Temple of the Dog

Hello SixPrizes reader! How are you? I hope well!

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In a few days we have Players Cup bracket play to T64/region. I will not be able to participate, but, as I mentioned in previous articles, I have been playing almost every day during the pandemic and, when possible, I compete in smaller tournaments. Since the Limitless Online Series completed, the competitive scene has been without a big tournament, and because of that I realized that many players are unsure about what to use for the Players Cup.

My article today aims to say which are my five best decks in the format and comment on how they fare in the main metagame matchups. Today we have a lot of content, so let’s get straight to the main subject of this article!

5. Spiritomb/Ultra Beasts

Spiritomb/Ultra Beasts is a deck that emerged after the metagame was already established. If the metagame stays the way it is, then we have a great deck, but if opponents make a few changes to prepare for Spiritomb, it loses a lot of potential. In addition, it is a deck with very even matchups, without great advantages or disadvantages.

Decklist

Key Cards

1 Buzzwole FLI, 1 Nihilego LOT

Spiritomb needs other attackers because alone it will not be able to close out a match due to its low HP and limit of 4 copies. As much as you use Ordinary Rod or Lana’s Fishing Rod, you still need more attackers in the deck. That’s why we use Buzz Baby and Nihilego.

Buzzwole FLI is great against PikaRom and also serves to Knock Out Dedenne-GX, be a good attacker in the Mirror Match, and even Knock Out a Blacephalon UNB, forcing Baby Blowns to discard 3 Energies to Knock Out Buzz Baby.

Nihilego LOT I like a lot more, because its attack is unpredictable and very strong. It is strong especially for Knocking Out a Zacian V.

1 Blacephalon-GX or BuzzMosa-GX

I prefer Blacephalon-GX for a few reasons, but I see value in BuzzMosa-GX too. Both Pokémon are interesting in the deck as they have very good GX attacks that cost just 1 Energy. The advantage of Blacephalon-GX over BuzzMosa-GX is that if it is Knocked Out the opponent takes only 2 Prizes, unlike BuzzMosa-GX which yields 3 Prizes. Blacephalon-GX’s Burst-GX attack works with greater consistency, as you can use this attack at any time and thus draw (actually discard) a Prize, whereas with BuzzMosa-GX you need to Knock Out your opponent to get 2 Prizes.

In my testing, BuzzMosa-GX worked seldomly, but if you expect a lot of Spiritomb mirror matches in the Players Cup, then consider BuzzMosa-GX. Your 260 HP prevents Spiritomb from being able to Knock you Out in one attack and your Beast Game-GX attack will easily grab 2 Prizes when you Knock Out your opponent’s Spiritomb.

1 Giratina UNM

One of the techs that I’ve liked most in Spiritomb lately is Giratina UNM. Giratina solves one of the problems that most irritated me, which is the fact that Spiritomb is often harmed by Horror P Energy. Theoretically, if you have 3 damage counters on a Hustle Belted Spiritomb, the Spiritomb will be able to hit for 160, or 320 against Dragapult VMAX with Weakness. However, if you are unable to find the Hustle Belt, you are required to put 5 damage counters on Spiritomb, which means that if you attack into Horror P Energy, Spiritomb will be Knocked Out.

In addition, Giratina UNM is interesting whenever the opponent is using Special Energy. In Tier 1 of the metagame we have Spiritomb, PikaRom, and Dragapult VMAX which make use of Special Energies, but other than that we also have Mewtwo & Mew-GX decks that only use Special Energies and are difficult matches for Spiritomb.

1 Oricorio-GX

Oricorio-GX is an extremely valuable Pokémon in Baby Blowns, and without it you can be sure that the deck would not be as good. Bringing that idea to Spiritomb makes perfect sense as well, as we’re talking about another non-Pokémon-GX/V deck that gets Knocked Out practically every turn. I think the inclusion of this Pokémon in the deck is essential.

Matchups

Vs. Dragapult VMAX (50/50)

This matchup is crazy. It depends a lot on the beginning of the game for each of the decks and on the Spiritomb player to know how to play the matchup.

Avoid dropping Spiritomb on the field as Dragapult VMAX can Knock it Out on the Bench with Max Phantom. The ideal line is to play Spiritomb, use Anguish Cry, then attach Rainbow Energy and Hustle Belt, use Jynx’s Ominous Posture Ability to move another damage counter, and thus do 320 damage to Dragapult VMAX. The Dragapult VMAX deck, on the other hand, will not let you pool resources in your hand to make that move, using Reset Stamp and Marnie to disrupt your hand. But it is not an extremely complex move and it is possible to do the whole combo with a Professor’s Research.

I see the matchup as slightly favorable for Spiritomb precisely because it is possible to Knock Out a Dragapult VMAX in one attack. As much as Dragapult VMAX puts a lot of pressure on you and draws Prizes very quickly, in the end you only need to achieve two well-designed attacks on 2 Dragapult VMAX.

Vs. Zacian Combo (45/55)

While Zacian Combo can take extra Prizes, Spiritomb has the possibility to Knock Out Zacian V in one attack. I also believe that the match will be decided by whoever has the best setup, but the difference is that Zacian Combo is a more consistent deck.

Zacian can use secondary attackers like Jirachi TEU and Hoopa UNM to deal with Spiritombs, making the exchange of Prizes balanced.

The ideal world is not to play Dedenne-GX or Oricorio-GX, but they are often necessary. Spiritomb often loses this matchup because of these Pokémon-GX that give up 2 Prizes.

A card that can swing the game in Spiritomb’s favor is Black Market p. Zacian Combo lists vary a lot, but some of them don’t use Stadium cards and, because of that, Black Market p can stay on the field for the entire game. Try to play Black Market p after a Marnie or when you notice that your opponent has already used or discarded Stadium cards.

Vs. Baby Blowns (65/35)

The advantage goes to Spiritomb, but it is not a big advantage. Baby Blowns is a consistent deck and can do consecutive knockouts, so most of the time we will have balanced games where whoever who has a bad turn first loses. The tendency is for Baby Blowns to fail, since the deck (1) needs to Welder every turn and gather Energy, (2) has only 3 or 4 Baby Blowns depending on the list, and (3) does not have any cards to hinder the opponent’s hand like Reset Stamp and Marnie.

Spiritomb already has 4 copies of Marnie to make the opponent miss their move, besides being a deck with more non-GX attackers and Spiritomb naturally needs less resources to attack.

Vs. PikaRom (60/40)

As I see it, the most peaceful departure from the metagame for Spiritomb. The Shrine of Punishment works very well, Buzz Baby too, and we still have Mew UNB to prevent Pikachu & Zekrom-GX from using Tag Bolt-GX.

4. Baby Blowns

The deck is already the strongest in the format, but today it is experiencing major problems. Its strength is indisputable and the metagame had to be adapted so that this deck is not so above average. The problem is that the metagame has adapted very well to it and Baby Blowns thus stopped having the great prominence it possessed. In any case, the deck is still incredible and one of the strongest in the game today.

Decklist

Key Cards

1 Tapu Fini UNM

Baby Blowns is a very popular deck and Mirror Match is a game that will happen. The reason I use Tapu Fini is because I am sure that all of my opponents will also use this card in the deck. Whoever has Tapu Fini will have a great advantage since it is easy to energize and you can reuse it with Ordinary Rod.

0 Beast Bringer

Beast Bringer is a popular tech in Baby Blowns, but I feel that the metagame has changed and the card is being used less and less. It is still very good against ADP/Zacian, but that deck has dropped a little in popularity. In the current metagame, we only have PikaRom as a deck focused on Pokémon-GX and I believe that that matchup is already favorable for Baby Blowns.

0 Victini V

It’s an interesting tech to deal with Alolan Persian-GX and Control decks, but they’re not very popular either.

0 Victini p

Victini p is a good attacker in Mirror Match and against Spiritomb, in addition to helping against Control decks. It may be an option instead of Tapu Fini, but Tapu Fini remains a wonderful tech against the matchup that really matters, which is Mirror Match.

Matchups

Vs. Dragapult VMAX (30/70)

Dragapult VMAX has 320 HP, which means that you will have to discard 7 Energies to reach the knockout. In addition, Dragapult decks feature Marnie and Reset Stamp to prevent you from having too many cards in your hand to make a big move. In addition, Dragapult has the ability to Knock Out Jirachi TEU to disrupt your consistency.

But it is still possible to win if you are able to take two knockouts on 2 Dragapult VMAX. Do not spend too much Energy; in this matchup, resources must be saved to focus on Knocking Out Dragapult VMAX.

Vs. Zacian Combo (60/40)

Zacian Combo decks are using Tapu Fini and Hoopa UNM to get a better matchup against Baby Blowns, yet I still see a slight advantage for Baby Blowns. In general, you will still be able to Knock Out Zacian V without any problems and Zacian V will need 3 M Energies to Knock Out Baby Blowns and get just 1 Prize.

Vs. Spiritomb/Beasts (40/60)

As I said before, the matchup is slightly favorable for Spiritomb, but Baby Blowns is very consistent and capable of attacking in consecutive turns as well. Remember that the opponent uses Ultra Beasts, so Tapu Fini can be an interesting attacker if it lands on the table.

Vs. PikaRom (75/25)

The game is smooth and simple to play. The opponent is using Pokémon-GXs and Vs while you are using non-GXs and Vs with the ability to Knock Out the opponent’s Pokémon in an attack.

The only things that can get out of hand in this game are the opponent’s Tag Bolt-GX and Reset Stamps at the end of the game. Tag Bolt-GX is very difficult for the opponent to achieve, since Baby Blowns can take knockouts very fast. Reset Stamp can be a problem, but the deck is very consistent and there will be few times that Reset Stamp will actually harm you. Jirachi TEU and Oricorio-GX save you from late-game Reset Stamps.

3. PikaRom

PikaRom remains stable, taking good and bad metagame matchups. Basically, against non-GX/V decks the deck has a bad matchup, and against GX/V decks the deck does better. The deck is impressive for its speed, consistency, and high damage but suffers from relatively low HP for the current metagame.

Decklist

Key Cards

0 Tag Switch, 3 Energy Switch

I’m not a fan of Tag Switch because I end up using it very little in general. It does not contribute much to the T1 Full Blitz and throughout the game Energy Switch ends up helping me more to be able to step back or even energize a Boltund V. I understand that Tag Call’s main function is to facilitate the Tag Bolt-GX from PikaRom, but some decks still use Mew UNB, not only to prevent Tag Bolt-GX, but also to prevent the Cramorant V’s Spit Shot in Baby Blowns. It is still possible to achieve Tag Bolt-GX with 3 Energy Switch, the difference is that you will have to find 2 copies to mimic the effect of a single Tag Switch.

Matchups

Vs. Dragapult VMAX (60/40)

This is why I think PikaRom is still a good option. Of the Tier 1 decks, PikaRom has the best match against Dragapult VMAX without having to change its list. The initial pressure and high damage that the deck can put out against Dragapult is the difference in the matchup. Dragapult VMAX, on the other hand, will take a few turns to achieve the first knockout.

The idea here is to be very aggressive and not give Dragapult time. The more turns that the Dragapult has to work and spread damage on the table, the further away you are from victory.

Vs. Zacian Combo (60/40)

In my view, the advantage in the match is due to the fact that Zacian V cannot Knock Out Pikachu & Zekrom-GX in one attack, often being forced to resort to Dusk Mane Necrozma SM124 to complete the missing damage. If PikaRom manages to be aggressive, Zacian Combo will not have enough time to be able to carry out the knockouts and win the match.

Vs. Baby Blowns (25/75)

As I mentioned above, the exchange is unfavorable. In my view, the correct thing to do in this match is to energize the Pikachu & Zekrom-GX, one doing Full Blitz to energize another, then hope that the opponent does not use Mew UNB, and as soon as possible make Tag Bolt-GX with Reset Stamp and hope that the opponent is unable to Knock Out. Boltund V needs to be used on turn one of the game to do the initial energization for the first PikaRom, so you leave the Tapu Koko p to be able to energize the 2nd PikaRom to make Tag Bolt-GX.

Vs. Spiritomb (35/65)

The exchange is also unfavorable, but at least Spiritomb does not theoretically 1HKO a TAG TEAM Pokémon. Here it is possible to keep changing the attackers if the opponent does not Knock Out, then you can win extra turns.

A big problem in this match is Stadium war. Avoid playing the Stadium and save them to counter Shrine of Punishment and Black Market p.

2. Dragapult VMAX

Dragapult VMAX is a naturally strong deck and its strength alone is enough to beat most decks. You don’t need any great tech or any other Pokémon to cover any deficiency of the deck; in the current metagame, it’s very difficult to deal with HP as high as 320 and an above average attack, especially against opponents with not so high HP.

The list below is the same list used by Tord Reklev to win the Players Cup Kickoff Invitational, but with a one-card difference that I will comment on below.

Decklist

Key Cards

1 Phione CEC

With Dragapult VMAX increasing in popularity after the Players Cup Kickoff Invitational, Zacian Combo and ADP/Zacian began playing a copy of Zamazenta V. Zamazenta V is very strong in this matchup and can swing the balance of the game. Because of that, I decided to include a Phione CEC so that every time Zamazenta is in the Active Spot I can send it back to the Bench and thus be able to beat Max Phantom.

In addition, Phione CEC is a very versatile card and can be an interesting option at various times.

Matchups

Vs. Baby Blowns (70/30)

The secret here is not to rush your opponent on turn two with Dragapult VMAX. If your opponent manages to respond with an immediate knockout on Dragapult VMAX, it will be at least two turns before you can attack with Max Phantom again.

The idea here is to leave a Jirachi TEU in the Active to Stellar Wish while you search out 2 Dragapult Vs and attach an Energy to each one. On the third turn you will be ready to start attacking. Promote a Dragapult VMAX, use Marnie, and start attacking. It is even good if the opponent does Knock Out a Jirachi, Giratina, or Galarian Zigzagoon. The 1 Prize will not make a difference in the match if you manage to build 2 Dragapult VMAX. The opponent will spend Energy to do the knockout and in the future will take Reset Stamp to 2 cards instead of 3.

Vs. Spiritomb (50/50)

It is a very complicated match, but I think it will depend a lot on the quality of the Spiritomb player. It is much easier for the Dragapult VMAX player to play this game. You need to use Dragapult VMAX and Knock Out as many Spiritomb as possible. The Spiritomb player, on the other hand, needs to be very careful about what comes down on the table, in addition to preparing an appropriate combo to achieve a 1HKO.

Galarian Zigzagoon can make a difference, so save as much Scoop Up Net to use repeatedly on Galarian Zigzagoon. Avoid leaving any damage left on the opponent’s table; the more damage the opponent has to work with, the easier it will be for them to Knock you Out.

Vs. PikaRom (40/60)

If the opponent does not do the dreaded T1 Full Blitz, then we will have a balanced match. The focus is to Knock Out Pikachu & Zekrom-GX because Tag Bolt-GX is very strong in the match. Remember that Raichu & Alolan Raichu-GX easily paralyzes you with Tandem Shock, so place Escape Board on Dragapult VMAX and save Scoop Up Net to return Jirachi after retreating, that way you just practically had the effect of a Switch and will be able to attack again.

Vs. Zacian Combo (50/50)

Here I am taking into account that the Dragapult VMAX decks do not use Phione CEC and the Zacian Combo decks use Zamazenta V. The game varies a lot according to the tech cards.

I don’t like the idea of hitting Dragapult V into Zamazenta V, at least not in this version of the deck that doesn’t use Malamar FLI. The idea here is to Max Phantom as much as possible, accumulate the maximum damage on the table, and start placing the damage strategically so that you can draw 6 Prizes before the opponent. Avoid placing damage on non-GXs/Vs like Jirachi and Oranguru if not Knocking them Out, as the opponent can heal the entire damage with Scoop Up Net.

The problem here is that Zacian V can be very aggressive. If the opponent starts the game and gets lucky on the Intrepid Sword, then on turn two we will be facing Brave Blade for 230. It all depends on how long the opponent gives us to set up Dragapult VMAX.

1. Zacian Combo

For me, Zacian Combo is the best Tier 1 deck today as it manages to have even matchups against all other decks. In addition, it is a consistent deck and has the power to deal with other decks outside of Tier 1. Do not expect to have an easy match against anyone and it is a deck that requires a lot of practice to be able to extract 100% of its potential.

Decklist

Key Cards

1 Metal Frying Pan, 1 Metal Goggles

It is very difficult to define which are the best techs for the Zacian Combo, as it depends a lot on the matchups you will face. This combination would theoretically be the safest way to proceed with the deck, since you can cover a larger number of matchups. Metal Frying Pan will be good against Mirror Match, Baby Blowns, and Fire decks, while Metal Goggles will also be useful in the Mirror Match and against Dragapult VMAX.

3 Shrine of Punishment

I always found the match against PikaRom to be difficult, so I decided to include 3 Shrine of Punishment. I want to exploit the weakness of the current PikaRom lists that use only 1 Stadium. In addition, I want to have multiple Stadium cards in the deck, precisely for Thunder Mountain p or Black Market p to not be on the field for the entire game.

Matchups

Vs. Dragapult VMAX (45/55)

This version of Zacian Combo has a slight disadvantage against Dragapult VMAX because I’m not using Zamazenta V. Instead, I’m using Metal Goggles and Metal Frying Pan.

Metal Goggles is another tech against Dragapult VMAX, but it doesn’t work as well as Zamazenta V. The ideal is to find this Tool as soon as possible, but also the game can be decided at the beginning of the game, while Zacian V manages to Knock Out a Dragapult V in one attack.

Do not focus so much on making the Combo (Oranguru SSH + Mr. Mime DET + Jirachi p). In this matchup, you will already draw a lot of Prizes if you manage to Knock Out Dragapult VMAX.

Use Scoop Up Net to remove your non-Pokémon-GX/V from the table and force your opponent to Knock Out only Pokémon with high HP.

Vs. Baby Blowns (50/50)

The match gets a little better with Metal Frying Pan, as you force your opponent to discard 5 Energies to Knock Out a Zacian V. It’s still not that difficult for them, but it helps. In addition we have Tapu Fini to help.

Do the Combo as much as you can and save Great Catcher to Knock Out Oricorio.

Great Catcher @ Oricorio + Marnie + Zacian V with Frying Pan is a good move. Since Baby Blowns does not use Marnie or Reset Stamp, it is possible to build up to this move.

Vs. Spiritomb (50/50)

Another matchup where Metal Goggles and Metal Frying Pan can save you from an opponent’s knockout. Here it is also important to do the Combo as many times as possible and remember that Jirachi TEU and Tapu Fini UNM are also good attackers. Be mindful of the Prize count. Try to use 3 non-GX attackers and 2 Zacian V as attackers, so your opponent will need to Knock Out 5 Pokémon to win the game.

Vs. PikaRom (60/40)

I was not comfortable having to attack with Dusk Mane Necrozma SM124 or Hoopa UNM to make up the difference in damage on a Pikachu & Zekrom-GX or Raichu & Alolan Raichu-GX. Instead I decided to invest in 3 Shrine of Punishment.

When you attack with Dusk Mane Necrozma, you are no longer using Intrepid Sword; that is, you are no longer drawing extra cards or accelerating Energy. Shrine of Punishment deals the damage I need and I can still use Intrepid Sword. Remember that PikaRom uses few Stadiums, so Shrine is even better against it.

Final Thoughts

For everyone who is going to play in the Players Cup or is playing competitive Pokémon TCG, here is my analysis and preference for the main decks of the current format. Personally speaking, I’m really enjoying the game, with very different decks, with completely different strategies. It is a diversity that we have seen little of in the history of Pokémon TCG.

We have Pokémon-GX, TAG TEAM, V, VMAX, and non-Pokémon-GX. We have a deck focused on doing great damage, decks focused on spreading damage, and a deck focused on nabbing extra Prizes. Games are getting shorter too, with these decks adapting to the traditional Best of 3 format in 50 minutes.

I also see this current format as a great learning experience as it pushes players out of their comfort zone to learn new strategies. I believe that anyone who plays Pokémon TCG is already used to leaving their comfort zone, because in addition to the metagame changing almost weekly, every three months we have a new collection coming.

Anyway, it’s time to explore this wonderful game that is Pokémon TCG. The pandemic is there, but the game is in a great moment. I believe that the next collection will bring even more news and we will have a metagame more focused on Pokémon VMAX and less and less on Pokémon-GX.

I am already doing some testing with the new collection (Darkness Ablaze) and I hope to bring news about my studies very soon. I want to bring decks not only with the new collection, but adapted for the rotation, so they will be decks in the format from Team Up onwards.

That’s all, folks. That’s it for today and until next time!

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