Hey guys! It’s Xander here with another article. This is my first Underground article and I hope to do it justice. After Athens, I began testing decks with Sun & Moon immediately. After a few weeks of testing, these are some decks I would be comfortable playing in Anaheim. One important thing for large tournaments such as Regionals is to play a deck that’s comfortable. It’s a bad idea to pick up a deck the night before and expect to learn it over the course of the day.
Contents
A Bench Player: Mega Gardevoir
Mega Gardevoir did not perform particularly well in Athens. Three total made Top 32 (including myself), but only one finished in Top 16 and none in Top 8. Mega Rayquaza appeared out of nowhere in absence of Yveltal/Garbodor, which is an auto-loss for Mega Gardevoir. The other hard matchup that exists is Greninja, and Volcanion is close. I felt that Mega Gardevoir was a great play, but multiple, unfortunate ties ended my tournament.
Pokémon – 17 3 Gardevoir-EX PRC |
Trainers – 36 2 N 2 Lysandre
1 Switch 1 Super Rod
|
Energy – 7 7 Y |
The list is relatively similar to my list before Sun & Moon. The only changes from my Athens list are:
- -2 Fairy Drop
- -1 Giovanni’s Scheme
- +1 Wishiwashi
- +1 Hex Maniac
- +1 Professor Kukui
Key Cards
1 Wishiwashi
I’m toying with Wishiwashi because it acts similarly to Exeggcute PLF. I think it’s better in this deck because I can lay it as insurance against a Stadium replacement. I can limit myself down to 5 (or 3 with Parallel City) with the Wishiwashi on my Bench. This allows me to return it to my hand and have a free Bench spot for any reason. It also acts as a placeholder for me to Escape Rope/Switch into on the first turn and potentially place my opponent at odd prizing. It also has the added benefit of being an extra Pokémon to discard with Despair Ray.
I added the 2nd Hex Maniac to solidify the Volcanion matchup. I think it is 55-45 to 60-40 before the change, but this makes it 65-35 to 70-30. If I can draw Hex Maniac and get a 1HKO on a Volcanion-EX I will usually win. This prevents a return KO on my Mega Gardevoir. With only 1 Hex Maniac, it’s typical to never draw it until later in the game. The 2nd makes it appear so much quicker compared to only one.
The 2nd Hex Maniac also has added benefit against Rayquaza. When going first, dig for Hex Maniac. It will typically slow their setup enough to prevent a KO from their side. This matchup is very unfavorable, but not unwinnable. The key is to load up a Mega Gardevoir and always take 2 Prizes with Lysandre. Maximize the probability of hitting Lysandre, Mega Turbo, Energy, Spirit Links, etc. It’s a long shot, but I’ve beaten Mega Rayquaza in a Bo3 before. Parallel City is a counter to Mega Rayquaza, but it typically doesn’t work until later in the game. If Parallel City is not seen, Mega Rayquaza may dump all of their Sky Fields. A late-game Parallel City can win the game, but not the match. I don’t recommend teching for this matchup because it is still unfavorable.
Professor Kukui is a better replacement than Giovanni’s Scheme. That’s it. I ran it before to win the Turbo Dark matchup, and Professor Kukui does the same thing but better. I believe it is still viable, especially because of Lurantis-GX. The most Mega Gardevoir can hit with Professor Kukui is 210 while discarding the whole Bench. This can be used as a way to take the remaining 2 Prizes, or to overextend and survive.
Professor Kukui can also be used against Greninja to 1HKO a Greninja BREAK without Sky Field. This can be useful in the event that some are discarded early on through Professor Sycamore.
Lack of Fairy Drop
I removed Fairy Drop because I don’t expect Yveltal/Garbodor to survive. I think the best version includes Tauros-GX and Ninja Boy, but I don’t see it being insanely popular. Keep in mind that the matchup is still winnable without Fairy Drop; the only problem is Yveltal BKT. Tauros-GX shouldn’t be a problem because Mega Gardevoir aims to 1HKO anyway.
If you want to re-add Fairy Drop I would remove Wishiwashi and the 2nd Hex Maniac. Wishiwashi is definitely an underrated card for this deck, but it has a lot of potential. The 2nd Hex Maniac is amazing against Volcanion, but the removal of Fairy Drop negatively impacts this matchup. If Yveltal/Tauros/Garbodor is heavily expected, an inclusion of 2 Fairy Drop would be satisfactory.
Potential 3rd Lysandre
As overkill as 3 Lysandre seems, it is the best Supporter in the deck. The deck has plenty of Item + Shaymin-EX consistency, and 3 Lysandre improves every matchup. Against Volcanion it is another out for Shaymin-EX and Hoopa-EX. Against Mega Rayquaza, it is simply a 7th out to Lysandre when it’s a Prize race. Against Garbodor decks, it’s another out to Lysandre Garbodor. The 3rd Lysandre is simply another out to increase probability.
Matchups
- Turbo Dark … 60-40 (worse if they include Umbreon-GX)
- Volcanion … 65-35
- Mega Rayquaza … 25-75
- Yveltal/Tauros/Garbodor … 50-50
- Vespiquen Variants … 65-35
- Mega Mewtwo … 85-15
- Eevee Decks … 60-40
- Greninja … 40-60
- Lurantis/Garbodor … 45-55
Overall I don’t know if Mega Gardevoir is a good play. The introduction of higher HP Pokémon makes it difficult, but only some of them are viable. Decidueye-GX and Umbreon-GX are the main problems, but neither of them output much damage. There are plenty of good matchups, but also a handful of bad ones.
Lunar Eclipse: Eeveelutions/Zoroark
This is my pet deck that I created with Michael Slutsky. Since his article, we’ve made collective changes to improve and streamline the deck. The deck used to rely on the type-changing Eeveelutions to provide extra damage, but this version uses Bursting Balloon. It also features a thicker Zoroark line.
Pokémon – 19
|
Trainers – 29 4 N 2 Lysandre
|
Energy – 12 6 D 2 P |
The deck is similar and maintains the same strategy as before. It simply adds Bursting Balloon instead of unnecessary techs like Tauros-GX and and Jolteon AOR. Bursting Balloon rounds out the damage problems of the deck as long as they trigger. It also has a thicker Zoroark line, which is amazing against Mega Rayquaza and Volcanion.
Key Cards
4-3-1 Eevee Line
I decided to focus heavily on Umbreon-GX as opposed to the dual split used previously. Espeon-GX is very strong, but isn’t as reliable as Umbreon-GX. Having more D Energy also has the benefit of allowing usage of Zoroark BREAK more often.
1 Vaporeon, 1 Flareon, 0 Jolteon
You may be wondering: Why include 2/3 Musketeers as opposed to all 3? Isn’t Jolteon good against Yveltal-EX and Mega Rayquaza? Well, they are good. I removed Jolteon because I felt those matchups were already good enough. Zoroark already does a good enough job against Mega Rayquaza, especially with Parallel City. Teammates is especially useful in this matchup because it allows you to stream Zoroarks or Eeveelutions. Yveltal/Tauros/Garbodor is typically hard, but I don’t know how much Jolteon would help. The danger comes from Tauros-GX; it can 1HKO all Basics with Horn Attack or Evolutions with Mad Bull-GX.
Vaporeon is necessary against Volcanion to win the Prize trade with Zoroark. It doesn’t have any other function, but greatly improves that matchup. Flareon does the same thing for the Lurantis matchup. If they set up Garbodor, it doesn’t become effective, but after removing Garbodor with a Lysandre + Shadow Bullet, Flareon is amazing. It also works well against decks with Decidueye-GX. They can’t promote Decidueye-GX to stall because it can be 1HKO’d with 120 damage. This is easily achievable with Reverse Valley and Professor Kukui.
1 Teammates, 1 Professor Kukui
These are great, singular Supporters. Teammates is great for searching out Basics, Flareon/Vaporeon, Double Colorless, VS Seeker, etc. It’s so versatile in this deck because an Eevee or Zorua will most likely be Knocked Out on T2. I originally had Hex Maniac in place of Teammates, but I would never use it. I never had the chance to play it because I would always have to dig for Stage 1s, Double Colorless, or Eevee/Zorua. Hex Maniac is also very hard to be useful. It’s only good against Volcanion or other decks on the first turn. Professor Kukui is such a good card. It allows extra damage AND draws cards. In the worst-case scenario, it’s 2/3 of Hau. In scenarios where the damage is needed, it’s insane. However, it’s strictly better than Giovanni’s Scheme which warrants its spot.
I would love to add Level Ball, but there is simply no space. It would round out the consistency and add another out to Vaporeon/Flareon. I wouldn’t be comfortable removing anything for 2 Level Ball, but there are certainly weaker cards. I would cut a Shaymin-EX and a D Energy. Going down to 1 Shaymin-EX is unideal in the case that one is prized.
Adding 2 Level Ball would greatly increase consistency and make it easier to lay down Eevee and Zorua. Level Ball is strictly better than Nest Ball because it can grab Vaporeon and Flareon. Shaymin-EX will never be grabbed with Nest Ball because it goes straight to the Bench.
0 Max Elixir, 0 Crushing Hammer
I messed around with Max Elixir and it was pretty useful. I got to keep more Energy on board so I wouldn’t fall behind. Ultimately, I swapped it in exchange for Bursting Balloon. Max Elixir does not work with Energy Evolution.
Crushing Hammer is untested, but could work. I would replace all Bursting Balloons with them and add a 4th. It can act as a stalling mechanic to allow more Energy to be on the board. I think it could be better than Bursting Balloon. It relies on flips to be useful rather than the opponent missing Lysandre (to play around Balloon). In all honesty, the opponent would want to Lysandre Zorua/Zoroark on the Bench. These cards are interchangeable.
2 Reverse Valley, 1 Parallel City
The original list ran a 1-1 split, but I decided to bump up the count to 2-1. Reverse Valley is crucial to hit 200 and 210, and I felt like I needed a 2nd Reverse Valley to get it consistently. It is helpful against Turbo Dark to get the 1st Reverse Valley into play. You can force the Dark side to face you, increasing damage by 10. Unless they run another counter Stadium, keep that side in all game.
The singular Parallel City is to remove Shaymin-EX on your side. It’s also helpful for removing heavily injured Umbreon-GX or Espeon-GX. The damage reduction is also very helpful against Volcanion, Vespiquen, and Lurantis. The Bench reducing side is also insanely helpful against Mega Rayquaza, Mega Gardevoir, and Volcanion in some scenarios. Parallel City is simply too good of a card not to run a 1-of.
6 Dark, 2 P Energy
I chose to run a 6-2 Energy count because I prioritize Umbreon. I’d rather use Energy Evolution into an Umbreon-GX on the first turn. Interestingly, I have 3 Umbreon-GX and 1 Espeon-GX; the Energy count follows the same ratio. Running out of P Energy is a notable concern, but Super Rod does a good job of mitigating that. 1 P Energy is all that is needed for the game, considering there is only 1 Espeon-GX.
Testing Overview
Even with this updated version of the deck, it still seems underwhelming. It can win games off of the back of Umbreon-GX, but I feel like I’m fighting from behind. The deck is insanely slow to set up and attack, and has to rely on Umbreon-GX surviving a turn or two. This is due to all of the attackers being Stage 1s. It doesn’t have any Basic attacker to start the game with, and none fit well. Tauros-GX was flawed past turn 2; 60 damage simply didn’t do enough. Decks could also 1HKO or Lysandre around Tauros-GX until it could be 1HKO’d.
I think that the Crushing Hammer version could be interesting, especially because it can slow down the opponent to the deck’s tempo. However, the deck will still struggle with laying down Basics. Increasing consistency through Brigette or Level Ball would detract the maneuverability of the deck. Bursting Balloon, Max Elixir, and Crushing Hammer are all cards that help keep the deck in the game. Removing these for consistency may make the deck run perfectly, but ultimately lose games because it doesn’t do enough.
It’s hard to make a deck solely using Evolutions when they’re balanced cards. Cards like Lurantis-GX can make a deck on their own because of Forest of Giant Plants and Flower Supply. However, I think that Zoroark and Umbreon-GX may be better as techs in other decks. They’re both splash-able in Darkrai-EX and Yveltal-EX variants. Umbreon-GX/Zoroark is a great play, but has the issue of laying down Basics.
Infinite Recursion: Mega Mewtwo/Garbodor
I believe that Mega Mewtwo has the chance to perform. It survives through Sun & Moon because its damage is uncapped. Mega Gardevoir is also on the decline even though I won Dallas with it. It did decently in Athens, but did not make Top 8. The deck also did not gain anything insane from Sun & Moon.
The main reason I believe Mega Mewtwo could be a good play is because Mega Gardevoir — its worst matchup — is difficult to play. Mega Gardevoir has a large amount of options in a single turn. It’s a deck that I believe to have a very high skill ceiling which means that it is near impossible to play perfectly; I still find myself making mistakes with the deck. It has a medium skill floor which means that the majority of players can pick it up and play the deck. The small amount of people who play Mega Gardevoir to a high level will succeed if they choose to play the deck. Of course, not all “pros” at Mega Gardevoir will opt to pilot the deck.
Mega Mewtwo with P Energy
Pokémon – 14 |
Trainers – 35 3 N 2 Lysandre
|
Energy – 11 7 P |
The Other Variants
This list is very simple and nothing special. I would call this the standard list for Psychic Mega Mewtwo, but other variants exist using other types. Metal MM (Mega Mewtwo) uses Magearna-EX, Lightning MM uses Jolteon-EX, and Fairy MM uses Fairy Drop. All of these variants fill different niches in an attempt to improve certain matchups. I’d argue that Psychic Mega Mewtwo is the best in an undetermined meta. It has the strength of Damage Change, even though I only run 1 Shrine of Memories. In any deck not running P Energy, switching to Mewtwo-EX EVO is the best adjustment.
- Lightning Mega Mewtwo uses Jolteon-EX to improve its matchups against Basics, most notably its Turbo Dark matchup and Yveltal/Garbodor matchup.
- Metal Mega Mewtwo is solely for Mega Gardevoir. Magearna-EX + Garbodor + Parallel City is devastating for the Gardevoir player.
- Fairy Mega Mewtwo is used to improve the Yveltal/Garbodor matchup. Fairy Drop is as useful in this case as with Mega Gardevoir against Yveltal BKT.
Mega Mewtwo with Jolteon (or Magearna)
Pokémon – 15 |
Trainers – 34 3 N 2 Lysandre
|
Energy – 11 7 Basic Energy |
These lists are very similar, and the Fairy Drop version is like this. Instead of 2 Jolteon-EX/Magearna-EX and a Super Rod, add 2 Fairy Drop and a Mewtwo-EX EVO. These three decks have potential, but I’m only going to cover the matchups of the Psychic version version. The list is extremely standard so I won’t go in depth on card choices.
Matchups
- Turbo Dark … 40-60
- Volcanion … 65-35
- Mega Rayquaza … 55-45
- Yveltal/Tauros/Garbodor … 50-50
- Vespiquen Variants … 65-35
- Mega Gardevoir … 15-85
- Eevee Decks … 40-60 (with Espeon-GX)
- Greninja … 50-50
- Lurantis/Garbodor … 50-50
As you can see, Mega Mewtwo is a strong deck. Its bad matchups come in Turbo Dark, Mega Gardevoir, and Eeveelutions. Mega Gardevoir is an auto-loss, but there is nothing to be done about it. The Magearna-EX version is designed to salvage this matchup, but I don’t think it’s worth it. I don’t believe that Mega Gardevoir will be popular, so teching for it is going to be regretful later on in the tournament.
Turbo Dark is a hard matchup because of Resistance. It takes 7 Energy across Mega Mewtwo and Darkrai-EX to 1HKO an UNBELTED Darkrai-EX. This is insanely hard to pull off multiple times, and the deck has to resort to 2-shots. However, by the end of the game, Turbo Dark can hit 210 onto a Mega Mewtwo. This match is determined by how quickly either side can accumulate Energy into play and race for a 1HKO. Turbo Dark would love to start slowly with Yveltal STS, but Mega Mewtwo has to start quickly and try to take Prizes quickly. The addition of Professor Kukui in Turbo Dark will make it that much easier to hit 210, requiring one less Energy.
Espeon-GX can give the deck problems because of its typing. It is Psychic type, and can always 1HKO a Mega Mewtwo. This matchup will be determined by trading these Pokémon. Mega Mewtwo’s attack does not hit for Weakness, so it requires 4 Energy on Mega Mewtwo and 3 on the Espeon-GX. This isn’t too hard to pull off, but it requires a fair amount of luck. Psybeam is also devastating onto a Mega Mewtwo, requiring that player to retreat continuously. This could be a better strategy because it pressures with a single P Energy. Because Espeon-GX will only have one Energy attached, Mega Mewtwo will need 6 Energy to 1HKO it.
I think that Psybeam will be the MVP against Mega Mewtwo. It will make the Mewtwo player rely on flips, as well as keep Espeon-GX relatively safe because only one Energy is committed. Later on in the game, the Eeveelutions player can attach Double Colorless to score a KO. I recommend that Mega Mewtwo players run Olympia or Pokémon Center Lady if they expect many Espeon-GX decks to be in Anaheim. Using either of these Supporters to nullify their Psybeams allows you to play to their pace and gradually get ahead. It forces the opponent to continuously attach twice in a row to Espeon-GX. It is also a good possibility that they miss Double Colorless.
L to the G: Lurantis/Lapras/Garbodor
Here is my take on the typical Lurantis/Garbodor deck. I included Lapras-GX as a means against Volcanion. I think that Volcanion is an insanely strong play for Anaheim because of all of the Grass support introduced. It also was a good deck on its own beforehand. I know many people shove off Volcanion and say “Volc is bad,” but it really isn’t. It’s fast, consistent, and has good matchups solely based on those two factors alone. If you want to check out a Volcanion list, see Jimmy McClure’s “Back to the Future” article.
Pokémon – 15 |
Trainers – 34 3 N 2 Lysandre
|
Energy – 11 6 G 5 W |
This list removes some of the bells and whistles of straight Lurantis/Garbodor in exchange for the Water typing. Lapras-GX serves as the backup attacker, but Ice Beam-GX could be better than Chloroscythe-GX in some matches. In the late game after the opponent has exhausted their switch cards, Ice Beam-GX can seal the game. The benefit to running both is that the opponent has to prepare for both options. Ice Beam-GX acts as a good way to get a free 100 damage, while Chloroscythe-GX can blow up a single Pokémon when necessary.
Key Cards
4-3 Lurantis-GX, 2 Lapras-GX
I run the 4-3 Lurantis-GX line because I don’t need to rely on it as my only attacker. I have Lapras-GX as a backup, but I cannot risk prizing any. 2 Lapras-GX is included solely for Volcanion. It acts as a great means of controlling this matchup with Garbodor. Using these two in conjunction with another can usually result in a win. Lapras-GX cannot be 1HKO’d by Volcanion with Garbodor in play, which allows it to get two attacks in. Don’t worry about using Ice Beam-GX carelessly. It’s simply there as another attack in this matchup that allows you to attack again. If you don’t have a Lurantis-GX and Lysandre for a Shaymin-EX, use Ice Beam-GX to allow Blizzard Burn the following turn. There have been times where being overly conservative with my GX has lost me the game.
I run the singular Max Potion as a surprise tech. Most players will expect it in a straight Lurantis/Garbodor deck, but the Lapras might throw them off. Even if the opponent does expect it, the strength of Max Potion + Flower Supply is uncanny.
I maxed out on Float Stone because this deck needs extra mobility. These are also the only Tools that the deck runs, which makes it especially hard to draw them for Garbodor. I find myself needing to attach Float Stone to Lapras-GX for mobility after Blizzard Burn, but I would also need some for Lurantis-GX and Garbodor. I wouldn’t run this deck without 4 Float Stone.
Like in most decks, Professor Kukui is amazing. It’s simply a better Giovanni’s Scheme. It helps Lurantis-GX hit 130 with Solar Blade, 60 with Flower Supply, and 20+50E with Chloroscythe-GX. (E=Energy attached.) 50’s are awkward numbers aside from Umbreon-GX and Espeon-GX. Professor Kukui also allows Lapras-GX to hit for 180 with Blizzard Burn, scoring a 1HKO on a Darkrai-EX, Yveltal-EX, or Tauros-GX. I think that this deck will be insanely better with the arrival of Choice Band. The extra +30 extends this deck’s damage caps even further.
6 Grass, 5 W Energy
I run this split because both attackers are equally important. I run the majority of G Energy because it’s important to use Flower Supply on turn 1. I need to keep 5 W Energy to be able to hit them with Max Elixir and Flower Supply. Blizzard Burn costs 3 W Energy which can be difficult to find sometimes. It’s important to be efficient with Energy placement; only place W Energy onto Lapras-GX and G Energy on Lurantis-GX. Having an accidental Grass on Lapras-GX allows for four attachments to use Blizzard Burn. Having an accidental Water on Lurantis-GX reduces the potential Chloroscythe-GX by 50 damage.
Matchups
- Turbo Dark … 50-50
- Volcanion … 55-45
- Mega Rayquaza … 35-65
- Yveltal/Tauros/Garbodor … 55-45
- Vespiquen Variants … 60-40
- Mega Gardevoir … 50-50
- Mega Mewtwo … 55-45
- Eevee Decks … 65-35
- Greninja … 80-20
- Lurantis/Garbodor … 45-55
The deck has lots of positive matchups, but several weaker ones. There is nothing inherently unfair about Lurantis-GX as a card. It has Flower Supply which is a powerful effect, but it only does 40 damage. Solar Blade is a great attack for trading, but makes the deck rely on 2-shots. Mega Rayquaza is a terrible matchup because there is little this deck can do to respond to a Mega Rayquaza. The best hope is to use Ice Beam-GX and bank on paralysis. A late-game Garbodor + N can also be deadly. The main problem is that once they get lots of Pokémon in the play, the only response is to replace with Forest of Giant Plants. Parallel City would not be effective in this matchup because it would reduce the damage of Lurantis-GX and Lapras-GX.
Mega Gardevoir is even because the deck drops consistency in favor of an easier Volcanion matchup. Lapras-GX is ineffective in this matchup because Mega Gardevoir runs 3 switching cards. I’d say the best way to win this matchup is to play conservatively with Flower Supply. They can never 1HKO a Lurantis-GX, but they will try to outspeed you. A late-game Garbodor + N will be especially punishing. Max Potion is insane in this matchup because it always buys an extra turn.
The Lurantis/Garbodor mirror match is unfavored. Lapras-GX is terrible here because it has a Grass weakness. The only use is for a surprising Ice Beam-GX, but it is very easy for the opponent to Lysandre and KO it with Solar Blade. This matchup comes down to Max Elixir hits and racing Lurantis-GX. Keep in mind that an early Flower Supply will deal 40, and the opponent can only heal 30 with Solar Blade. This leftover 10 damage places them at 200 HP and into KO range with Chloroscythe-GX.
The Bonanza!: Vespiquen & Friends
This deck is something. It includes a whopping four Evolution lines. This gets me excited. I love to play decks with plenty of options, and this deck certainly has no shortcomings there. This is my take on Dylan Bryan’s Athens list, but updated with Sun & Moon.
Pokémon – 28 2 Alolan Grimer 1 Alolan Muk |
Trainers – 28 2 N 2 Lysandre 1 Olympia
|
Energy – 4 |
Oh boy do I love this deck. It features Gumshoos-GX in place of Zebstrika BKP and Alolan Muk instead of Garbodor BKP. It also includes one of my favorite cards, Professor Kukui. I can’t reiterate enough how versatile this card is.
Key Cards
2-2 Gumshoos-GX
I chose a 2-2 Gumshoos-GX line because this is what a backup attacker should be. It is only used for its GX attack, but it is necessary to get it out ASAP. Search the Premises is an amazing Ability in conjunction with Delinquent. It’s amazing because it allows me to use Delinquent when they have more than 3 cards in their hand. You may be thinking that I can use it when they have more than 3 cards in their hand, it is just unideal. You are correct, but Gumshoos-GX allows me to use Delinquent to discard any combinations they were saving in a bluff to keep 4+ cards in hand. There are many times where I have 4 cards in my hand to play around Delinquent, but one would still be incredibly crippling.
2-1 Alolan Muk
I added the 2nd Alolan Grimer as another Pokémon to be tossed away and used for Bee Revenge. I find Alolan Muk to be better than Garbodor in this deck because of Gumshoos-GX and Octillery. I believe this synergy warrants Alolan Muk > Garbodor. I believe that Greninja is a poor deck going into Anaheim because of Lurantis-GX and Decidueye-GX, meaning that Garbodor will not be missed. Alolan Muk allows me take advantage of Ability lock against decks like Volcanion, Mega Gardevoir, and Mega Rayquaza without hindering all of my own Abilities.
4 Unown, 2 Klefki
I run this split compared to a 3-3 because I will usually use Alolan Muk. In decks where I want Klefki such as Mega Mewtwo and Mega Rayquaza, I will typically only need 2 Klefki. Super Rod allows me to reuse any Klefkis if it is necessary. 4 Unown allows for greater consistency too.
Faded Town is required as a Parallel City replacement, but it is also useful as +20 against Mega decks. It can sometimes be saved for scenarios when the opponent cannot replace it, resulting in 40–60 damage being accumulated.
Matchups
- Turbo Dark … 50-50
- Volcanion … 55-45
- Mega Rayquaza … 55-45
- Yveltal/Tauros/Garbodor … 50-50
- Vespiquen Variants … 55-45
- Mega Gardevoir … 40-60
- Mega Mewtwo … 60-40
- Eevee Decks … 40-60
- Greninja … 60-40
- Lurantis/Garbodor … 45-55
Mega Rayquaza and Yveltal/Tauros/Garbodor are much closer matchups because Zebstrika is not in the deck. Zebstrika turned these matchups into near auto-wins, but its omission makes them close. Gumshoos-GX does not fill Zebstrika’s shoes in this matchup, but it shines everywhere else.
Mega Gardevoir is unfavorable because they can reuse Rattata, Hawlucha, Escape Rope, and Lysandre to play around Klefki. Using Alolan Muk is nice to shut off their Abilities, but it also limits Klefki. Klefki can potentially buy a turn, but don’t count on it. I think that the best course of option is to dump as many Pokémon as possible in search of the magic 210 later on. Gumshoos-GX won’t do more than 110 in this matchup, but I believe that Search the Premises is amazing. Mega Gardevoir has lots of key cards that it does not want to be discarded. Simply discarding an Energy and a Mega Gardevoir with Delinquent can be insanely crippling.
Eevee decks are unfavorable because they can hit 90 damage easily. They also only attach three Energies, meaning that Gumshoos-GX maxes out at 160–180. These decks will typically run another Stage 1 attacker or Basics and these will also have an easy time doing 90 damage.
The disadvantage to this deck is that it heavily relies on Vespiquen. Vespiquen/Zebstrika had Zebstrika to carry some matchups, but this deck relies on Vespiquen and the potential Gumshoos-GX. It’s important to lay down Combees and keep them safe on the Bench. Your opponent will try to KO them quickly before Vespiquen comes out, so evolving them can give them some safety against some Pokémon such as Yveltal STS, Tauros-GX, and Lurantis-GX.
Conclusion
I’m extremely excited because of Sun & Moon. I think that Anaheim is being held on even playing ground. Some decks that are hyped will perform well, other decks that did well beforehand will perform well, but also some rogue decks will perform well. Cards like Lunala-GX, Incineroar-GX, and Primarina-GX are all on the edge of playability but simply aren’t there yet. Someone may show up with one of these decks and sweep the tournament! It will certainly be a spectacle to watch what decks succeed, even if I do not.
My comfort deck going into Anaheim is Lurantis/Lapras/Garbodor. However, all of these decks I mentioned have a chance of appearing and performing well! I can see myself playing any of these given what mood I’m in. I believe this is an insanely diverse format, and I can’t even imagine what decks will emerge in these next few weeks! I hope to see many of you in Anaheim!
Xander
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