Spooky Season — An Overview of Palkia VSTAR / Dusknoir

Hello everyone! Following the Louisville Regional Championships, we’ve now had major events in Europe, South America, and the US, and as a result we are starting to see a solidified metagame emerge. In terms of attackers, the format as a whole isn’t all that different from the Shrouded Fable format that we saw at the World Championships, with only [card name=”Terapagos ex” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] joining the fray as a new archetype. There has, however, been a rather large shift in the meta itself, as players have started to fully unlock the power of Cursed Bomb [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. Dusknoir came out in Shrouded Fable, but wasn’t played all that much at first, outside of the occasional small inclusion in [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]. If you look at the results from the World Championships and the subsequent Baltimore Regional Championships, it’s clear that decks with Dusknoir weren’t widespread and weren’t having a ton of success, with none making the Top 16 of Worlds. Fast forward one set, though, and the results are drastically different. Dusknoir decks won both the Dortmund Regional Championships and the Lima Special Event, and have fifteen of the Top 8 spots at the four major Stellar Crown events thus far. So, what’s changed?

One interesting thing about this development is that Dusknoir itself didn’t get anything from Stellar Crown to make it stronger. It isn’t like a Reaper Cloth [card name=”Duskull” set=”Secret Wonders” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] came out, or like there was some new Trainer card to make it more effective. Instead, there were a few other factors. The first is simply that there were more strong decks that could naturally include Dusknoir. [card name=”Dragapult ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] decks got a resurgence thanks to new Trainer cards, specifically [card name=”Crispin” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Sparkling Crystal” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card]. Like Charizard ex decks, Dragapult ex decks were already playing a [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card]–heavy Trainer engine that Dusknoir could make use of, and Cursed Bomb combos well with the Bench damage from Phantom Dive. Dusknoir also quickly became one of the partners of choice for the new Terapagos ex, as Terapagos ex can benefit from having more Pokemon in play, meaning there’s no downside to using Bench spots on Duskull. Cursed Bomb also shored up a potential weakness in Terapagos ex in that it has semi-limited damage output, and made it capable of effectively OHKOing Stage 2 Pokemon ex.

The Terapagos ex / Dusknoir deck has quickly become one of the most popular decks in the format, which, as it turns out, also helped lead to the second factor in Dusknoir’s proliferation. That is, once a Dusknoir deck like this one became mainstream, just about every player started to realize that you don’t need some clear combo like with Charizard ex to play Dusknoir. Instead, Cursed Bomb works well in just about every attacking deck that can fit it in. As a result, nowadays, it seems like every deck plays Dusknoir. [card name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] has played Dusknoir. [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] has played Dusknoir. I’ve encountered [card name=”Gholdengo ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] playing Dusknoir. As long as you have a Pokemon that attacks, a Dusknoir line seems to be a good addition. The benefits of Cursed Bomb are impressively good, especially if you’re playing a deck that normally attacks with two-Prize Pokemon, and thus doesn’t suffer any downside by handing your opponent a Prize. If anything, that aspect of Dusknoir can be a benefit, as it makes cards like [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] stronger. We are certainly in the Dusknoir era of the Pokemon TCG, with no letup in sight.

Let’s step back just a bit, though. While Stellar Crown may have been the breeding ground for Dusknoir to get added to everything, there actually was another competitive Dusknoir deck in the Shrouded Fable format that I haven’t mentioned yet. That deck is the focus of this article: [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card].

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

Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR / Dusknoir burst onto the US scene following its 9th-place finish in the hands of Grafton Roll at the Baltimore Regional Championships, and despite the numerous other Dusknoir decks that have emerged, it remains one of the strongest Dusknoir-playing archetypes. At the Louisville Regional Championships, this was recognized with a rather large uptick in play — it was 7.75% of the meta and the 6th-most-popular deck, compared with less than 2% of the meta in Dortmund. Dusknoir saw increases in play across the board — Terapagos, for instance, rose from 5% to 10% — but the Palkia jump was among the largest.

The reasoning behind the combo is pretty much the same as for Terapagos ex. Palkia wants additional Pokemon in play, and Dusknoir provides extra damage to turn what might be a just-missed KO with Subspace Swell into an OHKO. What makes the Palkia / Dusknoir deck stand apart from the many other attacking Dusknoir decks, though, is Palkia’s ability to use [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card]’s Moonlight Shuriken. Against decks that have evolving Basics, such as [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Dragapult ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], or anything that relies on [card name=”Noctowl” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card], the Moonlight Shuriken / Cursed Bomb combo can be devastating. Even if the opponent plays around Moonlight Shuriken by getting [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] into play, it doesn’t matter, as you can simply blow it up with Cursed Bomb, then target your opponent’s Basics like you originally planned to.

This play also works well against other Dusknoir decks, as you can KO their Duskull before they can evolve, giving you a distinct advantage in the Dusknoir race. Palkia VSTAR is out of the natural OHKO range of some of the other Dusknoir partners, most notably Terapagos ex, so by stopping the opponent’s early Cursed Bomb plays, you may be able to quickly turn a slight advantage into an insurmountable one. Against decks that aren’t weak to Moonlight Shuriken, Palkia VSTAR is still among the strongest attacking partners for Dusknoir, as it can exceed Terapagos ex’s damage output while also coming with a nice increase in HP. These factors make Palkia among the strongest potential Dusknoir partners, and they come together in a big way to create one of this format’s top-tier threats. In this article, I’ll be going over the Palkia VSTAR / Dusknoir deck, including my decklist, as well as a look at the deck’s matchups into the current metagame.

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To start things off, here’s my current Palkia VSTAR / Dusknoir list:

[decklist name=”Palkia Dusknoir” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″][pokemon amt=”18″]2x [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”39″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Dusclops” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”19″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Duskull” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Greninja ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Froakie” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”64″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew ex” set=”151″ no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]4x [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Irida” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”181″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Poffin ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Night Stretcher” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Earthen Vessel” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Trekking Shoes” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”160″ 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=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Area Zero Underdepths” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”131″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]7x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Generations” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

My Palkia VSTAR Decklist

This list is similar to the 9th-place list played by Grafton Roll at the Baltimore Regional Championships. There frankly isn’t too much to change about it, as it’s a strong, consistent list that makes the most out of these Pokemon. I have, however, made one change that I haven’t seen played often, which helps the deck achieve even more damage output. That unique addition is the inclusion of [card name=”Area Zero Underdepths” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card]. Despite this Stadium being of clear benefit to Palkia VSTAR, most Palkia / Dusknoir lists don’t play it. That’s not for no reason, as the Tera requirement of Area Zero Underdepths can be somewhat tricky for Palkia to fulfill. To make it easier to use, I’ve added in one copy of [card name=”Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card]. In addition to allowing the deck to utilize Area Zero Underdepths, Ogerpon acts as a second, slightly stronger Radiant Greninja.

[cardimg name=”Area Zero Underdepths” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”174″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

In order to fit these cards in, I’ve cut one [card name=”Trekking Shoes” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card], one [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card], and I don’t play either [card name=”Rotom V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] or a second [card name=”Irida” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] (which is what the card would be in Grafton or Stephane’s Top 4 Dortmund list, respectively). This does have a small impact on consistency. However, it doesn’t hinder the deck enough to outweigh the impact of the extra 60 damage from the Area Zero Underdepths package. The fact that most Palkia lists aren’t playing Area Zero Underdepths also works tremendously to your benefit, as it’s not only extra damage, but unexpected extra damage. It’s easy for your opponent to think that they’ve played around Subspace Swell perfectly by limiting their Bench, only for you to upend their plans with a burst of 40 or 60 more damage to get an OHKO. That can often be the difference between having to use Cursed Bomb and not, and likewise can end up being what decides the game. Rotom V isn’t all that useful anyway, as you typically want that Bench spot to go to Squawkabilly ex or Radiant Greninja, and unlike, for example, Charizard ex, Palkia VSTAR can’t play [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] to give Rotom V additional utility. So, you don’t miss out on too much by not playing it.

As for the deck itself, let me explain why I don’t think it needs many changes from earlier lists. The 2-2 Palkia VSTAR line may seem a bit low, given how important Star Portal is to the deck, but in practice you don’t need any more. So long as you can get one Palkia VSTAR into play, that’s enough to set up your field and give you your early-game attacker. Remember, this is a Dusknoir deck, so the games go pretty fast; you aren’t going to need three Palkia VSTAR, and you realistically can’t power up that many anyway. [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] mitigates the risk of prizing one of the [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card], and is more helpful than playing a third copy of it. The 3-1-2 Dusknoir line gives you plenty of Cursed Bombs to work with, and you have multiple other attackers to use, including Radiant Greninja and Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex for decks that are vulnerable to Bench damage, and [card name=”Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] for the late game when your Palkia VSTAR gets Knocked Out. Again, since it’s a Dusknoir deck, you may not actually have to wait that long to use Ursaluna either, as two Cursed Bombs plus a KO on your Palkia VSTAR gets you to the point that you can use Blood Moon for a single Energy attachment. Your other potential attacker is [card name=”Greninja ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card], a card that I think is a brilliant addition and helps set Grafton’s list apart from the earlier Japanese lists that didn’t include it.

[cardimg name=”Greninja ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”214″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Greninja ex is an interesting attacker, and one that I think is well worth the spot after playing around with it. The Fighting typing is incredible in this format, as it not only gives you excellent counterplay to [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] (which can otherwise be a big weakness thanks to, well, Weakness), but also hits Terapagos ex for Weakness. Against both of those matchups, you can get an OHKO with either of Greninja ex’s attacks, which is particularly notable in the case of Mirage Barrage. Against Terapagos ex, for instance, you can use Mirage Barrage to take a three-Prize turn by KOing Terapagos ex and either [card name=”Noctowl” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] or Duskull — and that’s without even using Cursed Bomb. This can also work out in matchups you might not expect it to, as Greninja ex also hits Rotom V and [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] for Weakness, and can OHKO them with either attack as it can the aforementioned Pokemon.

In other matchups, Greninja ex can still be quite useful, as it gives you a way to attack for only one Energy attachment, which can come up in the later stages of the game. Aside from your one use of Star Portal, this deck actually doesn’t have Energy acceleration, so if you miss your early Energy attachments, you can find yourself in a dicey situation. In such situations, you might not be able to get the two Energy you need on Palkia VSTAR, but one Energy on Greninja ex is easy. As such, Greninja ex can help you tide things over until you reach the endgame and can use Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex to attack.

The Trainer engine is mostly Item-focused, which helps you get the most out of PokeStop. The four [card name=”Night Stretcher” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] are key to this deck’s success, as they eliminate most of the downside of discarding non-Item cards with Poke Stop. If you discard a Pokemon or an Energy card, then you can get it back. If anything, it can be nice to see a Dusknoir hop into the discard pile, since you know you’ve greatly increased the number of cards you have to find it. Discarding Water Energy can be particularly nice in the early game, as it helps set up Star Portal. There’s rarely a situation where you don’t want to spin the wheel every turn. By playing four Night Stretcher, you can also easily re-use attackers if needed, so the thinner Palkia line isn’t a hindrance. It also makes it easy to re-use Dusknoir on those turns where you might want to use multiple Cursed Bomb, since you can use one Dusknoir, then get it back with Night Stretcher, as opposed to having to find two Dusknoir separately. Aside from the lone Irida, Iono is this deck’s only Supporter. Iono is of course great for disrupting the opponent, and because this is a Dusknoir deck, it’s easy to manipulate your opponent’s Prizes so they draw as few cards as possible. An Iono to one is still a great way to make a comeback, and it’s this deck’s go-to strategy if it falls behind early and needs to buy a turn to catch up.

The seven Water Energy are enough to make things work, and with Star Portal and Night Stretcher, they go a lot further than they would in most decks. As such, there isn’t much of a need to increase this count, and keeping it low gives you more room for the heavier Trainer line.

Deck Gameplay and Matchups

When playing this deck, you always want to go first. You don’t have a way to use any useful attack on turn 1, and this deck goes thin on Supporters, so you don’t get much of an advantage from being able to use those either. So, it doesn’t matter the matchup, pick first every time.

The early game for this deck involves setting up your Basic Pokemon, getting Water Energy into the discard pile via Poke Stop, Squawk and Seize, and Concealed Cards, and thus preparing for a strong turn 2. If you’re up against an aggressive deck that can attack and get a KO on turn 1, such as [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], you’ll want to try to get a Duskull, Froakie, or Radiant Greninja into the Active Spot, so you aren’t at risk of falling too far behind early. Keep in mind that you’ll need two non-Vs in play, or else your opponent can just use [card name=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card]’s Hyper Blower.

Against decks that can’t attack on turn 1, such as Charizard ex, Dragapult ex, Terapagos ex, and [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card], you don’t need to devote resources to avoiding that turn-1 OHKO, and can instead either leave whatever Pokemon started there in the Active Spot, or try to go to either [card name=”Mew ex” set=”151″ no=”151″ c=”name”][/card] or whichever attacker you plan to use on turn 2. With that said, in any matchup, your top-priority Pokemon to get into play will be Palkia V, as this deck can’t do all that much until it gets Palkia VSTAR. Again, if you’re in a situation where your opponent can threaten the KO on it, you’ll want to get two; if not, then you can start grabbing Duskull and Radiant Greninja. I tend to be aggressive when using Squawkabilly ex on turn 1, as again this deck can make use of Pokemon and Energy in the discard pile, so I’ve found it can be more useful to draw more, even if it means doing something slightly counterintuitive like discarding a hand with Palkia VSTAR in it. In general, the more cards you can get through on turn 1, the better your chances will be in the rest of the game.

You’ll then want to decide which of your attackers to prioritize, depending on the matchup, particularly with regard to your Energy acceleration from Star Portal. For instance, while Radiant Greninja might be stellar against Charizard ex decks, it’s not going to be great against Raging Bolt ex decks, so in the case of the latter, you’ll want to save your Energy for Palkia VSTAR. Against Fighting-weak decks, Greninja ex will be a priority. Otherwise, if you aren’t inclined to use Radiant Greninja, then you’ll want to try to set up two Palkia VSTAR, with a plan of using Palkia VSTAR and Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex as your attackers. Every turn, you’ll want to try to get an Energy attachment, as each one you miss will make it harder to attack. Particularly prioritize getting Energy onto Palkia VSTAR, so that you only need one more in a given turn. That way, you maximize your available attacking options.

Finally, against just about everything, Cursed Bomb will be important, so the more Duskull you can get into play early, the better. How specifically you’ll use Cursed Bomb can vary a lot from game to game, as the ideal target will change based on the matchup and the particular board state. Practice can be important here, to get a feel for how to best use Dusknoir. The good news is that while the format is diverse, most off-meta matchups will still end up feeling like one of the below, so my recommendation would be to practice those, as it will give you a good idea on how to approach just about any deck.

Raging Bolt ex

[cardimg name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”208″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] remains the most played deck in the format, and following its win at the Louisville Regional Championships, it is clear that it is still the deck to beat. Raging Bolt can be a tricky matchup for this deck, but it is certainly winnable. They will typically take the first KO, which means that you’ll have to play some catch-up in order to win. You can OHKO them, but they can also OHKO you, which means that the Raging Bolt player will tend to win in a Prize race. If you can force their first KO to be on a single-Prize Pokemon, or if they miss and you get the first KO yourself, then you will actually win the race so long as you can get an OHKO on each of the following three turns. With Subspace Swell and Blood Moon, that is feasible. You can also potentially take one of those Knock Outs with a pair of Cursed Bomb, too. The Area Zero Underdepths can come in handy here, as a smart Raging Bolt player will only leave three Pokemon on their Bench if they can. Your gust effects and your [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] will be important here, to either get around or remove [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card].

If your opponent does get a Knock Out on a two-Prizer to start things off, then you’ll have to be a bit more creative to win. In this case, you can use one Cursed Bomb, since they’ll still need two KOs from that point to win regardless of whether or not you give them a Prize with Dusknoir. That Cursed Bomb can often be your path to victory. Winning with two attacks isn’t easy, but if your opponent has the right board state, it is possible. To do this, you’ll need to first get a KO with Palkia VSTAR to go to four Prizes. Then, with your opponent at two, you’ll want to use Cursed Bomb and Greninja ex’s Mirage Barrage to simultaneously KO their Fezandipiti ex and their Raging Bolt ex or Squawkabilly ex, which you can do thanks to Fezandipiti ex’s Weakness to Fighting. If they don’t have Fezandipiti ex in play, then they’ll instead be vulnerable to Iono, which you can hopefully use to buy the turn you need. If you are going for the Iono strategy, it can also be a good idea to attack them in a way that does not lead to you taking a KO, such as by hitting Raging Bolt ex with Shinobi Blade. That way, [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] for Fezandipiti ex doesn’t work as a potential out for them. You’ll also want to do whatever you can to make them getting that final KO more difficult, by doing stuff like using [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] to bring up something that then takes an Energy or a [card name=”Switch” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] to get out of the Active Spot, or using your Cursed Bomb before the Iono so they only get one card to work with. Attacking with Greninja ex in this situation is also nice, not only because it stops them from using Flip the Script, but also because it takes five Energy to Knock Out, compared with Palkia VSTAR or Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex, which only take four. Overall, this is a fairly even matchup, though the speed of the matchup and the pressure they can put on early do make it a stressful one.

Terapagos ex

Terapagos ex is a pretty fun matchup, all things considered; it’s like playing a mirror match, but you can do so much more than they can. Palkia VSTAR can OHKO Terapagos ex in most situations, and Radiant Greninja and Greninja ex are especially strong in this matchup. With Radiant Greninja, you can opt to either KO their [card name=”Hoothoot ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] to slow them down or KO their Duskull to limit their damage output. [card name=”Pidgey” set=”151″ no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Fan Rotom” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] can also be targets if you need something to take an extra Prize on; KOing Pidgey can further slow the opponent down if they’re playing that build. One thing you do want to watch out for is [card name=”Bouffalant” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card], as Curly Wall will protect those Hoothoot from being Knocked Out. If you have Dusknoir, though, you can simply Cursed Bomb one Bouffalant to remove its effect. In general, I’ve found that targeting the Duskull tends to be more effective, as that can buy you more time by preventing the opponent from OHKOing you. However, if you’re in the early game and your opponent is still setting up, removing the Hoothoot from the field can slow them down considerably. So, it all kind of depends on the specific board state. The same goes for Cursed Bomb, as you’ll typically get the most use out of it by either trading into Duskull to prevent them from using Cursed Bomb or by taking out Bouffalant to ensure that you can still get a OHKO if needed. That decision typically comes down to whether you’re ahead or behind; if you’re ahead, you don’t mind trading KOs, whereas if you’re behind, stopping Cursed Bomb can be more important. Your attackers in this matchup will typically be Palkia VSTAR, Greninja ex, and Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex, with Radiant Greninja mixed in early, though a lot of times you can win before your opponent takes enough Prizes to make Blood Moon usable. Terapagos ex is a good matchup for Palkia VSTAR, and it bodes well for Palkia if Terapagos continues to see an increase in play.

Dragapult ex

Against both Dragapult ex and Charizard ex, your ideal start is to use Radiant Greninja and Cursed Bomb to take out their evolving Basics, and leave them struggling to attack with anything. A lot of games against these decks can effectively end there on turn 2, and it isn’t all that hard to pull off either. If you do get the turn-2 Moonlight Shuriken, great! For those games where you don’t, though, you have to be a bit smart. Compared to Charizard ex, Dragapult ex is the tougher of the two matchups, mostly because they can use Phantom Dive to take out your Duskull and thus prevent you from using Cursed Bomb. Dragapult ex can be susceptible to missing attacks if you are able to OHKO it, as setting up a second and third Dragapult ex can be difficult given that the deck only has one [card name=”Sparkling Crystal” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s also difficult for them to use [card name=”Crispin” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] and find the cards to evolve into a second Dragapult ex, particularly early on, and if you’ve used Iono prior to KOing their former Dragapult ex. So, if you can set up Dusknoir, a good strategy here is to Cursed Bomb to get the OHKO on Dragapult ex. In a vacuum, this isn’t a good Prize trade, as you’re effectively trading three for two, but you’ll make that up if you get your opponent to miss a turn of attacks. If they do seem to be in a situation where they can easily set up a second attacker on the following turn (say, if they already have the Energy attachments they need in play), then it can instead be a good idea to either target their Duskull or hit something like Rotom V so you can then get a four-Prize KO with Moonlight Shuriken.

When playing this matchup, you’ll need to be wary about putting Duskull into play, as it will often be an easy bonus Prize for the Dragapult player. Either go with multiple, so that you can at least evolve and take advantage of one of them, or go with none at all. One nice thing is that a pair of Phantom Dives cannot actually KO two Palkia VSTAR, as Palkia has 20 HP too many to make that play work. Three Phantom Dives, however, can take out two Palkia VSTAR and a Squawkabilly ex, so be aware of that as a potential win condition for them.

Charizard ex

[cardimg name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

As against Dragapult ex, your ideal early game is to wipe out their [card name=”Charmander” set=”151″ no=”4″ c=”name”][/card], have the opponent stare at their cards, and then watch them pick them up in a concession. One thing to note is that unlike the Dragapult ex decks, Charizard players often play [card name=”Thorton” set=”Lost Origin” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card], so it is possible for them to get out of the above situation. Even so, it is difficult for them to catch up from that point; even if they do have Thorton + Rare Candy + Charizard ex on turn 2, that still only gets them a single Prize by KOing Radiant Greninja. The only way it can really turn threatening is if they are also able to KO your energized Palkia VSTAR, but that requires them to also have Counter Catcher and [card name=”Defiance Band” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card], which is incredibly difficult to pull off that early in the game. If you are worried, you can further play around that possibility by having Dusknoir ready to go. If you use Cursed Bomb twice, then you can attack with Blood Moon, which can KO that Charizard ex and set them back to a board of nothing.

If you don’t get the easy early win, then this matchup can become rather complex. Both players are capable of using Cursed Bomb, and you’ll need to be careful to manipulate how you take your Prizes so that you play around Burning Darkness and a potential [card name=”Briar” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card]. Adding to the complications, most Charizard ex decks play [card name=”Professor Turo’s Scenario” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”240″ c=”name”][/card], so it isn’t always safe to put a Charizard ex in Cursed Bomb range, as they may simply pick it up and wipe away that turn of attacking. What ACE SPEC they play can also mix things up, as [card name=”Maximum Belt ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] can be different to play against than [card name=”Unfair Stamp” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hero’s Cape ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card], or even [card name=”Grand Tree” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card]. If you don’t know, the safe bet is that they play Unfair Stamp, as that’s by far the most common choice. When I don’t pull off the early Moonlight Shuriken play, my typical strategy in this matchup is to play conservatively early, then race to the finish once I get to the point where I’ve taken enough Prizes to allow Burning Darkness to OHKO Palkia VSTAR. Having multiple Dusknoir ready to go is ideal here, so that once you decide to go, you can finish off the game as quickly as possible.

This is also a matchup where it can be a good idea to be aware of potential uses of Radiant Greninja even later in the game. If your opponent only has Charizard ex in play, but not [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card], then taking out that Pidgey and putting the Charizard ex into OHKO range can be a good play. Also be aware of the potential of the Greninja ex play into Rotom V or Fezandipiti ex, as you can sometimes pull that off just as you could against Raging Bolt. The more ways you can set up to have a big multi-Prize turn to win, as opposed to trying to trade two at a time, the better off your chances of winning will be. The Charizard matchup tends to be pretty close if they can set up, but because of your Moonlight Shuriken threat, things as a whole tilt decisively toward Palkia.

Vs. Lugia VSTAR

Going first is pretty important against Lugia VSTAR / [card name=”Archeops” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card], as that gives you the potential to wipe them out early and prevent them from having a meaningful game. Dusknoir’s Cursed Bomb and Moonlight Shuriken can combine to KO [card name=”Lugia V” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card], so if they only get one in play, you can take it out fairly easily. If you have a strong start and can get two Cursed Bombs off, then you can actually take out both of their Lugia V in one attack, which will effectively end the game. Even if you can’t go that far, if you can take out one and put the other into Palkia VSTAR’s OHKO range, that can set you up well.

If they do set up, then there will be a decent amount of trading KOs back and forth. Lugia VSTAR cannot OHKO Palkia VSTAR, whereas you can do the reverse thanks to Area Zero Underdepths. You’ll want to be wary of [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card], as it can get a three-Prize KO on either Palkia V or Squawkabilly ex. [card name=”Raikou V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”48″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Cinccino ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Wyrdeer V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] are also capable of OHKOing Palkia VSTAR, though all are weak to Greninja ex. Having a Froakie in play can be a good idea for that reason. Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex also can typically get you the last KO you need. [card name=”Legacy Energy” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card]’s Prize-denying effect only works if you get the KO with damage from an attack, so it can be a good idea to try to set up whatever it’s attached to to be Knocked Out with Cursed Bomb instead. Finally, if they only manage to get one Archeops in play, then you can sometimes get an easy win by simply taking it out. Ideally, you’ll want to do so with multiple Cursed Bomb so you can then KO whatever has Energy attached, but most of the time any method will do.

Again, for other matchups, if you’ve practiced the above, you should have a decent idea of how to approach the unexpected, based on their similarities to the meta decks. If you’ve played Terapagos ex, but have yet to try out Palkia VSTAR, I highly recommend you do so. This deck plays a lot like Terapagos, but with more tricks. Overall, it’s an incredible deck that stands out even in this Dusknoir-heavy metagame.

We’ve now come to the end of this article, but as always, if you have any questions, be sure to ask below in the comment section! Best of luck to everyone, and stay safe! Thanks for reading!

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