A Winner is You! Looking Back at the Best Decks of Battle Roads

Energy – 12

12 D

There are quite a few ways to go about building this deck and I never got a hold of Ryan’s list so I decided to borrow a Hammertime list from Pooka so that we would have a solid place to start.

Why was the deck able to perform so well in a field full of Fighting decks and other Darkrai decks?

Hammertime Matchups Analysis

Hammertime vs Hydreigon

pokemon-paradijs.comDarkrai/Hydreigon is the slower of the two decks, made even slower by every Hammer that hits the field. With Eviolite or Potion, the Hammertime player can turn their Darkrais from 2HKOs to 3HKOs unless Hydregion starts attacking. If Hydreigon does start attacking then they are falling right into your game plan of draining away all of their energies.

In theory it seems as though the powerful combination of Hydreigon + Max Potion would make this an unfavorable matchup, but Ryan was able to defeat this very deck in the sixth round so I could see this matchup being decided by early Crushing Hammer flips among other things.

Hammertime vs Fighting Decks (including Garbodor/Terrakion)

We all know that any deck lacking the ability to either attach multiple energies a turn or attack for very low energy requirements has a poor matchup against Hammertime. Darkrai or Eelektrik based decks enlisting the help of Terrakion could present problems for Hammertime, but players walk a fine line when putting those decks together as they generally struggle with consistency.

Hammertime vs Eels

When these two decks face off they usually produce close games which could end in either players favor. If Hammertime can pump out a turn two Night Spear, eliminating Eels ASAP then they are in a good spot. However, if the Eelektrik player is able to consistently hit their Max Potions at the right time as well as keep a steady flow of Dynamotors throughout the game, then they will usually be in control.

Hammertime vs Rayquaza EX/Eelektrik

Many of the same principles from playing against a standard Eelektrik still apply here. However, having your Darkrais 1HKO’d is a huge threat potentially turning this into a matchup you would not want to be paired against.

9/2/12 Cornelius, NC

For Cornelius I went with Terrakion/Eelektrik netting another 4-2 record.

Today’s Winner – Erik Nance w/ Empoleon/Accelgor

Pokémon – 20

1 Mew-EX

Trainers – 29

4 N

4 Cheren

3 Professor Juniper

4 Pokémon Catcher

4 Pokémon Communication

4 Rare Candy

2 Level Ball

1 Super Rod

Energy – 11

7 W

Empoleon/Accelgor is very strong when playing against anything that does not normally play any Switches such as Darkrai decks. While this deck is great for taking down Darkrais, it does not fair so well against the rest of the metagame. Empoleon/Accelgor has a bad matchup against Eelektrik decks due in part to its Lightning Weakness but mainly because of the high counts of Switch that nearly every Eelektrik player includes in their list.

My experiences with this deck have led me to believe that your success will be determined by the matchups you are paired against during a tournament.

9/3/12 High Point, NC

This was the last day of our mini marathon of Battle Roads so I wanted to play a deck I could have fun with. Rayquaza EX seemed to fit that requirement — what’s not fun about blowing up anything in one shot?

For the third day straight I finish with a 4-2 record.

Today’s Winner – Team MissingNo’s Guy Bennet w/ Garbodor/Terrakion/Mewtwo

(2nd place was Kevin Nance with the same Garbodor list)

Pokémon – 11

Trainers – 37

4 N

4 Switch

Energy – 12

8 F

pokemon-paradijs.comSurprisingly enough I do not actually have Guy’s list, but this is the list that I have been testing, similar to many already seen on SixPrizes.

This is currently one of my favorite decks for many reasons.

This deck requires little to get going meaning it is very consistent.
Garbodor turns off the Abilities that so many decks rely so heavily on.
Terrakion hits a high percentage of the current metagame for Weakness while at least 2HKOing anything else that does not have either Resistance or an Eviolite.
Terrakion is fairly hard to knockout, but only gives up 1 Prize when he goes down.
Mewtwo EX is arguably still the best card in the game.

9/8/12 Cary, NC

I played Registeel-EX/Eelektrik, marking my worst tournament performance in a while as I finish up at 3-2.

Today’s Winner – David Suddaby w/ Darkrai EX/Hydreigon

(Winner’s List)

Pokémon – 14

1 Zwelious DRX 95

Trainers – 34

4 N

Energy – 12

8 D

4 Blend GRPD

While I am not a fan of this list it worked out well for David as he won a 2nd BR the following week.

Although this deck has been analyzed to death I plan going in depth about it in another section later in the article.

9/9/12 Morrisville, NC

Registeel begged me for another chance and for whatever reason I gave it to him. Four wins, two losses. I’m starting to see an ugly pattern here.

Today’s Winner – Phillip Matthews w/ Zekrom/Eelektrik

Pokémon – 15

Trainers – 33

4 N

Energy – 12

8 L

pokemon-paradijs.comWhat is so good about such a bland Zekrom/Eelektrik decklist? For starters you don’t have extra Pokémon such as Rayquaza EX, Terrakion, or even Registeel-EX cluttering up the deck. Keeping an Eelektrik based deck simple can go a long way when your aiming for consistency.

The PlusPowers were a nice addition to the deck for a few reasons. The most important being how well Garbodor had been doing in our area recently. Mewtwo EX knockouts out a Garbodor with just a Double Colorless and a PlusPower. PlusPower also helps greatly whenever you find yourself stuck in an inevitable Mewtwo war.

9/16/12 Hillsborough

It was hard for me to do, but I had to break it off with Registeel. He was no good for me. I see some success today with Terrakion/Eelektrik, finally completing a Battle Roads this season with less than two losses. Not long after the last round ends I receive some heart breaking news. I was 5th due to my opponent’s opponent’s resistance. Zero Championship Points.

Today’s Winner – David Suddaby w/ Darkrai EX/Hydreigon

He used the same decklist that he won with the prior week, so I will just save the discussion for later.

9/22/12 Fort Mill, NC

I went with Darkrai EX/Hydreigon for my last Autumn Battle Road.

After winning my first four rounds I lost the last two, knocking me out of top four. I walk away with yet another 4-2 tournament and six more Championship Points.

Today’s Winner – Collin Makohan w/ Zekrom/Eelektrik

Pokémon – 17

Trainers – 31

4 N

2 Switch

Energy – 12

8 L

pokemon-paradijs.comCollin’s version of Zekrom/Eelektrik is very aggressive. Generally he will start off by using Charge with a Thundurus on turn one, then follow that up with a turn two knockout on a low Hit Point Pokémon. After taking as many KOs as he can with Thundurus he starts picking off weak Bench-sitters with his Raikou-EXs. Zekrom, Zekrom-EX, and Mewtwo EX are there to take down the bigger threats.

I watched Collin tear through the mirror match with ease twice during this tournament thanks largely in part to his high counts of Thundurus and Raikou.

Looking Ahead to Regionals

So what does all of this have to do with next month’s Regional Championships? If you want to do well then you should be prepared for every one of these decks. In this section I will be giving you a rundown of what I consider to be the top decks for Autumn Regionals.

#8 Terrakion/Bouffalant DRX/Mewtwo EX

Pokémon – 10

Trainers – 37

4 N

4 Cheren

4 Switch

Energy – 13

9 F

Possible Additions: Terrakion-EX, Potion, 4th EXP Share, 3rd Eviolite

Card Choices

Supporter Count

pokemon-paradijs.comAs you can probably see I went for maximum consistency when building this deck. Between twelve Supporters and four Random Receivers you should not have to go a turn without the option to play a Supporter very often, which of course has always been a huge plus.

3 PlusPower/2 Tool Scrapper

I am a huge advocate of PlusPower in decks that play Mewtwo EX simply because of the huge advantage it provides you in Mewtwo wars. PlusPower also provides roughly the same effect for Terrakion when faced with an Eviolited Darkrai EX. Tool Scrappers are still nice to have at your disposal which is why I included two. If you are looking for space in this deck then I suggest substituting one Scrapper for the fourth PlusPower and the other for whatever you are wanting to add in.

Eviolite

Eviolite helps in a ton of random situations such as in Mewtwo wars, allowing Bouffalant to survive a Bolt Strike, and reducing Night Spear damage to your benched Pokémon.

Pros

Strong against Darkrai decks that do not feature Hydreigon or Hammers.
Strong against Eelektrik decks that lack PlusPower.
Has a decent chance of winning against any deck.

Cons

Very susceptible to Hammertime.
Weak against Hydreigon.
Strategy is to react to whatever you opponent does first instead of taking the initiative and pursing the same strategy regardless of the matchup you are faced with.
Decks with a heavy Tool Scrapper count can cause problems.

Final Thoughts

pokemon-paradijs.comThis deck has it all right? Terrakion takes care of everything weak to Fighting, Bouffalant is there to combat EXs that Terrakion struggles with, and Mewtwo, well… he’s Mewtwo.

Unfortunately for Terrakion if he is not carrying around an Eviolite then he gets run over by Hydreigon’s Dragon Blast. When Hydreigon shows his ugly head this deck really does not have a good response. Even the mighty Mewtwo EX almost always finds itself short of a 1HKO due to Dragon Blast discarding two energies. By lacking a reliable 1HKO option you could find yourself having a very long day if your paired against multiple Hydreigon decks.

If you go second or start slow in the slightest way then odds are a Ho-Oh deck has already started tearing you apart before you have the chance to set up a Bouffalant.

I would also hate to run into a Hammertime deck because they have the ability to infinitely Junk Hunt for Hammers until all of our energies are depleted (provided they come across a few Hammers early enough in the game).

If you having been doing well with this deck or just feel comfortable playing it then by all means do not let my negativity stop you from playing this at Regionals. Playing a deck that you are comfortable with holds a lot of value.

#7 Empoleon/Accelgor

Pokémon – 20

1 Mew-EX

Trainers – 29

4 N

4 Cheren

3 Professor Juniper

4 Pokémon Catcher

4 Pokémon Communication

4 Rare Candy

2 Level Ball

1 Super Rod

Energy – 11

7 W

In a world where I was guaranteed to play against a Darkrai deck in every round at Regionals I would without a doubt play Empoleon/Accelgor. Since we can’t always have everything we want, let’s jump right into the pros and cons of everyone’s favorite penguin/bug ninja combination.

Pros

Empoleon has an Ability that I would kill to have in every deck. Built in consistency!
Accelgor preys on opponents that will recklessly use their Switchs in less than optimal situations.
Since the day Smeargle was branded with his Unlimited format status Darkrai decks have been straying away from Switch.
Ho-Oh EX decks have become increasingly popular over the course of Battle Roads. Water Weakness for the win!
Empoleons, Emolgas, Sableyes, and other Pokémon with either 70 or 140 HP get Knocked Out at the end of your opponent’s turn giving you a new target to Paralyze.

Cons

The best Zekrom/Eelektrik players will rarely lose to Empoleon/Accelgor. It is important to note that Zekrom/Eelektrik has been the most played deck for a long time now.
Any deck with a high number of Switch could pose a threat.
Even with the release of Mew-EX Empoleon decks still cringe at the sight of a field full of loaded Mewtwo EXs.
Much like Shaymin EX, Mew-EX starts can leave you trembling in fear for much of the match as you try your best to send it back into your deck with Deck and Cover before it is mercilessly beat down by anything capable of putting out 120 damage.

Final Thoughts

Empoleon paired with Accelgor is undeniably a very strong concept favored by many top players such as 2010 US National finalist Erik Nance. I know that I have said this a lot, but I honestly believe that much of a player’s success with this deck will be decided by the matchups they are paired with through out a tournament which is why Empoleon only comes up as number seven on my list.

#6 Ho-Oh EX

Pokémon – 11

3 Ho-Oh-EX

Trainers – 33

4 N

4 Bianca

Energy – 16

3 F

2 P

2 L

1 G

1 R

1 W

1 D

1 M

Ah Ho-Oh, what a fun deck to play. For the first time in my Pokémon career the legendary fire bird is actually playable. For any players still mourning the loss of CMT, look no further Ho-Oh EX is your guy… or girl?

Ho-Oh’s fast track to stardom largely comes from the sheer speed of turn one/turn 2 Prizes. Don’t get me wrong — by no means am I trying to say that games where you manage to pull of a turn one Rainbow Burn or Power Blast are common, but unlike other decks Ho-Oh has the option to do so. Whenever you do pull off one of these sought after first turn attacks it can be rather devastating for your opponent, especially if you go first.

Of course 80-100 damage is insanely powerful turn one, but if we are not able to do this consistently then how are so many players performing well with Ho-Oh EX?

Ho-Oh is not a one trick flaming bird! Perhaps his best traits are the energy acceleration and versatility that he brings to the table.

When playing against a Ho-Oh deck you could literally be faced with almost any Pokémon in our entire legal card pool. Because of this Ho-Oh EX is the most unpredictable deck that has been created during my Pokémon career.

Pros

Unrivaled early game possibilities.
Versatile energy acceleration.
Access to Terrakion as well a wide variety of attackers.
Unpredictability.

Cons

Ho-Oh has dangerously low Hit Points for an Pokémon-EX.
This deck capitalizes on fast starts, meaning a slow start could lead to poor results.
Ho-Oh EX is Knocked out Out incredibly easy by Empoleon or any Water Pokémon for that matter.
This deck has no good response to an attacking Hydreigon.
Starting with Ho-Oh gets disappointing fast.

Final Thoughts

There is not a deck I enjoy playing more at the moment than Ho-Oh, which is always a plus in my book. Sadly the vulnerabilities of the deck will almost certainly keep me from playing this deck at Regionals. Be sure to get in an ample amount of practice against Ho-Oh decks or you may find yourself regretting it come Regionals time when you are tasting the rainbow.

#5 Rayquaza EX/Eelektrik

Pokémon – 15

Trainers – 32

4 N

Energy – 13

8 L

5 R

To be completely honest no matter where I rank Rayquaza on my list I am not content with it. This reminds me a lot of Magneboar back when we first rotated to HS-on. In theory Magneboar should have beat everything however that rarely proved to be the case. In theory Rayquaza EX does not struggle with much, but the results of my play testing say otherwise. Rayquaza is certainly better in this format than Magneboar was in HS-on yet I barely seem to win games with it.

Where are the Mewtwo EXs?

BulbapediaI know that others have been successful with Mewtwo in this deck, but as of right now I am a firm believer in no Mewtwos for Rayquaza EX decks. I would much rather try to keep the deck consistent while using Rayquaza EX to blow up any Mewtwo brave enough to cross my path. But to each their own! In nearly every case there is more than one right way to do things. This could be one of the underlying reasons for my minimal success with Rayquaza. Let me know your opinion on this is matter!

Pros

Having the option to 1HKO anything is incredible.
Shiny Rayquaza does a fantastic job of taking down Tynamos, dragon Deinos and occasionally Hydreigons.

Cons

Different energies necessary.
No Double Colorless to help with retreating.
Can be inconsistent.
Losing R Energies to Crushing Hammers can be painful.

Final Thoughts

I will be honest and say that although I do not think this deck is for me, it does deserve more credit than I am giving it (explains why it received #5).

#4 Zekrom/Eelektrik (2 Different Lists)

List 1: Kevin Nance Eelektrik

Pokémon – 15

Trainers – 33

4 N

Energy – 12

8 L

An old favorite of mine made famous by my teammate and close friend Kevin Nance. It is no surprise that Mewtwo/Eelektrik is still a powerful force to be reckoned with post rotation. Keeping a deck very simple as we were able to do here brings out a lot of extra consistency.

This list was built to both utilize and counter one of the best attackers in the history of the game. Although playing a third Mewtwo is no longer out of the normal, it is still the best way to gain an edge in a Mewtwo war. Combine the high Mewtwo count with a maxed out PlusPower count and you will find yourself on the winning side of Mewtwo wars far more often than not.

Nowadays I rarely see any decks utilizing PlusPowers so use this knowledge to your advantage so you too can win every Mewtwo war your engaged in.

Pros

The ability to stick to one easily achievable strategy every single game in highly underrated.
Even with terrible opening hands it is not hard to start X Balling.
Has advantages against opposing Mewtwo EXs.
Max Potion allows this deck to compete with Darkrai EX variants.
PlusPower allows Zekrom to 1HKO Terrakions.
Mewtwo + DCE + PlusPower + Catcher Knocks Out Garbodor.

Cons

If you are not able to draw into your Max Potions at crucial points in the game then you will likely struggle against Darkrai decks.
Not much versatility.
Could struggle against aggressive Eelektriks.

Final Thoughts

This deck is always near the top of my list when I am considering what I should play for any given tournament and it will certainly stay that way for Fall Regionals.

List 2: Aggressive Eelektrik

Pokémon – 17

Trainers – 31

4 N

Energy – 12

8 L

This greatly resembles the Eelektrik list that took me all the way to a 4th place finish last season at Georgia Regionals. My heavy focus on Thundurus allowed me to take down countless CMT and Eelektrik decks.

With this list we put all of our efforts into taking the easiest prizes possible at any point of the game.

Pros

Thundurus and Raikou-EX make the mirror match favorable.
Takes advantage of an opponent’s slow start.
Thundurus exterminates Empoleon better than anything else since he does not damage itself and only gives up 1 Prize.

Cons

Miss the turn one Charge and you could already find yourself in a tough spot especially if you go second.
You have to keep multiple Eelektriks on the field at all times to fuel of your energy discarding Pokémon.
Must draw Max Potions at the right time against Darkrai.
Vulnerable to Garbodor.

Final Thoughts

I think this is a very strong choice for our upcoming Regionals for a multitude of reasons. You will likely be paired against Eelektrik and Empoleon players multiple times throughout the event which is great for your chances of making it into the top cut if you decide to play this deck.

#3 Hammertime

Pokémon – 8

4 Sableye DEX

4 Darkrai-EX DEX

Trainers – 40

4 Professor Juniper

4 N

Energy – 12

12 D

Optional additions – Bianca, Dark Claw, Potion

Hammertime’s consistency is through the roof. Anytime you are able to get away with only six to eight Pokémon you will have a ton of room to include whatever you may need.

With such a large arsenal of trainers Hammertime can approach each game in couple of different ways. When playing against decks that can not accelerate Hammertime’s best strategy would be to remove all of their energies from the field. This can be accomplished by Junk Hunting for Crushing Hammers turn after turn until you have completely depleted their energy supply.

Think of it this way. If you opponent attaches one energy on their turn and you play two Crushing Hammers then you only need one heads to prevent them from being able to attack on their next turn. If you continue to use Junk Hunt so that you can reuse your Hammers then your opponent will never be able to attack you. When there are no longer energies to target you will be free to Night Spear your opponent into oblivion.

The amount of Trainers and Basic D Energies maximize your chances of an early Night Spear which is the route you should be taking against any deck that can accelerate energy or that can attack for one energy such as Empoleon.

Pros

Consistency through the roof.
Early Night Spears.
Energy disruption.
Huge arsenal of Trainers.
Can reuse any Item.
Does not have any particularly bad matchups outside of Accelgor.

Cons

Virtually zero versatility in attackers.
Terrakion and Rayquaza EX could present issues.
Lack of reliable healing.
Does not have any great matchups.

#2 Garbodor/Terrakion/Mewtwo EX

Pokémon – 11

Trainers – 37

4 N

4 Switch

Energy – 12

8 F