Hello SixPrizes readers, I hope you’re all doing well. As for me, I don’t think I’ve been this excited to play or write about Pokémon in a long time! After transforming into a grimy gamer for the last weekend, I’ve emerged from my basement with many strong, excited feelings about the Ultra Prism through Darkness Ablaze (UPR–DAA) format.
indiegogo.comLike so many of you, I’m excited to be playing in the POG Championship a week from now. While nothing will fully replace Worlds for me, I’m still thrilled to have a tournament with high stakes to play in from home.
Today, I’ll be covering my thoughts on the format and the new set, all the decks I want to work on more, two versions of Eternatus, and finally, my favorite deck for the POG Championship. Let’s hop in!
“Radiating Heat:” Hot Thoughts on the POG Format (UPR–DAA)
Vikavolt V feels like the BDIF, but not the deck that will win the event.
Thought 1:So far, in watching and playing, the more aggressive build of Vikavolt V feels like the best deck in the format. Vikavolt V’s Paralyzing Bolt is of course reminiscent of Seismitoad-EX’s Quaking Punch, and the effect on the format has felt the same. Item lock so severely cripples the consistency of many decks by simply limiting cards like Quick Ball, Acro Bike, Escape Board, and Switch, forcing players to reinvent their decks.
Where Vikavolt V differs from Seismitoad-EX, however, is its support. Our new favorite bug can exploit Electropower, Tapu Koko p, and Thunder Mountain p to 1-shot smaller Pokémon, like Jirachi TEU or Rowlet DAA, or reach for bigger 2-shot KOs on Pokémon VMAX. The best way of describing Vikavolt V’s dominance is that it has an indescribable X factor, similar to Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX/Zacian V (ADP-GX/Zacian V for short) in the UPR–SSH format. Both decks would play against decks that are specifically meant to beat them, and it simply doesn’t matter because ADP-GX/Zacian V would finish a game in two turns, or Vikavolt V can Marnie them into 4 Items, and Paralyzing Bolt them out of the game. Both decks have so many routes of play in every given matchup, too—do you go for aggressive back-to-back Super Zap Cannons, or slowly brick them with Paralyzing Bolt? The options for this deck feel limitless.
As for lists to begin with, I think that the Mareep builds are simply inferior to the more aggressive, straightforward Vikavolt V lists that have been created by players like Azul Garcia Griego. Here’s the list that I’ve been using for testing, and that he played in PokeX’s Tag Bolt event on Saturday:
Pokémon (15) 1 Crobat V | Trainer (33) 4 Marnie
4 Switch
| Energy (12) 8 L 4 Speed L
|
****** Pokémon Trading Card Game Deck List ******
##Pokémon - 15
* 4 Jirachi TEU 99
* 4 Vikavolt V DAA 60
* 1 Absol TEU 88
* 1 Crobat V DAA 104
* 1 Dedenne-GX UNB 195
* 1 Eldegoss V RCL 19
* 1 Marshadow UNB 81
* 1 Oricorio-GX CEC 95
* 1 Tapu Koko p TEU 51
##Trainer Cards - 33
* 1 Thunder Mountain p LOT 191
* 2 Escape Board UPR 167
* 1 Great Catcher CEC 264
* 4 Switch SUM 160
* 4 Marnie SSH 200
* 3 Boss’s Orders RCL 189
* 4 Turbo Patch DAA 172
* 4 Professor’s Research SSH 201
* 4 Electropower LOT 172
* 4 Quick Ball SSH 216
* 1 Reset Stamp UNM 253
* 1 Counter Gain LOT 230
##Energy - 12
* 4 Speed L Energy RCL 173
* 8 L Energy SWSHEnergy 4
Total Cards - 60
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Azul mentioned on his stream that he isn’t sure about the Counter Gain, and I’m not sure about that either. Essentially, This list aims to consistently hit a turn one (going second, of course) Paralyzing Bolt, and then rush down any threats with Super Zap Cannon and Electropower. It’s straightforward, simple, and extremely effective.
So, with all of this being said, why don’t I think Vikavolt V will win the tournament? I think many players will expect this build (especially since it’s already been widely played in the few tournaments we’ve had so far) and prepare their decks in advance for it. For as powerful as Item lock is, it’s not invincible, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a deck that can out-speed (or wall out) Vikavolt V taking down the tournament.
Thought 2: Eternatus is not the (Dread) End-all be-all.
Don’t let the cringeworthy pun mislead you—Eternatus VMAX is still one of the best decks in UPR–DAA. Despite this, it’s not the overwhelming best deck, like some expected it to be. After some reflection on the deck, I think I’ve figured out why Eternatus VMAX hasn’t really lived up to the hefty expectations placed on its shoulders.
When most read Eternatus VMAX and Crobat V for the first time, the first connotation was M Rayquaza-EX ROS 76 and Shaymin-EX ROS. M Rayquaza-EX was infamous for abusing Double Colorless Energy, Mega Turbo, Sky Field, and Rayquaza Spirit Link, all in order to hit for 240 damage on its first turn of the game. Applying this expectation to Eternatus VMAX, however, is fallacious thinking. Crobat V’s limitation of only being used once per turn severely hurts the aggression of Eternatus VMAX. Instead, the proper way to think of Eternatus VMAX is more like Dragapult VMAX. It’s a 2-Energy attacker that aims to overwhelm your opponent (albeit in different ways from Dragapult VMAX), but it lacks the simple consistency engine that Dragapult VMAX could exploit, which included Jirachi, Scoop Up Net, and Mysterious Treasure. Dragapult VMAX only needed 2 Energy and a Stage 1 Evolution, while Eternatus VMAX needed all of that and eight additional Bench spaces. It’s a great deck and a powerful concept, but many of the initial builds of the deck have been far too aggressive for their own good, leading to underwhelming results. Eternatus VMAX needs to be fundamentally rethought before it can see success.
Thought 3: Mad Party is a real threat.
I have to again give credit to Azul for this one, but watching the list (to my knowledge) originally created by Daniel Altavilla has convinced me that Mad Party is a bonafide threat for UPR–DAA. The deck has its difficulties, to be sure—a fully-powered Altered Creation-GX or quick Paralyzing Bolt is scary—but it has undeniable firepower, too. Here’s the list Azul showcased on stream:
Pokémon (23) 1 Crobat V | Trainer (31) 2 Hapu
| Energy (6) 4 Twin
|
****** Pokémon Trading Card Game Deck List ******
##Pokémon - 23
* 1 Sinistea DAA 82
* 4 Polteageist DAA 83
* 4 Bunnelby DAA 150
* 4 Dedenne DAA 78
* 4 Galarian Mr. Rime DAA 36
* 2 Dedenne-GX UNB 195
* 2 Duskull CEC 83
* 1 Crobat V DAA 104
* 1 Marshadow UNB 81
##Trainer Cards - 31
* 4 Mysterious Treasure FLI 145
* 2 Hapu UNM 200
* 2 Boss’s Orders RCL 189
* 2 U-Turn Board UNM 255
* 4 Acro Bike CES 123
* 4 Quick Ball SSH 216
* 4 Professor’s Research SSH 201
* 1 Great Catcher CEC 264
* 2 Rose Tower DAA 169
* 4 Great Ball SSH 164
* 2 Evolution Incense SSH 163
##Energy - 6
* 4 Twin Energy RCL 209
* 2 Triple Acceleration Energy UNB 234
Total Cards - 60
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I’m not sure I have deeper thoughts about this list. There’s a few cool combos; Duskull CEC and Rose Tower is cute, and the 1-4 Polteageist line is certainly unique. My main point in saying all this is that Mad Party can convincingly hit for 180+ on their first turn, and that kind of aggression needs to be respected. I’d be lying if the deck didn’t feel a little run-hot sometimes, but it’s still more legitimate than I expected.
A Bolt of Analysis Paralysis in UPR–DAA (i.e., All the Decks I Want to Work On More)
Since Darkness Ablaze has only been out on PTCGO since Friday, my time with the format itself has been somewhat limited. There’s still at least five decks I want to try out. I’ll throw in some lists that I’ve found so far for these decks, but I haven’t had enough playtesting to know if they’re actually good yet. A few decks haven’t made their way into this list (Turbo Boltund V with Turbo Patch, for example) because I have nothing to really write about them besides “that sounds fun!”
Before I get into this section, I’d like to point you all toward this wonderful video from Omnipoke, which goes over his top ten decks in UPR–DAA:
My feelings about Control variants and ADP-GX/Zacian V are summed up pretty well in his video. To summarize his thoughts here:
- Control needs to adapt to Vikavolt V, either through Delcatty CES and tons of Supporters or a more aggressive, mill-based approach.
- ADP-GX/Zacian V gains Crobat V and Turbo Patch, making the already-scary turn two Altered Creation-GX even more consistent.
Enough on the old kings of the UPR–SSH format! Let’s talk about new, exciting decks.
Welder Variants
There are two Welder variants in the format right now, with the Fire Box being the first. This deck was initially put on my radar by Andrew Mahone on Twitter:
My favorite post rotation deck so far! Ran the tables today against ADP and Eternatus pic.twitter.com/LbZfmZugGR
Essentially, you can hit for 350 on the second turn with Flare Starter, Welder, and Turbo Patch. Quick tip: If this is the play you’re going for, don’t attach all 3 Energy to 1 Pokémon (like Heatran-GX) unless you’re virtually certain it won’t be Knocked Out. If there’s any risk of a Boss’s Orders being used on your attacker for a KO on your opponent’s turn, bench 3 Pokémon and attach 1 Energy to each of them with Flare Starter. That way, even if one Pokémon is Knocked Out, you can take advantage of Heatran-GX’s Burning Road Ability to move all the Energy and hit for 350 damage (with a Turbo Patch heads, of course).
The next problem, of course, is how you close out the game. Cheap attackers like Dubwool V, Volcanion UNB, Victini V, and the heavy Pokémon Catcher count means that you can target down two more smaller Pokémon, like a Crobat V and a Galarian Zigzagoon.
The second Welder deck in the format is Centiskorch VMAX. There’s a few different ways to consider playing the deck. One popular idea is to make the Centiskorch VMAX as large as possible with Heat R Energy, Big Charm, and healing cards like Hyper Potion and Mallow & Lana. This idea seems good in theory, but so many cards can hit for so much damage that the healing starts to feel like it’s irrelevant when Ceniskorch VMAX would be forced to 3-shot an opposing VMAX (due to Hyper Potion limiting your damage output). For example, imagine Eternatus VMAX does 270 damage. In order to not be 2-shot the next turn, you would need to heal more than 220 damage. Even if you drop Mallow & Lana and Hyper Potion and attack, then your opponent can simply drop two Galarian Zigzagoon (or play a Scoop Up Net) and wipe out all of your progress. I think this version of deck is good against things like Control and Vikavolt V, but it struggles with the high damage output of the ADP-GX/Zacian V and Eternatus VMAX decks.
Alternatively, you could go for a more aggressive approach with Centiskorch VMAX, which seems like the better of the two variants. It has the bulk and snowball power to roll Vikavolt V, and can match pace with the bigger attackers of the format. You can also play Turtonator DRM, which can rip through a VMAX if they fail to take a knockout on your Centiskorch VMAX and serve as a solid attacker. It’s another card that benefits from Turbo Patch, and you can include the Heatran-GX engine to take huge knockouts. Finally, this goes for all Welder variants, but Ninetales TEU is a great option to circumvent the hassle of trying to play both Boss’s Orders and Welder in a turn.
I don’t have a list for either Centiskorch VMAX or Fire Box yet—no variant has popped out to me as an especially powerful list just yet, except for Mahone’s list. One thing I haven’t seen in lists yet is Torkoal V. I think with so many two-attachment decks (here’s looking at you, Vikavolt V and Eternatus VMAX), discarding 2 Energy could be a really valuable asset, and you can power it up in one turn thanks to Turbo Patch. That aside, I’ll be watching the Sunday Open Twitter and the PokeX Discord for potential lists, to see what’s succeeding.
Lucario & Melmetal-GX/Zacian V
This deck, historically, has been extremely divisive—some feel that it’s a great deck, with favorable matchups against many meta decks, while others feel that it’s not even worth thinking about. I fall somewhere in the middle of these two camps—I think the deck is fine, but the deck gets better with Turbo Patch and more VMAX decks pushing out the TAG TEAM Pokémon-GX that made things hard for Lucario & Melmetal-GX. You can reduce Vikavolt V’s Paralyzing Bolt damage to zero, force 2-shots from Eternatus VMAX thanks to Metal Goggles (which conveniently stops Galarian Zigzagoon) and Full Metal Wall-GX. Worried about Welder decks? Cancel out Weakness with Metal Frying Pan. Baby Blacephelon was a previously awful matchup, but fades a bit more into the background with Vikavolt V gaining popularity. Bird Keeper allows for more back-to-back Brave Blade turns. There’s a ton of things to be excited about when it comes to this often-maligned archetype! Is the deck susceptible to Tool Scrapper? Sure, but most people aren’t playing the card right now. There’s a ton of ways to play the deck, but here’s a list I feel okay with:
Pokémon (11) 3 Zacian V | Trainer (38) 2 Marnie
4 Switch
| Energy (11) 11 M
|
****** Pokémon Trading Card Game Deck List ******
##Pokémon - 11
* 3 Jirachi TEU 99
* 3 Zacian V SSH 138
* 2 Lucario & Melmetal-GX UNB 120
* 1 Dedenne-GX UNB 57
* 1 Eldegoss V RCL 19
* 1 Zamazenta V SSH 139
##Trainer Cards - 38
* 4 Metal Saucer SSH 170
* 4 Crushing Hammer SSH 159
* 2 Metal Frying Pan FLI 112
* 2 Mallow & Lana CEC 198
* 2 Boss’s Orders RCL 154
* 1 Chaotic Swell CEC 187
* 4 Quick Ball SSH 179
* 2 Escape Board UPR 122
* 3 Turbo Patch DAA 172
* 4 Professor’s Research SSH 178
* 2 Metal Goggles TEU 148
* 1 Bird Keeper DAA 159
* 2 Marnie SSH 169
* 1 Reset Stamp UNM 206
* 4 Switch SSH 183
##Energy - 11
* 11 M Energy SWSHEnergy 8
Total Cards - 60
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For full disclosure, this list is mostly theoretical. I still have a have a vision for most of the matchups, but I’m sure there’s optimizing to be done. The 2-2 split of Metal Goggles and Metal Frying Pan feels a little precarious, but both have their uses. I could certainly see cutting the Metal Goggles and playing a 2nd Zamazenta V and a 3rd Metal Frying Pan. Another thing to consider would be cutting the Crushing Hammers, as that would make space for more consistency cards. The Crushing Hammers are certainly cute with Zamazenta V’s Assault Tackle, as they can effectively wipe an Eternatus VMAX of Energy if they have a Hiding D Energy or a Capture Energy attached.
I would encourage you to try playing at least a few games with the deck. Full Metal Wall-GX is an extremely powerful attack because of guaranteed Energy discard and the relatively few damage buffs (outside of Electropower) in format, and Zacian V’s attacking prowess is fairly self-explanatory. Beyond this, many games can be won through relatively linear gameplay of Full Metal Wall-GX and powering up Zacian V. With a more optimized list, I think this deck could be a sleeper pick for POG.
Sableye V/Roxie
We now come to one of the decks I’m most excited to try out this coming week. Here’s a reference list from Chip Richey’s stream:
Pokémon (20) 1 Mew UNB | Trainer (30) 4 Roxie
3 Switch
| Energy (10) 10 D
|
****** Pokémon Trading Card Game Deck List ******
##Pokémon - 20
* 4 Koffing CEC 76
* 4 Weezing CEC 77
* 4 Jirachi TEU 99
* 4 Sableye V SSH 120
* 2 Galarian Zigzagoon SSH 117
* 1 Mew UNB 76
* 1 Oricorio-GX CEC 95
##Trainer Cards - 30
* 4 Roxie CEC 205
* 3 Bird Keeper DAA 159
* 4 Turbo Patch DAA 172
* 4 Quick Ball SSH 179
* 2 Great Catcher CEC 192
* 3 Switch BCR 135
* 4 Mysterious Treasure FLI 113
* 1 Ordinary Rod SSH 171
* 4 Scoop Up Net RCL 165
* 1 Escape Board UPR 122
##Energy - 10
* 10 D Energy Energy 7
Total Cards - 60
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This deck makes me excited to play more Pokémon. Essentially, you aim to spread damage counters with Mew, Roxie, and Galarian Zigzagoon and then take large knockouts with Yveltal-GX and Sableye V’s Crazy Claws. One key number to keep in mind is that you’ll usually need 5 damage counters to 1-shot a Pokémon VMAX with Sableye V, totaling 360 damage total. A few cards to consider:
- Spell Tag could be good with the Mew in the early game to spread even more damage counters.
- Yveltal TEU is good for slowing down the opponent and adding some damage counters.
- Tool Scrapper because Stealthy Hood shuts this deck hard. I wouldn’t be surprised if players started adding this card into their decks to stop Galarian Zigzagoon or even Mareep LOT 75.
This is another extremely linear deck, but a fun one nonetheless. Spread a ton of damage, hit heads, and you’re in business against bigger VMAX decks. 1-Prize decks with more than 40–60 HP (hi, Mad Party) can handle the deck pretty well, but luckily Vikavolt V and ADP-GX should be able to keep those decks in check. Lode Search is also a really great attack, and smoothes over slower matchups.
Eternatus VMAX Two Ways
Just because this deck isn’t the undisputed BDIF, it’s still a major threat for the POG Championship and one of my most tested decks so far. I’ve got two lists to share with you all, splitting my options between two different Scoop-based cards (A bad omen? Who knows.).
Scoop Up Net
w/Pokémon (19) 4 Crobat V | Trainer (30) 4 Cynthia
| Energy (11) 4 D 4 Hiding D 3 Capture
|
****** Pokémon Trading Card Game Deck List ******
##Pokémon - 19
* 4 Eternatus V DAA 116
* 4 Eternatus VMAX DAA 117
* 4 Crobat V DAA 104
* 4 Galarian Zigzagoon SSH 117
* 1 Alolan Meowth LOT 118
* 1 Hoopa UNM 140
* 1 Yveltal-GX FLI 137
##Trainer Cards - 30
* 4 Great Ball BCR 129
* 4 Quick Ball SSH 179
* 4 Cynthia UPR 119
* 3 Air Balloon SSH 156
* 1 Black Market p TEU 134
* 4 Scoop Up Net RCL 165
* 2 Reset Stamp UNM 206
* 4 Professor’s Research SSH 178
* 4 Boss’s Orders RCL 154
##Energy - 11
* 3 Capture Energy RCL 171
* 4 D Energy SWSHEnergy 7
* 4 Hiding D Energy DAA 175
Total Cards - 60
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This is where most people, including myself, started with Eternatus VMAX. Throughout this season, we’ve seen Yveltal-GX in a number of decks to help take down the large 3-Prize decks that have come to dominate the format, and now the bacon bird has joined the dark side as a cheap attacker. That’s essentially the main reasoning for playing Scoop Up Net—it allows you to have a little extra mobility, but mostly allows for a 1-Energy threat that you can pull out at any time. It also provides a real GX attack for the deck to realistically use, and helps clear out pesky walls like Zamazenta V.
Thinking back to what I said earlier—this is NOT M Rayquaza-EX. Yes, you try to get 8 Pokémon in play by your second turn, but it’s a far more methodical deck. You aim to rush your opponent down on the second turn, far more often end up poking with Alolan Meowth LOT or Hoopa UNM and then taking two quick KOs with Eternatus VMAX and Yveltal-GX. If there’s something I’ve learned about Eternatus VMAX, it’s that you need to build the deck for maximum consistency and worry about the techs later, and that’s why you see relatively few tech cards in this deck.
Super Scoop Up
w/Pokémon (18) 4 Crobat V | Trainer (31) 3 Cynthia
| Energy (11) 8 D 3 Capture
|
****** Pokémon Trading Card Game Deck List ******
##Pokémon - 18
* 4 Eternatus V DAA 116
* 4 Eternatus VMAX DAA 117
* 2 Sneasel UPR 73
* 2 Weavile-GX UNM 132
* 4 Crobat V DAA 104
* 2 Galarian Zigzagoon SSH 117
##Trainer Cards - 31
* 4 Great Ball BCR 129
* 3 Acro Bike PRC 122
* 4 Super Scoop Up FFI 100
* 1 Bird Keeper DAA 159
* 4 Quick Ball SSH 179
* 3 Cynthia UPR 119
* 2 Air Balloon SSH 156
* 2 Reset Stamp UNM 206
* 4 Professor’s Research SSH 178
* 4 Boss’s Orders RCL 154
##Energy - 11
* 3 Capture Energy RCL 171
* 8 D Energy SWSHEnergy 7
Total Cards - 60
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This is a bit more of a spicy build, but trust me when I say nothing feels better than moving your D Energy to a Benched Eternatus V, hitting heads on Super Scoop Up, and healing over 200 damage on your already-beefy 340-HP Pokémon VMAX. This deck gives up some flexibility against other cards, like Zamazenta V or Decidueye DAA, but it offers the closest thing to viable healing for this deck (please, TPCi—if you’re reading, leave Max Potion out of the next few sets). Beyond that, this deck is somehow even more linear than the last build. You hit for as much damage as possible, heal whenever they attack you, and try to plow through 6 Prizes as fast as possible.
Card Considerations for Both Variants
I’m going to group these together for both decks, because the decks themselves are fairly similar. Make sure any changes you add make sense with the variant; Darkrai DAA, for example, should only go into a variant where you can move Energy to it easily. Also, you should only add techs cards if you have a consistency engine you’re happy with. Eternatus VMAX may not be the king of the format, but consistency certainly is.
Ariados DAA
I have to admit, I found this card simply by looking through all of the Dark-type cards in Standard, and I was impressed by the card. Reminiscent of Lycanroc-GX GRI and Luxray GL LV.X, this card can essentially allow you to play two Supporters in one turn. The downside of this card? You have to find another Evolution, and devoting slots to another Stage 1 feels sketchy.
Hoopa DAA, Darkrai DAA, Weavile UPR
These are attackers to deal with Decidueye DAA. The latter two should only go into the second variant.
Turbo Patch
I likened Eternatus VMAX to Dragapult VMAX, but Dragapult VMAX has Malamar FLI to help handle cards like Team Yell Grunt and Crushing Hammer. This is difficult to deal with if you can only attach 1 Energy per turn. Therefore, if you want to safeguard yourself against these cards, play a few copies of Turbo Patch. Something cute can be done in conjunction with Weavile-GX, where you can hit heads on a Turbo Patch, and move it to your Active Eternatus VMAX, effectively getting rid of the only non-flip caveat on Turbo Patch. If you play this card, you should probably play at least 7 basic Energies with it.
Bird Keeper
More or anyThis card is great! I don’t want to underplay its power in this article—the card is great against Vikavolt V, has synergy with Jirachi, and helps supplement the mobility and draw support of any deck it’s included in. As of right now, I’m not certain how much Eternatus VMAX actually needs this card, seeing as the deck always wants to draw into a ton of cards. I like it in concept, though, so if you can make the deck consistent enough, it’ll be worth the spots.
Tool Scrapper
I wouldn’t be surprised if Stealthy Hood found its way into lists because of the prevalence of Galarian Zigzagoon. Cape of Toughness is a pain to deal with too, sometimes, especially in the early game. This card seems especially good in the Scoop Up Net iteration of the deck.
A Crash Course in Sol Burst: How, Now, to Play Ultimate Mewtwo
Finally, we come to the closest thing I’ve had to a pet deck through this entire season. If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I played this deck to a first place finish in the UPR–RCL format FlowTK Charity Invitational last week:
sitting in WINNERS SIDE of GRAND FINALS in the @FlowTK1 @MaxFlowTKast charity invitational tournament! Had a ton of super close games against some of my favorite players. Played this insane ultimate Mewtwo list I've been grinding with, gonna take it down tomorrow :) pic.twitter.com/Yopa3DnEXH
— Emery (@Roarchomp) August 8, 2020
I came upon the deck essentially by finding attackers that countered every attacker in the four most popular decks (Dragapult VMAX, Pikachu & Zekrom-GX, ADP-GX/Zacian V, and Baby Blacephelon). That approach has not changed for the UPR–DAA format, but the attackers and support have! Let’s take a look:
Pokémon (18) 1 Crobat V | Trainer (32)
4 Switch 1 Tag Call
| Energy (10) 4 Aurora 4 Rainbow 1 Unit FDY
|
****** Pokémon Trading Card Game Deck List ******
##Pokémon - 18
* 3 Dedenne-GX UNB 195
* 3 Mewtwo & Mew-GX UNM 71
* 2 Solgaleo-GX SUM 89
* 1 Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX CEC 156
* 1 Crobat V DAA 104
* 1 Eldegoss V RCL 19
* 1 Falinks V RCL 110
* 1 Flygon-GX CEC 110
* 1 Greninja & Zoroark-GX UNB 107
* 1 Greninja-GX PR-SM 197
* 1 Magikarp & Wailord-GX PR-SM 166
* 1 Regirock V SSH 104
* 1 Xerneas p LOT 144
##Trainer Cards - 32
* 4 Cherish Ball UNM 191
* 1 Stealthy Hood UNB 186
* 1 Evolution Incense SSH 163
* 1 Mallow & Lana CEC 198
* 2 Chaotic Swell CEC 187
* 2 Bird Keeper DAA 159
* 4 Quick Ball SSH 179
* 1 Tool Scrapper RCL 168
* 1 Air Balloon SSH 156
* 1 Reset Stamp UNM 206
* 1 Guzma & Hala CEC 193
* 4 Professor’s Research SSH 178
* 1 Tag Call CEC 206
* 1 Big Charm SSH 158
* 3 Boss’s Orders RCL 154
* 4 Switch SSH 183
##Energy - 10
* 1 Unit Energy GRW UPR 137
* 1 Unit Energy FDY FLI 118
* 4 Aurora Energy SSH 186
* 4 Rainbow Energy BKT 152
Total Cards - 60
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Cards changed from UPR–RCL format:
- -1 Unit Energy FDY, +1 Unit Energy GRW
- -1 Marshadow & Machamp-GX, -1 Mega Sableye & Tyranitar-GX, +1 Regirock V, +1 Falinks V
- -1 Reset Stamp, -2 Marnie, +1 Boss’s Orders, +2 Bird Keeper
- -1 Vileplume-GX, +1 Greninja-GX SM197
- -1 Cryogonal UNM, +1 Crobat V
- -1 Tag Call, +1 Magikarp & Wailord-GX
This deck is not complicated. I’m going to run through the most expected matchups and how they should be played.
Matchups
Eternatus VMAX
Go first (as they cannot hurt you in a meaningful way turn two), then go for Sol Burst-GX turn two and attach 3 Energy to a Falinks V, and two to a Regirock V (or vice versa—the order of attackers does not matter). Try not to start another TAG TEAM Pokémon-GX other than Mewtwo & Mew-GX—if you do, attach Big Charm or Stealthy Hood (to stop Galarian Zigzagoon ping damage) to it. Next, blow through every attacker they throw at you, and try to finish the game ASAP. You will need to attach another Energy to the other Pokémon V you attached 2 Energy to initially. This is fine. I used to use Marshadow & Machamp-GX for Pikachu & Zekrom-GX, and initially tried using Stonjourner VMAX in here as a beefier alternative, but then I realized it was way too easy for Eternatus VMAX to Doom Count-GX or blow through a board of two 3-Prize attackers. Thus, we force a 7-Prize game and create a third attacker for them to go through.
Centiskorch VMAX
Go second, Sol Burst-GX, and attach 5 Energy to Magikarp & Wailord-GX. Congrats, you did it! (P.S. Greninja & Zoroark-GX is great to copy with Mewtwo & Mew-GX if they fail to immediately Knock it Out following Sol Burst-GX.)
Control
Go first, attach Energy until you can copy Altered Creation-GX, and then attack three times to try and win the game. If they play Articuno-GX, sometimes it’s more correct to Sol Burst-GX and power up two attackers, but normally, you can power up two attackers manually and copy Greninja-GX or Greninja & Zoroark-GX’s attacks. Be aware of your Eldegoss V, switching outs, and Boss’s Orders.
Vikavolt V
Be careful of your Bird Keeper, Mallow & Lana, Eldegoss V, and Energy count. Go second, Sol Burst-GX. I tend to go for 1 F Pokémon V and 3 Energy on the Active Mewtwo & Mew-GX, but you can also split Energy amongst 2 Pokémon V and the Mewtwo & Mew-GX. Always try to 1-shot, if possible. Chaotic Swell is very good in this matchup early on. A Wobbuffet LOT could be good in this matchup, but I’d rather rush them down.
ADP-GX/Zacian V
Go second, Sol Burst-GX, split Energy three/three on a Benched Mewtwo & Mew-GX and the Active one. KO their ADP-GX with Xerneas p (using its Ability), then wipe out their Zacian V as they’re powered up. Be conscious that they can win in two turns if they can 1-shot a TAG TEAM GX after KOing Xerneas p.
Decidueye
Go first, Altered Creation-GX, then copy Greninja-GX’s Mist Slash to 1-shot all of their Pokémon. If they play a TAG TEAM GX, like Rowlet & Alolan Exeggutor-GX, attach again and use Flygon-GX’s Desert Hurricane for 270 damage.
Card Considerations
As with any toolbox deck of this style, it’s critical to constantly evaluate the worth of each card in the deck. The nice thing is that you’re virtually unlimited in options! If you’re thinking of trying any of these cuts out, the most cuttable cards in my mind are:
- Greninja-GX,
- the 2nd Bird Keeper,
- Tool Scrapper, and
- the 3rd Boss’s Orders.
Here’s a few cards or combos that could conceivably find their way into my list for POG:
Reset Stamp, 1–2 Marnie
2ndThis is a package I played in my Rebel Clash list for Baby Blacephelon, mostly. You would combo this disruption with Altered Creation-GX, then go for Item lock with Cryogonal UNM, hitting their attackers for 80 damage and taking 2 Prizes for every KO, all while they floundered to find the Energy to take a knockout because of Item lock. In other cases, the disruption package was nice to get a turn back sometimes, when you miss the Sol Burst-GX turn two, or you’re just playing someone drawing well. In all honesty, the 2nd Reset Stamp has a more realistic chance of getting into my list. Some people after testing my UPR–RCL list told me they loved the Marnie count, so it’s something worth mentioning.
Cryogonal UNM
1If Vikavolt V has taught us anything, it’s that Item lock is good. Cryogonal can hit for 40 damage after an Altered Creation-GX and is a solid lead Pokémon if you can’t hit the Sol Burst-GX. It’s also pretty solid against certain Control variants, and will beat Baby Blacephelon, if you’re worried about that matchup.
Mallow & Lana, 2nd Tag Call
2ndThese are both cards that have waffled in and out of my lists, for both UPR–RCL and UPR–DAA. It’s hard for me to justify these when so much of the format is centered on 1HKOs, but Mallow & Lana still has utility in the Vikavolt V and Centiskorch VMAX matchup, so one copy remains. Tag Call just feels underwhelming all the time with two copies, but works in niche situations, so that’s why I opted to only play one.
Jirachi-GX
1If Galaxy Mewtwo pops up more, this card makes the matchup much more favorable, in addition to Stealthy Hood blocking Galarian Zigzagoon ping damage. I may or might not have included this card because I’ve lost to Galaxy Mewtwo for something like six straight games in UPR–RCL tournaments this weekend. Just a thought.
Conclusion
You may have noticed a theme across these decks: each one of them has a specific goal, and is fairly straightforward in that goal. Honestly, I’ve really enjoyed that straightforward nature of this format! It feels like you’re working toward a specific boardstate in each matchup, and that adds a layer of skill to deckbuilding. The gameplay itself leaves something to be desired, I’ll admit, but there’s still space to outplay opponents. Sometimes, it feels more like, “Congratulations, you hit your combo to do 270–350 before I did! You have a good deck!”
I’ll leave you all with the final word: this pandemic has forced us all to take a long look at our morals and the sacrifices we make for others. We’ve all lost things—for me, a graduation, prom, senior year of high school, and potentially my college beginning—but these precautions in place are not just for you or me. They’re for the greater global community, and as a part of the Pokémon community, I hope we can all understand the value of staying safe and preserving the collective group. A complicated way of saying wear a mask and stay home, if you can.
You’ve now worked through well over 5,000 words—thank you so much. I cannot express how grateful I am to write such an amazing platform as SixPrizes to write this article and for Adam’s peerless editing skills. If you’d like more from me, you can find me on Twitter, and if you have any questions or criticism, please feel free to leave a comment, or message me privately on Twitter or Facebook. My doors are open.
Best wishes, and be safe, friends. Until next time.
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Ramon Raya
Holy s*** this is a great article.
Emery Taylor
Thank you so much :)))) I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hugo Magalhães
Amazing article. Good job! I like that Roxie build a lot and Mahone fire box in testing has been great vs all matchups in PTCGO.
Any input on Mewtwo post rotation? Solgaleo being gone is the end of the deck?
Emery Taylor
Thank you so much, I appreciate your kind words! I’m so glad you liked the article.
Yeah, Solgolao rotating seems like the end for this deck, or at least, this version. Down the line Mewtwo & Mew-GX might be playable in something or other, but most of its support (Malamar, Solgolao, Rainbow energy) rotates, and that cripples the deck.