A Summer Cookout

Howdy SixPrizes readers! How are you? I’m back again to share with you more of my studies from the Pokémon TCG. In my previous article, I shared two different decks—Water Mew3 Box and Silvally/Alolan Persian—that focus on competing directly against Tier 1 decks. Both decks incorporated unusual cards and very different strategies than are typically seen in the current format. In my article today, I want to continue with the goal of countering the best decks of the metagame, but this time I will comment on two decks which are more well known: Zacian V/Lucario & Melmetal-GX and Fire Box.

Zacian/LucaMetal-GX got my attention for theoretically having a favorable match against Dragapult VMAX and Zacian Combo, in addition to having relatively close matchups against PikaRom, Baby Blowns, and Spiritomb. Fire Box is not a meta call, but I would like to highlight the strength that the deck has had throughout the season and remember that it continues to have a unique strength and ability to compete in the current metagame with the necessary adaptations.

Fire Box: The Deck of the Big Tournaments

You may not realize it, but Fire Box is the deck with the best placements in big tournaments this season. Since Worlds 2019, Fire Box placed Top 4 @ Worlds 2019 by Tord Reklev, 1st @ LAIC 2019 by Robin Schulz, 2nd @ OCIC 2020 by Zach Lesage, and 1st @ Limitless Q2 by Masato Shimada. The deck has been strong since the beginning of the season until now because it still has the best gust effect in the game, which is Nine Temptations. Ninetales TEU gusts Pokémon from the opponent’s Bench—without the use of a Supporter—and the deck still maintains its ability to perform high damage and quick knockouts. These are qualities that regardless of the metagame will be very good.

For the current metagame, I made some adaptations, but the deck still has the same main strategy. In this version I took the “Box” concept more seriously and decided to play with the idea of having a dedicated attacker for each matchup and moment of the game. But don’t worry if Mega LoPuff-GX is prized against PikaRom—the deck has the strength to compete against any deck, even if your dedicated attacker for the matchup is stuck in your Prizes.

Decklist

Card Choices

4 Jirachi TEU

Finding Jirachi in your opening hand is amazing in a deck that depends so much on finding 1 of its 4 copies of Welder—the deck’s only Supporter—almost every turn.

1 Victini V

Victini V is who we want to attack with in the early game and it is also a good attacker against Zacian V. In general, Energy Burst does a good amount of damage for only 2 Energies.

1 Heatran-GX

It is normal to see 2 copies of Heatran-GX in Fire Box, but here I made sure to utilize Heatran-GX as a tech card as well. Hot Burn-GX is the reason Heatran is in the deck, but lately I’ve started to like Blacephalon-GX’s Burst-GX too. With two very different options for your GX attack, and both good for any matchup, I decided to play with only 1 copy of Heatran-GX (and Blacephalon-GX).

1 Blacephalon-GX

Blacephalon-GX enters the deck to perform the same function as Turtonator DRM, but with the difference of having higher HP, Bursting Burn to buy time, and the great Burst-GX attack. The bad part is that its discarded Energies go to the Lost Zone and Blacephalon-GX gives the opponent 2 Prizes when Knocked Out.

As the concept of this list is to offer a lot of options for various situations, Blacephalon-GX provides me more flexibility than Turtonator DRM. Moreover, I prefer Blacephalon-GX against Dragapult VMAX to avoid being 1HKO’d by Max Phantom.

1 Torkoal V

Torkoal V enters the deck mainly to deal with Dragapult VMAX. Steam Crush deals 120 damage and removes 2 Energies from the opponent’s Active Pokémon. Despite needing 4 Energies and two turns to energize, it is a very strong attack and can be the difference in beating Dragapult VMAX and ADP/Zacian due to the effect of removing Energies. Combustion Pillar can do 180 damage for 3 Energies, but for that Oranguru SSH will be needed to help put a R Energy on top of the deck.

Although I didn’t find space in the list, Torkoal V combines very well with Buff Padding to increase its HP to 260. Blacephalon UNB needs 6 Energies to Knock Out Torkoal V with Buff Padding.

1 Mega Lopunny & Jigglypuff-GX

Mega LoPuff-GX enters the deck to assist against PikaRom, but it also helps against any Mewtwo & Mew-GX Box deck. Puffy Smashers-GX is also not to be ignored. Although it costs 5 Energies, it is capable of hitting 200 damage on the opponent’s Bench.

1 Tapu Fini UNM

Against Baby Blowns, the deck needs Tapu Fini to play a competitive match. In addition to being an amazing attacker against Baby Blows, it is important to attack with it as soon as possible. If the opponent Knocks Out Tapu Fini, they will have to attack at least 3 more time to win the game, which guarantees us at least a four-turn game. In four turns, it is possible to beat Baby Blowns if they have at least 2 Pokémon-GX or V on the field.

1 Victini p

Victini p remains fundamental in the deck. Thanks to the Victini p, the deck can play without Energy-recovery cards like Fire Crystal and Energy Recycler. It is worth remembering that despite being very difficult, with 16 Energies in the discard, Infinity will do 320 damage and Knock Out Dragapult VMAX.

2-2 Ninetales TEU

Ninetales remains one of the main strengths of the deck. Being able to gust a Pokémon from your opponent’s Bench while you draw cards and do extra energization with Welder is a unique feature of the Fire Box. It is also easy to use this effect with 18 Energies in the deck. While other decks can play Boss’s Orders for a gust effect, they typically need to plan in advance to achieve its effect once or twice per game. Ninetales gives you the option to bring a Pokémon to Active almost every turn, beginning on turn two.

1 Oranguru SSH

One thing I have always missed in Fire Box is not being able to preserve resources. Because of this, cards like Reset Stamp were not used, as you could not preserve it until the end of the game if it came into your hand at the beginning of the game. The deck depends on using Dedenne-GX to find Welder, and unfortunately what you have in your hand will have to be discarded.

Oranguru SSH manages to save Reset Stamp from being discarded with its Primate Wisdom Ability. In addition to the Reset Stamp, I can put a Welder from my hand to the top of my deck, so I can use Dedechange knowing that I will find a Welder. It may not seem like it, but Oranguru helps a lot to get Welder every turn.

2 Pokémon Communication

I would like to add another copy of Pokémon Communication, but I didn’t find space. Fortunately, I’m not missing it that much, as the deck can handle this kind of inconsistency. You can Welder onto a Vulpix SSH and then pull the Energies with Heatran-GX’s Burning Road the next turn, or discard them with Blacephalon-GX’s Mind Blow to deal damage.

2 Scoop Up Net

To include 2 copies of Scoop Up Net I decided to remove the 3rd copy of Pokémon Communication and the 2nd Escape Board. The main function of Scoop Up Net is to free up space on the Bench for Oranguru SSH, especially when you need to bench 2 Jirachi on the field. Bench space is a problem in Fire Box, since you need Jirachi to find resources, Dedenne-GX to draw cards, and Ninetales TEU to gust your opponent’s Pokémon, in addition to your attacking Pokémon.

1 Escape Board

The ideal is still 2 copies. There is nothing better than a Jirachi TEU with Escape Board on the field.

1 Reset Stamp

Theoretically, Fire Box shouldn’t include Reset Stamp because it cannot reliably preserve resources. With Oranguru SSH, however, I decided to give Reset Stamp another chance. I really missed the Reset Stamp, especially in matchups like Baby Blowns.

Matchups

Vs. Dragapult VMAX (50/50)

Here it depends on how you start the match. If you manage to power up Torkoal V on turn two and your opponent does not use Malamar FLI, then you will have a favorable match. In addition, the deck is capable of hitting 350 damage with Heatran-GX and Blacephalon-GX. Ninetales TEU can be instrumental in gusting the opponent’s Dragapult V.

Vs. PikaRom (60/40)

I see a slight advantage for Fire Box even without the Mega LoPuff-GX, but with it the game gets even better. Even if the opponent plays around Jumping Balloon by not benching as many Pokémon-GX, it is inevitable that doing this will constrain their options.

Vs. Zacian Combo (60/40)

Zacian Combo decks do not use Metal Frying Pan, which makes it easy for Fire Box to Knock Out the opponent’s Zacian V without major problems with any Fire Pokémon-GX or V on the deck. The problem is that Zacian V is also able to Knock us Out and cheat extra Prizes with the Jirachi p. The matchup is close, but Fire Box manages to take knockouts a little easier than the Zacian Combo, and if the opponent has to use Intrepid Sword in the middle of the match to energize the Zacian V, Ninetales can easily gust it up.

Baby Blowns (50/50)

Tapu Fini UNM will keep the match even, and Reset Stamp at the end of the game can bring victory. In addition, Ninetales allows you to Knock Out Zacian V, Dedenne-GX, and Oricorio-GX at any time to draw more Prizes.

Vs. Spiritomb (40/60)

I didn’t include any techs for this match and therefore we have a little disadvantage. The match is tight and we can use Oranguru and Ninetales as attackers.

If you want to improve this matchup, we can play Ditto p + Volcarona-GX or Grimsley. You can remove Mega LoPuff-GX or a Scoop Up Net for this.

Zacian V/Lucario & Melmetal-GX: Also a Good Metacall

It took me a long time to give Zacian/LucaMetal-GX a chance and take the deck seriously. Before the arrival of Rebel Clash, ADP/Zacian always seemed to me a better deck, and after Rebel Clash the version of Zacian V with Jirachi p seemed more promising. And I think it was right in both cases.

What I realized, however, is that Zacian/LucaMetal-GX is actually a meta counter to the format, especially if the metagame you expect includes is prevalent with Dragapult VMAX and Zacian Combo. But the deck still manages to have close matchups against most other main decks of the meta.

Decklist

Card Choices

1 Lucario & Melmetal-GX

It’s funny to call this deck “Zacian/LucaMetal-GX” with just 1 copy of LucaMetal-GX. The LucaMetal-GX is a super important card in the deck, but it is still a tech card. Full Metal Wall-GX is very good and can be used on turn one or saved for the right time, depending on the matchup.

Against Dragapult VMAX, LucaMetal-GX is very good, because in addition to Full Metal Wall-GX we have Resistance to Psychic, high HP, and Mallow & Lana to heal.

Perhaps the deck needs the 2nd copy of LucaMetal-GX because it is an important piece of the deck, but the good thing about using only 1 copy is that our chances of starting the game with it are reduced. The LucaMetal-GX is a surprise card—your opponent does not know when it will show up to remove Energy. Sometimes they even forget (or don’t know) that we have it in the deck.

2 Oranguru SSH, 12 M Energy

More often than not, deck uses Intrepid Sword to set up, so I decided to use 2 Oranguru SSH and 12 Metal to improve the energization of Zacian V.

4 Marnie, 2 Reset Stamp

The concept of the deck is to delay the opponent, either by removing Energy or healing, so we see some versions of the deck playing Crushing Hammer or Super Scoop Up. Another way to delay the opponent is by making them have fewer resources in hand. Without the necessary resources in hand, they can fail an Energy attachment, fail Pokémon setup, or, even better, fail their attack for turn. Of all the options available, I prefer hand disruption because I think it is an effective way to disrupt Tier 1 decks, like Zacian Combo and Baby Blowns, and these cards consume relatively little space in the deck and they do not interfere so much with consistency.

3 Shrine of Punishment

I like Shrine of Punishment against PikaRom and think this is the most effective tech against it. I can quickly counter Thunder Mountain p and manage to do the damage I need so that Zacian V can Knock Out PikaRom-GX and ChuChu-GX in one attack.

In the Zacian Combo decks we see Hoopa UNM or Dusk Mane Necrozma SM124 to damage a TAG TEAM Pokémon, but in this deck Intrepid Sword is so important for our setup and we don’t have enough resources to find Dusk Mane Necrozma or Hoopa on turn one because we play just 4 Quick Ball to find Pokémon. If we use Intrepid Sword, we cannot attack. With Shrine of Punishment we were able to deal damage and draw cards with Intrepid Sword at the same time.

1 Power Plant

Power Plant with Reset Stamp is still a wonderful combo. During the early and mid game, use Shrine of Punishment to counter the opponent’s Stadiums. At the end of the game, put Power Plant on the field and use Reset Stamp to limit the opponent’s chances of drawing cards in the next turn.

Matchups

Vs. Dragapult VMAX (70/30)

I feel that this matchup is naturally favorable if Zacian/LucaMetal-GX runs normally. Full Metal Wall-GX will greatly reduce the damage of Dragapult VMAX and Mallow & Lana will heal the rest. The idea is to heal and reduce as much damage as possible to buy time to energize and attack our opponent.

Vs. PikaRom (60/40)

3 copies of Shrine of Punishment makes this matchup favorable. We can deal damage while using Intrepid Sword or Full Metal Wall-GX. We can also take advantage of a weakness of PikaRom, which is the fact that the deck uses only Thunder Mountain p for Stadium cards and Marshadow UNB to remove Stadiums.

Vs. Zacian Combo (60/40)

Full Metal Wall-GX prevents the opponent’s Zacian V from Knocking Out our Zacian V. This can be an advantage, but it can be a disadvantage too, as the LucaMetal-GX is a TAG TEAM Pokémon and offers 3 Prizes when Knocked Out. We also know that the Zacian Combo can cheat extra Prizes. Anyway, it depends a lot on how the game unfolds, but I see a slight advantage to the Zacian/LucaMetal-GX because its strategy is easier to achieve.

Vs. Baby Blowns (50/50)

Here the 4 Marnie + 2 Reset Stamp will be the difference to keep the matchup even. We also have Power Plant to prevent Oricorio-GX from drawing cards. In addition, Full Metal Wall-GX plus Metal Frying Pan leaves LucaMetal with “320 HP” and Zacian V with “280 HP,” causing Baby Blowns to discard 7 and 6 Energies respectively.

Vs. Spiritomb (40/60)

Here I also decided not to play any tech cards, so the game is slightly unfavorable. I believe Grismley is interesting and funny to improve the matchup.

Final Thoughts

Fire Box is an invitation to be challenged in the current format. If you don’t want to play with Tier 1 decks but want a deck that brings exciting and challenging matches, Fire Box can be that option. With many balanced matchups and dedicated cards to handle the meta, the deck will require you to make the correct moves, but at the same time it is not a very complex deck to pilot. It is a deck that I have had a lot of fun with in PTCGO, as the deck allows me to play against the wide variety of decks found in the online field.

As for Zacian/LucaMetal-GX, I see it with an interesting look at the competitive scene. With the correct metagame, the deck becomes a great option. Another great feature of the deck is that it promotes slower matches, as the deck can delay the opponent. Currently most decks are very aggressive, so I thought it would be interesting to use a deck that enforces slow-paced games.

That’s all for today, folks. I hope you enjoyed it and see you next time!

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