The Too Good Dog

Hello SixPrizes readers! How are you? I’m writing this article right after Malmö Regionals , where Tord Reklev was the winner using the powerful ADP/Zacian V deck. Besides being the winning deck, ADP/Zacian V was the deck that appeared most in the Top 8 and Day 2 of the tournament. In short, ADP/Zacian V is clearly the best and most popular deck today.

All other metagame decks have at least one good strategy to beat ADPZ, attempting to prey on some of the deck’s weaknesses, but this hasn’t been enough to overcome the deck’s strength.

The subject of my article today is to understand why ADPZ stood out so much in the metagame and then I will present some updates on my PikaRom, Mew3/Welder, and Fire Box decks. Finally, I want to present another deck idea suitable for the current metagame, aiming to beat ADPZ and other popular decks of the format.

Let’s go to today’s article!

ADPZ

What Makes It So Strong?

Why is ADPZ so strong? What does this deck have that others don’t? To try to find a way to beat ADPZ, we first need to understand why the deck is so strong. In my opinion, there is a combination of factors that has led the deck to the title of “Best Deck in the Format” (BDIF).

Unparalleled Consistency

ADPZ is one of the most consistent decks in format. It’s a deck that only uses Basic Pokémon, so you don’t have to worry about evolution. It can use the best consistency Pokémon in format—like Zacian V, Jirachi TEU, Oranguru SSH, and Dedenne-GX—without worrying about Bench space or slots in the deck. It is a deck with many slots to explore, since its entire strategy revolves around just two Pokémon, Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX and Zacian V.

Furthermore, its strategy is simple: just attach Energies from hand to ADP, announce “Altered Creation-GX,” and then KO everything with Zacian V. PikaRom is also a consistent deck, but its strategy for doing Full Blitz on turn one is so complex that even with lots of consistency it sometimes fails to make that move.

ADP-GX’s Altered Creation-GX

Altered Creation-GX is undoubtedly the strongest GX attack in the metagame right now. With this GX attack activated, the deck doesn’t need any different tech or strategy to win. All decks will be severely punished by the fact that you are able to take an extra Prize for each knockout.

Altered Creation-GX interferes with a game rule and makes all of your matches easier to win. Taking an extra Prize for each knockout is a huge advantage. The game was not designed to award 4 Prizes for Knocking Out a TAG TEAM Pokémon, 3 Prizes for a Dedenne-GX, or 2 Prizes for a Jirachi TEU.

The strongest strategies of Pokémon TCG aren’t those that work only against the main decks of the metagame, but those that work against everything because they interfere with rules of the game.

Decks can be adapted and teched, but the rules of the game can’t be changed. If your opponent can get an extra Prize for each KO, imagine how limited your options are to deal with such pressure.

Previous, all-encompassing strategies:

• We used to have the Seismitoad-EX + Hypnotoxic Laser combo. This combo basically made the opponent unable to use Item cards and sometimes they could not attack, as the Laser could leave them Asleep. This is a strategy that harms all decks of the format, since all decks need Item cards and all decks need to attack. These are basic foundation of the game.
• The Pidgeotto Control deck also has a strategy that works against all decks. When you run out of cards in your hand, you have no further actions in the game outside of what your Pokémon on the field can provide for you.

Zacian V’s Brave Blade

Zacian V can hit 230 damage with 3 Energies. This is already a far above average attack. Reshiram & Charizard-GX hits 230 for 4 Energies, and for a long time it was the strongest Pokémon available.

Just as ReshiZard-GX has Welder, Zacian V has Metal Saucer, so the cost of 3 Energies is not really 3 Energies. It is possible to energize the Zacian V on turn one. In addition, we have Intrepid Sword, which besides bringing consistency also allows us to energize Zacian V.

To compound matters, ADP-GX increases the damage of Brave Blade, and allows you to take an extra Prize card for each knockout.

In short, Zacian V is a Pokémon that can be energized in one turn, hit 270 damage (with Altered Creation-GX and Vitality Band), Knock Out a TAG TEAM Pokémon in one attack, and even get 4 Prizes for it.

In addition to having the best Ability for turn one, Zacian V is also perhaps the best attacker in Standard.

No Type Weaknesses

We know that ADP has Weakness to Fairy, and Zacian V has Weakness to Fire, but the current format has no Fairy-type deck (GardEon disappeared with the arrival of Zacian) and Zacian V can use Metal Frying Pan to nullify its Weakness to Fire.

The Pokémon TCG has almost always given the option to target a Pokémon by Weakness. No matter how strong a deck is, we should have the Weakness to exploit. But this is not the case here.

In short, ADPZ can exploit:

1. the best GX attack in the game,
2. the best consistency Ability for turn one,
3. the the best attacker in the game.

And all of this is achieved using little space in the deck.

The Weak Points (or How to Curb It)

Now that we know what makes ADPZ strong, let’s try to exploit its weaknesses. In my view, there are three points that we can explore against the deck, which are:

1. The Start of the Game

ADPZ’s turn one game plan consists of attaching an Energy to ADP-GX and passing the turn. If that Energy is removed, it means that you have managed to delay your opponent a lot. Cards like Wait and See Hammer, Crushing Hammer, or Pokémon like Sneasel UPR can remove this T1 Energy.

However, ADPZ can use Energy Switch defend itself from this strategy. Thanks to Metal Saucer to accelerate Energies, you can transfer Energy from Zacian V to ADP-GX. It is even possible to Altered Creation-GX on T1 this way.

2. Latios-GX UNM’s Clear Vision-GX

As I said, Altered Creation-GX is one of the strongest GX attacks in the game. It is an attack so strong that it is worth using Clear Vision-GX to prevent it.

However, ADPZ can also defend itself against this move by using Channeler, which will override the Clear Vision-GX, allowing you to use the Altered Creation-GX normally. Also, Channeler allows you to attack with Brave Blade twice in a row, without the need of retreating.

3. Type Weakness

This was the most explored point at OCIC , so much so that we saw a final between two Fire-type decks, Mew3/Welder and Fire Box. After OCIC, Metal Frying Pan gained prominence, as it is able to eliminate the Fire Weakness which prevented ADPZ from winning the tournament.

It is not easy for Fire decks to counter Metal Frying Pan, because the cards we have in UPR–SSH to deal with Tools are all lackluster. Lysandre Labs remains the best option; however, Lysandre Labs also hurts Fire-based decks, as they are mostly reliant on Jirachi TEU and Escape Board.

Deck Updates

As I was testing over the past few days, I made small updates to the decks that I have been using the most (aside from ADPZ). All of these updates have to do with metagame, trying to improve their game plan against the BDIF.

PikaRom

-1 Oranguru SSH, +1 Absol TEU

Although I really like Oranguru SSH, I don’t have space on the Bench for 2 Bench-sitters, so I’m hedging my bets on Absol TEU due to the metagame. Jirachi is present in almost every meta deck, and Absol is very annoying for Jirachi.

Against ADPZ, my opponent can fail to Altered Creation-GX if they are unable to retreat Jirachi, and they will also be unable to keep drawing extra resources via Stellar Wish throughout the game.

Decks depend on Jirachi right now, mainly because of the new T1 Supporter rule. The rule means that decks needs to use Jirachi to have a less mediocre setup. Often, Jirachi is responsible for being donked due to a lack of Basics.

-4 Custom Catcher

Even though Custom Catcher is important to be able to gust Pokémon V, I decided to remove it to have free spots for other tech cards. In many games Great Catcher will be enough, and against Cinccino Control I would have to use more cards (besides Custom Catcher) to win the game. You would probably have to use Pokémon Catcher as well as Oranguru UPR to beat Cinccino Control. And yet I could still lose. Against Cinccino Control, I try to be aggressive with Zapdos TEU or T1 Full Blitz, in addition to using Phione CEC whenever a Lillie’s Poké Doll appears in front of me. Although this is not an ideal strategy, I have won a lot of games just from the initial pressure.

Custom Catcher does let you draw cards and can help with the T1 Full Blitz, but depending on what you draw, it can also get in the way.

I like Custom Catcher when a deck is also playing Oranguru SSH, but in this list I decided to remove Oranguru SSH for Absol TEU.

+2 Great Catcher

It’s not ideal, but it still helps a lot. It is easy and economic to use.

+1 Vitality Band

It helps to close some math, but I think about Vitality Band even to help Knock Out an ADP. With 2 Electropower and Vitality Band, Tapu Koko V can reach 270, but in the current format, ADPZ decks are using Shrine of Punishment to do more damage, consequently dealing damage to their own Pokémon-GX.

+1 Wait and See Hammer

Undoubtedly, this is the card I’ve liked the most in PikaRom and it helped me win a League Challenge recently. Wait and See Hammer pinpoints one of the weaknesses of ADPZ perfectly, which is the beginning of the game.

ADP takes two turns to attack with Altered Creation-GX because it has nothing in the format to accelerate Energy consistently on turn one. Facing such a strong and complete deck, it is funny to see such a simple and slow start to the game.

Thanks to Professor’s Research and Volkner, it is not hard to find Wait and See Hammer and this card will net you at least one more turn in the game. The idea is not to both Full Blitz and Wait and See Hammer on T1—that is too much to ask—but it is possible to Hammer and promote Zapdos TEU to Knock Out the opponent’s Jirachi, or at least prepare for Full Blitz on the next turn, without having to discard important resources.

Mew3/Welder

-1 Mega LoPuff-GX, +1 Muk & Alolan Muk-GX

I wasn’t using Mega LoPuff-GX a lot, although I understand that it is good, so I decided to include Muk & Alolan Muk-GX instead to beat Obstagoon. As the Goons deck has seen success recently, I decided to respect it, but I believe that in the future Goons will be less and less successful. I would not go back to LoPuff because I used it seldomly. The deck has several other attacking options to cover for the lack of Jumping Balloon.

-1 Stealthy Hood, +1 Oranguru SSH

I really missed not having Oranguru SSH in this deck. It allows me to return a Welder from my hand to the top of the deck so that I can Dedechange and draw it again (in addition to saving resources throughout the game). I feel comfortable playing a single copy of Reset Stamp because if my Oranguru is in play, I always have the option to preserve it for the right time.

Theoretically the problem with using Oranguru is the Bench space, since sometimes you need 2 Jirachi in play to be able to find Welders, but in most games this wasn’t a problem. If you start the game with Jirachi or Mew3, you will have space for Oranguru on the Bench.

On top of that, I’m also afraid of decks that control an opponent’s hand. In the past we had Pidgeotto Control and now Cinccino Control decks that also leave the opponent without any actions. Oranguru SSH is a counter to these strategies, as it will always give you the option to draw something useful off the top.

-1 Reset Stamp, +1 P Energy

I felt that against Control decks, only 2 P Energies were giving me problems. If my opponent discards a P Energy with Crushing Hammer, then I only have 1 P Energy left in the entire deck. And what if my last P Energy is in my Prizes?

In addition, I realized how important it is to be able to Clear Vision-GX on T1 against ADPZ. With the 3rd P Energy, I greatly increase my chances of pulling that off.

Fire Box

1 Volcanion UNB

I like Volcanion UNB enough to play it as a 2nd Pokémon option to put Energies onto the field on turn one. If Victini V is prized, then Volcanion can substitute for it. In addition, Volcanion is a reasonable non-GX attacker, able to 1HKO Zacian V with Weakness.

Being a non-GX, it can pose problems for ADPZ regarding the Prizes. If they Knock Out a Heatran-GX and a Volcanion UNB, even with Altered Creation-GX enabled, they still need to Knock Out one more Pokémon, giving you one more turn in the game.

2 Professor’s Research

With both Victini V and Volcanion UNB, I feel comfortable using Professor’s Research early in the game. At the end of the game I also like Professor’s Research because it helps me to discard R Energy for Victini p.

A New Idea: Mew3/Fire Box

It is not a very new idea, but I believe it is a suitable deck for the current format. It is again a Mew3/Fire Box. I am still testing the deck, but I believe it has the potential to deal with ADPZ and other decks of Standard. I tried to bring together the best features of Mew3/Welder and Fire Box and the result is interesting.

Decklist

The Strategy

The idea here is to use Mew3-GX to do what Fire Box doesn’t do. Mewtwo & Mew-GX can hit 300 damage on T2, 120 on T1 while attaching 2 Energies to the Bench, and do unlimited damage. The idea of building Mew3/Fire Box didn’t seem good in the current format because I thought Latios-GX UNM was essential to contain ADPZ, but I’m trying out a new way to disrupt ADPZ: Blaziken-GX or Volcarona-GX.

1 Blaziken-GX (or Volcarona-GX)

I don’t know who to use yet, but their GX attacks discard Energy from the opponent’s Pokémon. Both Blaziken and Volcarona can remove the T1 Energy from ADP-GX in addition to a possible Energy from Zacian that was attached via Intrepid Sword or Metal Saucer.

The main difference between the two is that Volcarona-GX can evolve from Ditto p, which would allow me to use its Flaming Shot Ability as well.

Final Thoughts

With ADPZ being practically a “perfect” deck, it is very difficult to find a way to counter it. The biggest problem with finding other decks as good as ADPZ is consistency. Turn one of the game is critical, and even with the arrival of Quick Ball and Professor’s Research, the new rule harms any deck that has a slightly more complex setup. Maybe a Lapras VMAX/Frosmoth SSH deck would be amazing if the T1 setup wasn’t so bad. It has been common to see players losing games just because they couldn’t find another Basic Pokémon.

I agree that before the rule change, whoever started the game (i.e., went first) had a clear advantage, but now only ADPZ can achieve a good setup without a Supporter. All other decks suffer a lot.

If you manage to counter the ADPZ, then your chances of doing well in the tournament are high, as the deck’s popularity is increasing. And for good reason: it is strong, easy to use, and extremely consistent. And unlike Control decks that are also strong, ADPZ is a fun deck to use. As with Zoroark-GX, I believe that ADPZ will be strong for a long time and it will take a long time for it to stop being an above average deck.

That’s all, folks. I hope you enjoyed and I’ll see you soon!

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