Return of the Moon – Roaring Moon ex in the Shrouded Fable Meta
Hey PokeBeach readers! Hope you had a great summer and are looking forward to 2024-25 season! The World Championships just ended, but we have a plethora of Regionals and SPEs already starting up.
[cardimg name=”Regidrago VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”136″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Let’s quickly start by talking about Worlds. I tested a ton of different decks, and none stuck out to me as a perfect play. Every deck has at least one or two bad matchups against a meta-relevant deck. The format feels wide in the sense that there are so many different archetypes and many of them see a metashare in that 5-10% range. The one thing I was confident about was that [card name=”Regidrago VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] was going to be the most popular deck in the room. The deck does have the highest power level of any deck and it is hard to straight-up counter it. In the end, I decided to join the masses and played Regidrago VSTAR for the event. I had a couple of unfortunate matchups and untimely draws that ultimately held back a deeper run, but I was happy with my deck selection, the cards didn’t come my way this year.
An interesting thing we saw from Worlds was how the meta ended up revolving around Regidrago VSTAR and decks were built with it in mind. The Top 8 featured three aggressive decks in [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card]. They looked to use their speed to take the lead on Regidrago VSTAR and then never relinquish it. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the deck that ended up winning the tournament ([card name=”Iron Thorns ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]) looked to slow down Regidrago VSTAR. Any way you slice it, the decks that were successful at this year’s Worlds had an answer for Regidrago VSTAR!
I think most of these decks were all somewhat on peoples’ radars heading into the event, but seeing so many placing highly was definitely a surprise. I think the metagame, and Regidrago VSTAR in particular, was what allowed these decks to shine, particularly the aggressive beat stick decks. The biggest weakness of playing a deck that relies so heavily on two-Prize Pokemon is that they trade horribly into any deck that can effectively use single-Prize Pokemon such as [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. Both those decks have a tough time up against Regidrago VSTAR which kept them away from the top tables. They also are more prone to tying due to their slower pace of play, pushing them into the tie bracket and even further away from the aggressive decks! I don’t predict Regidrago VSTAR to stop being the most popular deck in the format which makes it less appealing to sleeve up a deck revolving around Stage 2 Pokémon. For this reason, I foresee the aggressive decks having a sizeable place carved out for them in the meta.
Today I want to focus on one of those decks; [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card]. Before rotation, this deck was the favourite of many players, and I predict a lot of people are excited to get to play the newest iteration of the deck!
Why Play Roaring Moon Over the Other Aggressive Decks?
I’ve grouped Roaring Moon ex into the “aggressive deck” category alongside Miraidon ex and Raging Bolt ex, so I want to talk quickly about what differentiates Roaring Moon ex from those decks. I think Roaring Moon ex is the most linear and consistent of the three; there aren’t many tricks or a large variety of attackers, but the deck can execute its core strategy at a staggeringly consistent rate. The deck has two ways to accelerate Energy through [card name=”Professor Sada’s Vitality” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card], which makes getting that turn-one attack much easier. Dark Patch also means you aren’t limited to powering up one attacker a turn or relying on Professor Sada’s Vitality every turn. You can use your Dark Patch to get your next attackers ready or play a different Supporter such as [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card].
[cardimg name=”Pecharunt ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”93″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Another luxury that Roaring Moon ex has is [card name=”Pecharunt ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card]. Subjugating Chains is a fantastic Ability, allowing the deck to send any attacker it has on the Bench straight to the Active Spot. This lets the deck get away with playing no switching cards, which opens up deck slots for other impactful cards. Pecharunt ex also makes your [card name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] matchup almost unlosable — that is a matchup that gives a lot of players stress, so being able to rest easy in that matchup is a great plus.
[premium]
Finally, Roaring Moon ex is capable of Knocking Out any Pokemon in the game with its Frenzied Gouging attack. Being able to guarantee a Knock Out is extremely powerful, and the downside of damaging yourself is normally negligible, especially against other decks that focus on two-Prize Pokemon. The damage from Frenzied Gouging is also irrelevant if you use it to take your final Prize cards, which is often when you use the attack!
The Standard List
[decklist name=”Seinosuke Shiokawa Moon” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″][pokemon amt=”11″]4x [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Pecharunt ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”39″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Roaring Moon ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”40″]4x [card name=”Professor Sada’s Vitality” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”170″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Earthen Vessel” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trekking Shoes” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Sword and Shield” no=”174″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Night Stretcher” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Prime Catcher ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”157″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]9x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
This is the list Seinosuke Shiokawa used to get second place at Worlds. I think this is a list you should familiarize yourself with if you plan on attending any tournaments in this format as most people will base their [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] decks off of it. Seinosuke took an extremely streamlined approach to the deck and it paid off big time. The deck is littered with four-ofs, and techs are kept to an absolute minimum. Going into an unknown metagame I think this was the right approach — being able to pull off your strategy and execute your strategy every game is incredibly valuable, and you will win games off the back of that.
Now that we have a clearer idea of where the metagame is headed there are some tech cards you can add to the deck to help out in your matchups.
Tech Cards
Flutter Mane
In the finals, [card name=”Iron Thorns ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] was able to take down Roaring Moon ex and it would be rational to expect the deck to see play going into Baltimore. [card name=”Flutter Mane ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] greatly improves the matchup by letting you use your Abilities and then have [card name=”Pecharunt ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card] send your attacker for the turn into the Active Position when you are ready. While this sounds nice, Flutter Mane doesn’t have much utility in other matchups, and despite what happened in the finals I think Iron Thorns ex is a fine matchup for this deck. If you have read my articles before you know I don’t like running tech cards that have narrow applications, especially if it is to improve a niche matchup.
Tatsugiri
[cardimg name=”Tatsugiri” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”186″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This fish seems like it is tailor-made for the deck.
Since we have Pecharunt ex, [card name=”Tatsugiri” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] can always be pushed to the Active after our opponent takes a Knock Out and then be switched out easily. On the surface, this card seems too good not to play, but I honestly found it underwhelming when trying it out. One thing this deck struggles with is Bench space. In most games, you will dedicate Bench slots to [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card], and a Pecharunt ex. That is already half of our board dedicated to support Pokemon, and in most games, you will want to bench [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] as well. There simply isn’t space for Tatsugiri normally. The deck also plays so many consistency cards and ways to draw cards that it isn’t difficult to draw into [card name=”Professor Sada’s Vitality” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card] on most turns. Tatsugiri ended up feeling like too much of a luxury and I have it removed from the list for now.
Iron Bundle
This is a card that I love to fit into my aggressive decks as it is another tool to take favourable Knock Outs. A strategy that decks such as [card name=”Regidrago VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] will often employ is to end their first turn with a one-Prize Pokémon in the Active when they go first. It is super important with this deck that we take a 2-2-2 Prize map or else we will fall behind in the game. Often your opponent will not be able to get a one-Prize Pokémon in the Active and one on their Bench. [card name=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] lets you get a guaranteed gust onto a two-Prize Pokémon without having to rely on a [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] flip or finding your one copy of [card name=”Prime Catcher ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card]. It is also searchable off of [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card], making it extremely easy to find.
Lumineon V
[card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] is another support Pokémon I have considered for the deck. It essentially gives you five more outs to hit Professor Sada’s Vitality on turn one (Lumineon V plus your four Ultra Ball) and can find you [card name=”Judge” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card] or the game-winning [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card]. Similar to the problem with Tatsugiri, the deck doesn’t have the Bench space to play this card in the early to mid-game. When we get to the late game our deck is normally super thin as well so finding a Supporter isn’t too hard. I think this is another card that falls into the luxury category.
Bravery Charm and Ancient Booster Energy Capsule
Both these cards serve a pretty similar purpose, giving our Pokémon a nice buff to their HP to hopefully put them out of range from our opponent’s attacks! [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Jamming Tower” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”153″ c=”name”][/card] aren’t seeing much play right now so I think these Pokémon Tools will stick if you get them in to play against a majority of decks.
[cardimg name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I prefer [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] over the [card name=”Ancient Booster Energy Capsule” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] for one main reason; it plays around [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] better. A common strategy Regidrago VSTAR players will use is to try and end the game in two swift Trifrost attacks, normally targeting Squawkabilly ex, [card name=”Pecharunt ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card], and Fezandipiti ex. All three of these Pokémon can’t take advantage of Ancient Booster Energy Capsule but can use the Bravery Charm to get out of the second Trifrost Knock Out range.
I have also found Bravery Charm to be strong against a variety of decks such as [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card], the [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] mirror, and Ancient box. Giving your Roaring Moon ex that extra HP puts them out of Knock Out range and forces your opponent to find a gusting card if they want to take a Knock Out. You are going to be putting a lot of pressure on them with Roaring Moon ex’s speed, so forcing them to power up attackers and find gust could be difficult.
The difficulty with these cards is they aren’t easily searchable so you probably have to play at least a couple of copies if you want to see it early enough in the game.
Binding Mochi
[card name=”Binding Mochi” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] seems like it would be a solid Pokémon Tool card for this deck since Pecharunt ex is going to be poisoning our attackers. My problem with Binding Mochi is that the extra 40 damage doesn’t help us take many relevant Knock Outs with Calamity Storm. Normally Frenzied Gouging still has to be used to take large Knock Outs. Binding Mochi’s damage increase is probably most relevant for boosting the damage of baby [card name=”Roaring Moon ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], but we don’t run enough Ancient cards to let it hit big numbers anyway.
Temple of Sinnoh and Enhanced Hammer
These cards are pretty obviously there to help the [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] matchup — your opponent can throw a [card name=”Mist Energy ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card] on their Pokémon and prevent us from using Frenzied Gouging. I do think adding one of these cards to the deck would probably improve the matchup by ~10%. Similar to [card name=”Flutter Mane ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card], though, these techs don’t have much utility in other matchups. [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] can at least act as a Stadium for Calamity Storm, but [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”168″ c=”name”][/card] can be found off of [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card]. I would probably go with Temple of Sinnoh if you want to run a Lugia VSTAR tech since you can easily take a PokeStop out of the list to make space. I think Lugia VSTAR is in a pretty mediocre spot in the meta right now so I am not running a tech for it, but if your area is heavy on players who like to fly high then it is an easy inclusion for the deck!
My List
[decklist name=”Ciaran’s Roaring Moon” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″][pokemon amt=”12″]4x [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Pecharunt ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”39″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Roaring Moon ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”39″]4x [card name=”Professor Sada’s Vitality” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”170″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Earthen Vessel” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Trekking Shoes” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Sword and Shield” no=”174″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Night Stretcher” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Prime Catcher ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”157″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]9x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
This is my current 60 for [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card]. I didn’t change much since I wanted to keep the deck nice and consistent, but I traded one of the [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card] for an [card name=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] since they serve a similar purpose and then I cut a [card name=”Judge” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Trekking Shoes” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] for two [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card]. While I am losing a bit of consistency, I wanted to make my [card name=”Regidrago VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] matchup even stronger and give myself a slight edge against [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] with the Bravery Charm. I haven’t found myself needing to play Judge too often, and once I get to the later stages of the game it shouldn’t be too hard to find the one copy when I need it.
If you want to find some more deck slots you could consider cutting the second copies of [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pecharunt ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card]. The deck only needs one of each to function every game, but if you prize either of them then the game becomes much more difficult. I have enjoyed having two copies of Squawkabilly ex, not only to protect against prizing it but also to naturally draw it on turn one. Most games Squawk and Seize is what gets your setup going.
Matchups
Regidrago VSTAR
[cardimg name=”Dragapult ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”200″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Let’s start by talking about the big bad of the format, Regidrago VSTAR! This is a matchup you need to make sure you understand extremely well if you are going to take any deck to a tournament. This matchup is all about forcing a 2-2-2 Prize map for yourself and not letting the Regidrago VSTAR player pull off any tricks to cheat the Prize trade on their end. A smart Regidrago VSTAR player is going to shove one-Prize Pokémon into the Active as often as possible to try and disrupt your 2-2-2 strategy — if you stray from it you will probably lose the game.
Gusting cards are at a premium in this matchup so I normally hold them in anticipation of [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] coming out near the end of the game. It is often tempting to gust up Regidrago VSTAR with Energy attached early in the game, but if there is already a two-Prize Pokémon in the Active that I can Knock Out using Calamity Storm I find it is best to not get greedy and take the multiple Prize cards in front of me. As long as Roaring Moon ex is taking two Prizes every turn I don’t care much what my opponent is doing.
Regidrago VSTAR will usually use Phantom Dive from [card name=”Dragapult ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] to put 30 damage on Roaring Moon ex, preventing a Frenzied Gouging. For this reason, I like to hold some [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] so it is easy to make a fresh Roaring Moon ex if I need to Frenzied Gouging a Regidrago VSTAR. You need to be careful when using Frenzied Gouging as it puts the Roaring Moon ex in Phantom Dive range. Pecharunt ex and Squawkabilly ex will normally be on your board, so your opponent can gust one of them up and take four Prize cards at once to flip the Prize trade into their favour! It is best to gust up a Pokémon you can use Calamity Storm on to keep yourself out of danger and save Frenzied Gouging for your final Knock Out. Do note; if Frenzied Gouging forces Sudden Death and you don’t have a better option I would normally do it since Roaring Moon ex will almost always take a Knock Out before Regidrago VSTAR can!
If you decide to put Bravery Charm into the deck then that also helps play around their spread attacks, but even without it, you can navigate their spread damage with some cautious planning! You always get to be the aggressor in this matchup and you need to stream two-Prize Knock Outs to win the game!
Charizard ex
This matchup depends a bit on the list your opponent is running, mainly if they have the [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] line or not. You need to be careful when using Frenzied Gouging in this matchup since they can use [card name=”Dusclops” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”19″ c=”name”][/card] or Dusknoir to take out your [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] and then follow it up with an attack from [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], taking a four-Prize turn! Charizard ex will normally have [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Rotom V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] on their Bench though so you can look to use Calamity Storm on one of them in the early/mid-game and save Frenzied Gouging to finish off the game. If you use Frenzied Gouging to put yourself to one Prize card remaining you block any Dusknoir shenanigans as your opponent would lose the game by using Cursed Blast.
Early game, look to use the baby [card name=”Roaring Moon ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]for your first Prize card. This makes it difficult for your opponent to take a two-Prize Knock Out on their second turn. If you can get to four Prizes remaining before the Charizard ex player you are normally in a great spot and in the driver’s seat. From there you need to make sure you string together a couple of two-Prize Knock Outs and you will win the game! Watch out for [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] combined with [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] at the end of the game — try your best to thin your deck and have a gusting card ready to take your last Knock Out!
Raging Bolt ex
[cardimg name=”Sandy Shocks ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”98″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
[card name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] is a deck that is extremely similar to Roaring Moon ex, and whoever gets to take the first two-Prize Knock Out almost always wins the game. There isn’t a lot to do in this matchup besides trade Knock Outs back and forth — if you are forced to Frenzied Gouging your opponent can use [card name=”Sandy Shocks ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card], which is annoying, but you should be able to gust around it.
If you go first in this matchup you need to make sure you end your turn with a one-Prize Pokémon in the Active and preferably an additional one on your Bench. By having one on the Bench you play around [card name=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] and force them to flip heads on a [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”187″ c=”name”][/card] or find [card name=”Prime Catcher ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card]. A smart Raging Bolt ex player will do the same to you when they go first.
Miraidon ex
Another aggressive deck! This matchup is a bit different than 819Raging Bolt ex since their attackers don’t hit quite as hard and they have more of them! If you play [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] it will shine in this matchup, putting Roaring Moon ex out of Knock Out range (assuming they don’t play [card name=”Raichu V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card]). When you go first make sure you put a one-Prize Pokémon in the Active, similar to the Raging Bolt ex matchup. Preferably it is baby [card name=”Roaring Moon ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] since [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] can’t take two Prize cards with Amp You Very Much.
It is much more difficult for [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] to take a two-Prize Knock Out going second than it is for you so as long as you can grab the first one you should be good to go. This matchup is fairly simple as you will trade blows back and forth.
Iron Thorns ex
[card name=”Iron Thorns ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] is a frustrating deck to go up against, but I think the matchup is actually positive! Through [card name=”Professor Sada’s Vitality” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] you should be able to get a steady stream of Roaring Moon ex attacking. If you open with [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card], consider using Motivate to power up an attacker.
If your [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] get hit for 140 damage and is staring down a fresh Iron Thorns ex don’t be afraid to KO yourself with Frenzied Gouging. Iron Thorns ex only does 140-160 damage, so you don’t need to worry about them taking a follow-up Knock Out on one of your two-Prize Pokémon. You can also promote a one-Prize Pokémon when doing this to force a gust from their side if they want to have a productive turn.
When your opponent is getting ready to go down to two Prize cards remaining get a [card name=”Pecharunt ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card] ready to attack. Irritated Outburst will do 240 damage and close out the game!
Your opponent will do their best to spam [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card], but if you can consistently get attacks off you will simply out-trade them!
Ancient Box
[cardimg name=”Roaring Moon ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”109″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This is definitely one of your worst matchups. They will be using one-Prize Pokémon trading into your two-Prize Pokémon. I’ve found the most successful strategy in this matchup is to use Calamity Storm early and chase their [card name=”Roaring Moon ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] with Energy. Early in the game, your opponent shouldn’t be able to one-shot a Roaring Moon ex (especially if it has Bravery Charm). Once your opponent starts ramping up Ancient cards in the discard you want to pivot to using your own baby Roaring Moon to try and throw their 2-2-2 Prize map off. Ideally, combine your baby Roaring Moon attack with a [card name=”Judge” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card] to make it as hard as possible for them to draw a gust.
To be honest, if your opponent draws decently well this matchup is going to be almost impossible to win. Their deck is built to beat a deck like ours since they are forcing us to take six Knock Outs.
Snorlax Stall
On turn one check your Prize cards to make sure both Pecharunt ex aren’t in there, and if they aren’t, you pretty much win! Even if baby Roaring Moon is prized, Frenzied Gouging goes through [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]’s Ability. The only way you lose this matchup is if you prize baby Roaring Moon and they play [card name=”Mist Energy ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card]or they hit a crazy [card name=”Accompanying Flute” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] or two to lock you out of Pecharunt ex!
Concluding Thoughts
That will bring today’s article to a close. I have enjoyed playing Roaring Moon ex, and I think it is in a super solid spot in the meta. The deck is also pretty easy to pick up and play, so you don’t need to spend endless hours learning all the ins and outs to have success quickly.
I am looking forward to another season of competitive Pokémon and will be at many events this season. If you see me at a tournament please feel free to come up and say hi! As always if you have any questions leave them in the comments and I’ll answer them. Until next time, best of luck in all of your games and I’ll be back writing for you soon!
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