Darkness and Refracted Light: A Look at Darkrai/Hydreigon with Prism

xatu-neo-genesis-52pokemon-paradijs.comHello SixPrizes, I am DawnOfXatu (DoX for short) and I have been a veteran of the Pokémon TCG ever since EX Ruby and Sapphire. In my earlier years I snagged a handful of Cities, two second-place showings at Regionals, and a Top 64 at Nationals.

While my personal record is not as impressive as a lot of other contributors, I do boast one unique quality; I am a decklist consultant. I quit competing in tournaments after HS Triumphant for monetary reasons, but I never quit the game.

Since then I have been a force behind the scenes, playtesting constantly and helping to construct a number of winning lists.

Today I come to you with a deck that has recently won my affection, Darkrai/Hydreigon with Prism Energy. The deck has proven to be one of the most versatile decks in the format, and I personally believe that it is the play for Regionals.

In this format, I have found that the key to success is rooted in three separate aspects. First your deck must be able to consistently perform. Now I know that sounds obvious, but it tends to get overlooked. Decks can be clouded by techs, superfluous trainers, and an inability to handle early game stress.

Second you as the player must have an understanding of your local metagame, and what decks you are most likely to see. Finally you must be able to alter your deck in order to give you the advantage against your local metagame, without damaging the integrity of the deck.

Darkrai/Hydreigon is a deck that has proven its ability to consistently perform, but it also has the most versatility when it comes to adding additional attackers. However, it is the addition of Prism Energy that truly unlocks all of the decks options, and those further options are the key to the decks success.

The Skeleton

I am giving the most bare bones skeleton available, as I wish to discuss all of the different options available to the deck. I will provide my thought process while I expand upon the skeleton; eventually coming to what I feel is the best list.

Pokémon – 10

3 Deino DRX 94

1 Zweilous NVI
2 Hydreigon DRX 97

2 Darkrai-EX DEX
2 Sableye DEX

Trainers – 22

4 N

3 Professor Juniper
3 Skyla

 

3 Rare Candy

3 Pokémon Catcher

3 Dark Patch

2 Ultra Ball

1 Computer Search

Energy – 11

5 D – Basic

3 Blend GRPD

3 Prism

That is 43 cards, which leaves 17 open spaces for self-expression. Now most decks are going to make the same choices for at least ten of those spaces, but I feel that it is better to build from as small of a core as possible so that there is no waste of space. Each card should be selected for a reason, not simply because it seems like a good idea.

Expanding and Understanding the Core

The three cards that make the core work are Darkrai EX, Hydreigon DRX 97, and Sableye DEX. Darkrai EX functions as an attacker, while also providing free retreat. Hydreigon moves the deck’s energy, which is what allows the deck to be as versatile as it is. Sableye is the preferred starter for the deck, as it recycles discarded Items, allowing for a more explosive set up.

DarkraiEXDarkExplorers63My first move would be to increase the counts of both Darkrai and Sableye to three each. The third Darkrai is to avoid issues with having 1 Prized, while the thrid Sableye is included because it is crucial to a successful set up, and I want the deck to function as well as possible during the early game.

When looking at the Hydreigon family, I chose to play Deino DRX 94 over the other two options for a couple of reasons.

First, Landorus-EX plays a role in at least a third of the most common decks in the format, and Terrakion remains a very omnipresent card in the format. Both of those cards have the ability to Catcher and KO the Dark type Deino without any issue.

Second, the other Dragon-type Deino is able to be donked more easily by both Tornadus EX and Mewtwo EX. Guard Press essentially gives Deino 70 HP, which puts it out of range for both of those cards (sans PlusPower of course).

While a chance of Paralysis could be beneficial, it does not provide for a higher level of survival. Zweilous is not a key part of the deck, but I chose the Dark type Zweilous on the off chance that I would need to use a pinch Dark Patch.

The decision regarding the addition of a third Hydreigon is a difficult choice. I find that two work perfectly well, as long as one is not prized, but even with 1 Prized the deck can still function on some remedial level.

hydreigon dragons exalted drx 97pokemon-paradijs.comWhen playing with a third Hydreigon I find that I normally end up tossing at least one of them with a Juniper or Ultra Ball, which defeats the purpose of adding a third one to begin with. So I keep only two Hydreigon DRX.

However, I have found that Hydreigon NVI can provide some use to the deck. When facing Quad-Sigilyph, this deck finds itself using Dragon Burst to push through the wall, which can be detrimental if you don’t have enough energy to consistently use the attack.

Berserker Blade, on the other hand, can set up multiple KOs against the deck without much worry. Berserker Blade also finds itself a number of other uses, especially during late game, when your opponent is hiding weakened Pokémon on the bench.

This Hydreigon also can utilize a Prism Energy, unlike the other Hydreigon, which allows for more energy versatility. For these reasons I include one Hydreigon NVI in my list.

It is fairly standard for most decks to feature somewhere between 13 and 16 “Supporter” cards. The skeleton comes with ten Supporters; four N, three Juniper, and three Skyla. Aside from increasing the counts of these three Trainers, you could also include Bianca, Cheren, or Random Receiver. This deck is focused enough on discarding that Bianca would be the better play than Cheren, so I discount that card.

So now the big question is Bianca or Random Receiver, or both? If this deck were not going to have a large Pokémon count, I would say to play both, but with a larger Pokémon count there simply is not the space for both.

random receiver dark explorers dex 99pokemon-paradijs.com

While I tend to favor Bianca in my other decks, I find that Sableye centered decks perform better with Random Receiver, as you can guarantee yourself a Supporter after a Junk Hunt. In the end I settle on bumping up the Juniper count to four and adding two Random Receivers.

However, I do concede that different playstyles could benefit from different Supporter lines, so if you decide to play the deck, be sure to test and see what works best for you.

As for the Energy lines, I add one Blend GRPD and one D Energy, as I want to have enough energy to use Dark Patch and attack with Hydreigon DRX if necessary. I also find that four Prism Energy and four Blend Energy can leave your deck too vulnerable to Hammers.

So after expanding upon the core of the deck, I have added 8-of 17 cards to the deck. Now I have a little bit of meat on my bones:

Pokémon – 13

3 Deino DRX 94

1 Zweilous NVI

2 Hydreigon DRX 97

1 Hydreigon NVI

3 Darkrai-EX DEX
3 Sableye DEX

Trainers – 25

4 N
4 Professor Juniper
3 Skyla
2 Random Receiver

 

3 Rare Candy
3 Pokémon Catcher

3 Dark Patch

2 Ultra Ball

1 Computer Search

Energy – 13

6 D – Basic

4 Blend GRPD

3 Prism

Metagame Foresight

season3_ep51_ss4 girafarigpokemon.comNow that I have a more solid skeleton, it is time to determine what tech cards I would like to include in the deck, but first I must understand what I am teching against. Each metagame is going to be different, but it is important to know which decks are going to comprise most metagames.

The big three decks of the format are Darkrai Variants, Blastoise/Keldeo decks, and Landorus/Mewtwo decks. Other decks that you may see include Rayquaza/Eelektrik, Ho-Oh, and Empoleon/Accelgor.

So you are going to want to determine which decks you are most likely to play, and which decks have an advantageous matchup against the core of your deck. From there you can add cards to turn the odds in your favor.

I’ve compiled a nifty little list of some of the most common things I think any deck should be able to handle.

Early Game Landorus-EX
Early Game Darkrai EX
A Sableye Juggling Hammers –
Early Game Tornadus EX
A Keldeo-EX with 5+ Energy –
A Mewtwo EX with 5+ Energy –
A Stampede of Bouffalants –
Rayquaza EX and Two Eels –
Accelgor –
Quad Sigilyph –

I’ve found that whenever I build a deck, if the deck cannot handle the majority of these things, then I am not going to do well. I’ve also found that most of these issues can be easily resolved by simply adding one or two cards.

Now, I can’t predict every metagame (or any for that matter) as it takes a lot of time spent talking with the local players and then a sack full of luck, but I can say a few things that I’ve noticed while watching Cities unfold.

First, Blastoise/Keldeo is making a splash, so you should be prepared for that matchup. Second, I’ve seen a surge of interest in Hammers as of late, so energy acceleration is something to consider. Third, Darkrai/Landorus and Darkrai/Hydreigon are consistent plays, as is any combination of Landorus/Tornadus/Mewtwo.

Finally I feel that as everything fluctuates in the time before Regionals, people are going to shy away from less consistent decks (RayEels, Ho-Oh, and Empoleon/Accelgor) and conform to a more centralized metagame, but with that comes a higher chance for counter decks (Quad-Sigilyph)

Tech My Ride: Possible Pokémon for the Deck

Foresight is Everything

mewtwo-ex-next-destinies-nde-54Mewtwo EX is a fairly common addition to the deck. You get a Mewtwo counter, a way to deal significant damage to almost any other EX, and a way to come back to an overpowered Keldeo-EX. Plus later in the game you can shift a fistful of energy onto Mewtwo and use it to deal the final blow to your opponent.

Cresselia-EX also acts as a Mewtwo counter, but without the worry of being dragged into a Mewtwo war that you cannot finish. Cresselia-EX provides a clean way to KO an opposing Mewtwo, and it can act as a wall for damage with its Ability.

However Cresselia lacks the pure damage output that Mewtwo can provide and it also is nowhere near as useful as Mewtwo during the early to midgame.

Finally, Sigilyph can act as both a Mewtwo EX counter, an EX counter in general, and a counter to an opposing Sigilyph. While Sigilyph is undoubtedly the most versatile, it also is the most frail, with most decks packing some sort of counter to the card nowadays. Sigilyph also doesn’t provide the same damage output as either of the other options.

Personally, I would say that either Mewtwo EX or Sigilyph is the best choice depending on your metagame. Sigilyph can turn around a matchup against Landorus/Mewtwo if you dispatch their counters earlier in the game. Sigilyph can also force a Keldeo/Blastoise player to attach their energy where they don’t want to, which can help you overcome the matchup by diverting their resources.

Mewtwo EX on the other hand is useful in almost any matchup. It can grab a KO against any deck that uses Mewtwo, and it can be just as deadly against Keldeo-EX. In the end I play Mewtwo EX, solely because I want maximum versatility, and there are certain matchups where Sigilyph is basically useless.

Give Yourself a Fighting Chance

terrakion-noble-victories-nvi-73pokemon-paradijs.comThere are two possible options for a Fighting type component in the deck; Terrakion or Landorus-EX. If you are facing a Darkrai EX or a Bouffalant DRX you are going to want to be able to have an answer.

Terrakion is by far more common than Landorus-EX in this deck, as you get the KO on Darkrai without any extra damage.

However, Landorus-EX provides better support against Eelektrik decks, and can fit in with a spreading motif within the deck. Between Darkrai EX, Hydreigon NVI, Landorus-EX you can set up more exact knock outs instead of focusing on pure damage.

In the end I prefer Terrakion because it is not an EX, it is not weak to Water, it can revenge KO Darkrai, and it can act as a Sigilyph counter.

Grow into Your Comfort Zone

You are going to want a Grass type in this deck. Blastoise/Keldeo is a common deck, and there is nothing more satisfying than being able to grab control of a big game just by using a single card.

Shaymin EX is a potent card during the late game, being able to swing for a KO without much worry. However Shaymin is hindered by its low HP, the fact that it is worth 2 Prizes, and the fear of starting with it.

Virizion EPO is able to Knock Out Keldeo-EX with as much ease as Shaymin, but at the cost of an additional G Energy. You also are unable to attack continuously with Virizion, so you have to be certain when you use its attack. However, Virizion is not as bad of a starter as Shaymin, and it is only worth a single prize.

I prefer Shaymin EX for the same reason that I prefer Mewtwo EX over Sigilyph. Shaymin EX is more useful in more situations. Shaymin can attack for massive damage at the end of any game, and you only need one G Energy to use its attack, so you are not risking as many resources by attacking with it.

Keep a Cool Head

keldeo-ex-boundaries-crossed-142-full-artKeldeo-EX goes with Darkrai EX like sprinkles on ice cream. Sure you can enjoy your ice cream without them, but they do make the ice cream better. Keldeo-EX can abuse Darkrai’s ability to essentially give everything in the deck free retreat. However, Hydreigon DRX essentially does the same thing.

What does give Keldeo the advantage is its ability to override Special Conditions, making Accelgor less of a threat. Keldeo-EX can also be used before Hydreigon is up and running. Keldeo-EX also hits Landorus-EX for Weakness, which is its biggest selling point in the deck.

With two Prism Energy, Keldeo can Knock Out Landorus, but even doing 100-140 damage for three energy against Landorus is too good to pass up. However if you don’t find Keldeo-EX to be as useful as you would like it to be, perhaps Kyurem EX could be what you were looking for.

Kyurem EX has ten more HP than Keldeo, an attack that can discard Special Energy, the same ability to Knock Out Landorus-EX with two Prism Energy, and a less exploitable Weakness. Overall I feel that Keldeo-EX is the better choice, but Kyurem does have its own uses.

Don’t Be Afraid to Heat Things Up

Are you afraid of facing Klinklang decks? I’m not too sure why you would be, but it is worth mentioning that Victini NVI 15 can easily be used in the deck. Victini can also provide some early game pressure if you cannot get out a Darkrai EX.

Think Outside the Box

registeel-ex-dragons-exalted-drx-122pokemon-paradijs.comJust because the deck doesn’t run Double Colorless Energy doesn’t mean that you can’t use some of the cards that go along with it.

Registeel-EX can go along with the spreading motif that I mentioned earlier in the article, giving you a fourth option for spreading in the deck. You can also tank with the second attack, but I’d be wary of keeping four of your energy on an active attacker while trying to tank.

Bouffalant DRX is another option, as its attack can be a headache for EX decks that are trying to keep even on the Prize trade.

Now that I’ve gone through the possible Pokémon for the deck, I added in the cards that I feel are best for a consistent yet versatile deck.

Pokémon – 17

3 Deino DRX 94

1 Zweilous NVI

2 Hydreigon DRX 97
1 Hydreigon NVI

3 Darkrai-EX DEX
3 Sableye DEX
1 Mewtwo-EX NXD
1 Terrakion NVI
1 Shaymin EX
1 Keldeo-EX

Trainers – 25

4 N
4 Professor Juniper
3 Skyla
2 Random Receiver

 

3 Rare Candy

3 Pokémon Catcher
3 Dark Patch

2 Ultra Ball

1 Computer Search

Energy – 13

6 D – Basic
4 Blend GRPD

3 Prism

After adding in the Pokémon I am left with five spaces left in my deck. With these final five spaces, you can add your own flair to the deck. I’ve listed a couple of options below.

Those Final Five Spaces

max-potion-emerging-powers-epo-94Max Potion A fairly key part of the decks central strategy, I would suggest adding at least two of these to the deck. Max Potion in tandem with Hydreigon DRX allows you to fully heal any Pokémon you want without any repercussions.

Hammers – Hammers are always an option in a Sableye deck. You can deny your opponent set up while you get everything you need out.

Eviolite & Tool Scrapper Eviolite and Tool Scrapper are also good cards to have in the deck. Eviolite can help you avoid knock outs, especially a Terrakion revenge KOing your Darkrai EX. Tool Scrapper also lets you get the 2HKO on most EXs with Darkrai’s Night Spear.

Super Rod & Town Map Both of these cards would be 1-ofs in the deck. Super Rod would help you recycle a fallen or discarded counter if needed, and Town Map would allow you to pinpoint exactly where a counter card is located in case it becomes necessary.

Ultra Ball & Level Ball The skeleton list is a little shy on search cards, I would suggest adding at least one of these cards to give the deck a bit more consistency. I prefer only having one Level Ball in the deck, as it is searchable by Skyla and recyclable by Sableye, so there is never any huge need for the card, but it can be reached if needed.

Catcher & Dark Patch The skeleton list only plays three of each of these cards, so if you feel that you want to bulk up either of these card counts, then feel free to do so. I feel that three of each is fine, as you can recycle them with Sableye.

The five cards that I chose for my list are:

2 Max Potion
1 Level Ball
1 Tool Scrapper
1 Enhanced Hammer

I feel that two Max Potion are sufficient to do what they need to do, and the one Level Ball fills out the rest of the decks search requirements nicely. The Tool Scrapper is to remove any pesky Eviolite, and the Enhanced Hammer helps to slow any Mewtwo EX, or Klinklang deck.

My final list looks like such:

Pokémon – 17

3 Deino DRX 94

1 Zweilous NVI

2 Hydreigon DRX 97
1 Hydreigon NVI

3 Darkrai-EX DEX
3 Sableye DEX
1 Mewtwo-EX NXD
1 Terrakion NVI
1 Shaymin EX
1 Keldeo-EX

Trainers – 30

4 N
4 Professor Juniper
3 Skyla
2 Random Receiver

 

3 Rare Candy

3 Pokémon Catcher
3 Dark Patch

2 Ultra Ball

2 Max Potion

1 Level Ball

1 Enhanced Hammer

1 Tool Scrapper

1 Computer Search

Energy – 13

6 D – Basic

4 Blend GRPD

3 Prism

And now to run my deck through the list of common issues that a deck must be able to handle:

Early Game Landorus-EX – Countered by Keldeo-EX
Early Game Darkrai EX – Countered by Terrakion
A Sableye Juggling Hammers – Avoided by Dark Patch Acceleration
Early Game Tornadus EX – Handled by Darkrai EX
A Keldeo-EX with 5+ Energy – Countered by Mewtwo EX or Shaymin EX
A Mewtwo EX with 5+ Energy – Countered by Mewtwo EX
A Stampede of Bouffalants – Countered by Terrakion
Rayquaza EX and Two Eels – Handled by Darkrai EX and Catcher
Accelgor – Countered by Keldeo-EX
Quad Sigilyph – Handled by Hydreigon and Terrakion

So the deck can either handle or counter all of the issues included on my list, and with that I am going to conclude this article. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed.

Even if you don’t ever plan on playing Darkrai/Hydreigon, I hope that my list of possible issues to counter made this all worth your time.

Reader Interactions

8 replies

  1. pokepro

    horrible, inconsistent list. it’s no wonder you’re no longer playing

    • Gerardo Del Toro  → pokepro

      While you are entitled to your own opinion, there is no reason for you to be so rude. You provide no constructive criticism and only bash on his list, which does nothing to help him in the future. If you want to be a contributing member of the community, tell him what he can do differently and why you don’t agree with the article.

      It does not matter how “pro” you are, you should never put other people down, so refrain from being such a negative commentator. Thank you.

  2. Twan van Vugt

    Although i do agree about the tech options, i think this list is a bit too techy and thus sacrificing consistency. Sableye only helps with maintaining a good start but it can’t get you out of a supporterless hand (with no RR in the discard that is or no energy), so i would sugget going for a tad more consistency (like Hydreigon #3 and 1 ultra ball > enhanced hammer). Other than that, great breakdown about the hydreigon/prism deck :)

  3. Tyler Kittelson-Burke

    It’s like the old Klingklang/Techs deck.
    This could become a very troublesome deck to deal with at States.
    Also, very well written article.

  4. Adam Waddell

    I like the theory behind a lot of choices, but as a player who played prism hydreigon everyday of the Texas Marathon (one day even going 5-2 with it), I learned a lot from play testing. First off, if youre going to play that many Prism attackers, your energy split should at least be 4 prisms and 3 blend. 4 prism opens up a lot, especially because you don’t want anything prized. I play Siglyph over mewtwo for the keldeo matchup. i found that card is pretty much the swinger in that matchup, because the only answer your typical keldeo player has is blastoise. Its far easier to take down a rampaging blastoise than a keldeo and it usually puts the keldeo player in a bad position anyway because they lose their accelerator. Plus siglyph is a great place to store energy to make sure if something gets catchered it has a lower probability of getting knocked out. he is a pack mule with a lot of purposes and i learned a lot playing with it. I used to play mewtwo, but energy conservation ended up being more important. Plus id really say virizion NVI is a better tech than shaymin due to the fact he can wreck shop on squirtles and Siglyph and once it gains momentum against a blastoise deck, its damn hard to stop. Plus I really like Landorus in the deck because it is a one energy attacker, and thats so valuable in a prism deck. I am really ready for Coloress though. I think that is consistancy card that Hydreigon has desperately needed, plus when you play that many attackers, you are bound to have a full bench and gain the full benefits of shuffle and draw. Bianca and Cheren just don’t cut it anymore and because it is a shuffle and draw it can help you conserve those late game resources like N has been able to do in the format so far. Plus i made a metagame call in my area and added in a Giratina EX to the deck because Ray ray was popping back up and I was starting to hit mirror too and it worked for the most part. It did have its downsides, but like i said, it worked for the most part.

  5. Balboa - Stefano Conti

    Hi dude, so cool that you play Hydreigon-Prism too! I’ve been playing the deck for almost five months, and I wrote an article a few days ago (it’s still in the first page of SixPrizes, if you feel like giving it a glance), so I think I could help you a little bit.

    I think your list is kinda inconsistent, and that you’re trying to do too many things – ending up doing them badly. You have A LOT of techs (I play a lot as well, but not so much as you), but, in order to play them, you gave up too much room of consistence cards.

    I’d never play with less than 3 Max Potion, 4 Pokemon Catcher and 4 Ultra Ball – you can’t make a deck working, even if you have the coolest techs, if it doesn’t set up;

    And I think some of the techs you play are not needed at all: first among everything, Hydreigon NVI. I know you never need to put 3 Hydreigon into play, but have you ever found yourself discarding one or two Hydreigon with Juniper? It happens to me quite often. No need to talk about the prizes. And you don’t even play Super Rod, which is not a good thing in my opinion, since the best cards to discard with Ultra Ball and Computer Search are the techs you don’t need at the moment you have them in your hand; and again, you can’t prevent an expensive Juniper.

    However, this is my favourite deck, and I really love it. It lets you do so many things that I guess I’ve never played a deck so versatile.

    Bye!

  6. Joni Heredia

    Enjoyed the detailed article, and I’m looking forward to building this deck for testing with my son who plays competitively. Thanks so much.

Leave a Reply

You are logged out. Register. Log in.