s because I do not feel it is even worth considering over the current Regieleki.

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The Supporter lineup is a bit difficult to pin down. Four copies of [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] are automatic inclusions. However, the deck needs more Supporter cards. Ideally ones that are similar to Professor’s Research, or at least draw as many cards as possible. [card name=”Zinnia’s Resolve” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] most closely resembles Professor’s Research and has the highest upside. It can draw many cards at the cost of only two cards discarded. However, it’s not consistent. At the beginning of the game, or whenever your opponent doesn’t have many Pokemon in play, this card is extremely weak. [card name=”Milo” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card] is the most consistent option, but as a result, it is also the weakest one. [card name=”Bruno” set=”Battle Styles” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] seems to make sense because this is a single-Prize deck, so your Pokemon will get Knocked Out often. This makes Bruno much stronger than it is in other decks. However, it too is a bit inconsistent because it is terrible in instances where your Pokemon wasn’t just KO’d, such as in turn 1. Past turn 1, however, it does create a bit of a win-win situation. If your Pokemon was KO’d, you get to use Bruno for full effect. If not, then your Pokemon is still alive and you are probably in a winning position anyway.

The final Supporter-related consideration for this deck is [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card]. However, this Item card is the least consistent among all of them, though it does have a high upside of potentially becoming Professor’s Research. I don’t think the deck has enough Supporters to justify playing Pokegear 3.0, especially since you’d have to cut Supporter cards to ad more copies of Pokegear 3.0. That said, the optimal decision regarding Pokegear 3.0 should probably be based on some complicated numbers and calculations, which I do not happen to have at this time. [card name=”Marnie” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] is just too weak, and is not a good fit for this deck. Although Marnie does see one more card than Milo, Milo’s discard effect is quite important for synergy with [card name=”Regigigas” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card]’s Ability. That said, I currently do not play either Milo or Marnie, because again, I think both cards are too weak for this deck.

This deck has access to plenty of excellent turbo Items such as [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Trekking Shoes” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s truly a shame that there is not space to play four copies of each Item card, though there might be some merit to cutting just one card for a fourth copy of Trekking Shoes. Although four copies of Ultra Ball would be nice, there comes a point where the deck has enough search-power, and anything more would be excessive. This is the law of diminishing returns, as well as a cost / benefit analysis since we would have to go without other cards in exchange for more Ultra Ball. Don’t forget that we also have [card name=”Capture Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card].

[cardimg name=”Regieleki” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”60″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Perhaps the most skill-intensive card in the deck is [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card]. It is not merely the deck’s only switching option, though that is its primary function. Always carefully consider how to optimally use Scoop Up Net. It can allow for multiple uses of Regigigas’s Ability in a turn, which can create a pivot or a secondary attacker for next turn. This is great if you expect a Marnie or [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] from your opponent. Instead of relying on drawing Scoop Up Net to switch your Active Spot Pokemon next turn, you can preemptively make your pivot or next attacker beforehand. Most commonly, you can load Energy cards onto a benched [card name=”Regidrago” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] so you can use its Ability to draw cards and also retreat it later in the turn. This makes the deck fairly resilient against hand disruption, which is a trait that all [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] decks envy greatly. Scoop Up Net can also be used to clear a Bench space, which is also mostly relevant against hand disruption. After using Regigigas’s Ability, I’ve often used Scoop Up Net and then played a second copy of the attacking Regi on my Bench (such as Regidrago, [card name=”Regirock” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Regieleki” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]). Finally, Scoop Up Net can heal your Pokemon, which is mostly used to counter potential [card name=”Medicham V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] Yoga Loop or snipe plays.

Another important in many matchups is [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card], especially with the lack of Powerful Colorless Energy. This is why I’ve added a third copy. Regieleki for [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], Regirock for [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Big Charm” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card], Regidrago for some Pokemon V, and Regigigas for most Pokemon VMAX all require Choice Belt. It’s difficult to find Choice Belt, especially with only two copies in the deck, so I consider three to be the minimum number. Four seems like too many, but not entirely out of the question. Again, space in the deck is at a premium.

Other important Special Energy cards in the deck are [card name=”Speed L Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Aurora Energy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card]. These are the most important ones, which is why there’s four copies of each. Speed L Energy is such a strong card, and helps with the goal of digging through the deck. Aurora Energy unlocks most of the attackers and is difficult to find. Capture Energy offers a boost to consistency, which is helpful but not of critical importance. [card name=”Twin Energy” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”174″ c=”name”][/card] is only needed when attacking with Regigigas, so against Pokemon VMAX decks. Even then, it’s not totally required if you prep Regigigas with an Energy attachment the turn before you attack with it. Your attachment for turn should usually be Speed L Energy or Capture Energy. Using an Energy attachment for turn with Aurora Energy or Twin Energy is just wasteful unless you have no other option. For this deck more than others, your attachment for turn is a resource because of Speed L Energy and Capture Energy. [card name=”Energy Loto” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] is a consistency booster. It’s an extra out to each Energy, but mostly importantly to find your Aurora Energy. You want to find two Aurora Enery as quickly as possible in most matchups because the deck is very limited on attackers without it.

Matchups

Mew VMAX – Favorable

This matchup is honestly pretty interesting. Overall, it’s favorable for Regi. You can still possible lose the match, especially if the [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] player knows what they are doing. This is one of those matchups where the Mew VMAX player’s skill level and matchup familiarity actually plays a huge role. Even if Mew VMAX draws perfectly, if they turn their brain off and simply click the glowing cards like a robot, they will lose. You preferred attacker depends on what strategy they go with. [card name=”Registeel” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] actually has some utility in this matchup because it can OHKO [card name=”Mew V” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card]. This doesn’t come up all that often because your opponent has to play right into it, unless it’s very early in the game and they have no choice. Nonetheless, keep that in the back of your mind as an easy way to take out Mew V.

You generally want to save your [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] attachments for crucial moments, and avoid throwing them away if possible. Choice Belt is extremely important in this matchup, and you will usually need multiple of them. If they attack with Mew VMAX, you obviously want to try to find the [card name=”Regigigas” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] attack with Choice Belt. This is the best way to swing the Prize trade in your favor, but it’s not easy to do in the early game. Eventually, they will use Psychic Leap to retreat into the deck, and the opportunity to OHKO the Mew VMAX will disappear. Whether or not you can punish the attacking Mew VMAX, whenever it does attack at any point in the game, is a huge turning point in the matchup. That said, even if you whiff, there are still opportunities to win.

If they attack with a single-Prize Pokemon, or in other miscellaneous situations, [card name=”Regieleki” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] is often the best attacker. Regieleki can snipe damage onto Mew V or Mew VMAX, which makes it so that Regigigas may not need a Choice Belt later on. If they attack with [card name=”Genesect V” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card], or Psychic Leap into it, [card name=”Regidrago” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] with a Choice Belt is the best attacking option. Either it will OHKO, or it will deal 170 damage after being reduced by [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card]. Regardless, 170 damage is fine because Regieleki can finish it off. If you have the opportunity to snipe Genesect V with Regieleki beforehand, that is also quite helpful. Many of these lines may not even come up, but it all depends on how the game progresses. These are all things you want to keep in mind.

Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR – Slightly Favorable

[cardimg name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

From my experience, the [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] matchup seems good for Regi thanks to the three Choice Belt along with Regieleki. However, the matchup is contentious, and Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR players may have techs for the matchup. For the most part, you simply spam Regieleki and OHKO everything in their deck. Again, try to preserve Choice Belt so that you can OHKO Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR. They may have Big Charm or [card name=”Tool Jammer” set=”Battle Styles” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] attached to one of them, and there’s nothing you can do about that. However, the matchup is still fine. You just have to 2HKO through Big Charm or Tool Jammer, and then you can still deal a OHKO for the rest. Regieleki’s snipe damage can be helpful, but they will usually have [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench anyway, so it’s irrelevant if that is the case. This matchup is less dynamic than the Mew VMAX matchup, so there’s fewer variables and strategies to talk about.

Arceus VSTAR / Inteleon –  Slightly Unfavorable

Usually [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] decks vary greatly, even among those with [card name=”Inteleon” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]. Overall, the matchup is not good due to [card name=”Dunsparce” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”207″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Cheren’s Care” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card]. However, it is still very winnable. If you have a strong start and they do not have a great turn 1, especially if you are going first, then you are in a solid position. An early [card name=”Regirock” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] can apply a lot of pressure, as they are forced to attack quickly and find Dunsparce. However, if Arceus VSTAR is able to stabilize without falling too far behind in Prize cards, things become difficult. Manaphy is also a bit of an annoyance because it protects Dunspace from Regieleki snipes. If Arceus VSTAR achieves its ideal board state, you are stuck attacking for 2HKO’s while totally at the mercy of Cheren’s Care. Unfortunately, this largely comes down to luck and how both decks start.

Arceus VSTAR / Inteleon can fumble a bit in the early game, and if the Regi deck is built as consistently as possible, that will maximize your chances of victory. In possible situations where you are forced to 2HKO, try to evaluate which attacker is best. Regieleki is sometimes the move if they do not have Manaphy in play. Otherwise, it’s actually [card name=”Regice” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”37″ c=”name”][/card]. Although Regice is only a slight annoyance most of the time, it is sometimes the best option. Just be sure that you will be able to get a 2HKO after attacking with Regice because it only does 100 damage. For example, Regice plus Regidrago does not KO Arceus VSTAR unless one of them has a Choice Belt. If the Arceus VSTAR has a Big Charm, then you’ll need a Choice Belt for both attacks. You also want to watch out for [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] in this matchup. Although Collapsed Stadium isn’t the most popular tech option right now, it can be a hard punish if you’ve gotten rid of too many Stadium cards

Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX – Very Favorable

I haven’t played the [card name=”Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] matchup as much, but I’m fairly confident that it is among the easiest for Regi. [card name=”Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] gets demolished by Regigigas, and [card name=”Ice Rider Calyrex V” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] can be disposed of with Registeel. Against anything else, such as Inteleon or a tech Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR, Regieleki can handle them with no issues. As with many other matchups, Choice Belts are at a premium and must be used at the right time. If the opportunity for an early Regieleki attack arises, you can use the snipe damage to alleviate the need for Choice Belt later on. Finally, make sure you always have Regidrago on your Bench as an out to [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card]. Of course, it will usually be on your Bench normally unless your opponent gets rid of it in some way.

Conclusion

This new Regi deck is incredibly strong, consistent, and fun. Before ever playing this deck, I thought it was nothing more than a good meme. The requirement of all six Regi in play seemed atrocious. However, after playing with and against it several times, I am sure that this deck is here to stay. It’s best to be prepared for it. If you haven’t tried this deck out yet, I definitely recommend it. It feels wrong to call this a budget deck. It is top tier for the time being, but it is incredibly cheap to build. It’s always a nice surprise when a deck is so inexpensive, especially when they’re as good as this one.

Thanks for reading! I’m sure that more decks will include [card name=”Avery” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] as the Regi deck gets more popular, but those techs are only mere annoyances for this monster of a deck!

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