Gabriel Semedo
Author Archive
ADPZ, What Makes It So Strong, How to Curb It, Deck Updates, and a New Idea “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). 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…
Building a Competitive Deck in Three Steps w/ Case Studies on Zacian V/ADP, PikaRom, and Lapras VMAX for OCIC “Whichever deck you choose or create, you need to make sure that that deck can work consistently. In this step, the idea is to create the most consistent list possible so that the main ideas of the deck can work without any problem. Another important point here is that we should not consider the metagame when building the list—that is, this isn’t the step to include tech cards like Phione CEC or Tapu Fini UNM. We will do that later, in Step 3. In fact, there is no exact order as to which is Step 1 and Step 2. It…
My Top 5 Plays for São Paulo Regionals, the Last Major Event of UPR–CEC “Malamar/Giratina/GXs GardEon PikaRom RoxieChomp Mewtwo Box Interestingly, four of the five decks that I like most for São Paulo are focused on TAG TEAMs. (And even Malamar/Giratina plays TAG TEAMs!) These decks just need a few cards in their opening hands to start developing their strategy, which makes them consistent and avoid silly losses due to bad starting hands or early pressure from the opponent. Also, I believe these decks are versatile and can adapt to many different game situations. My favorite Malamar/Giratina variant at the moment is a version similar to the one used by Team DDG at San…
The Story of TinaChomp, the Brazilian Meta Call That Won San Diego Regionals (and How to Update it Moving Forward) “My first thought was to make the Mew Box list faster and more aggressive, further increasing the chances of making my turn 1 plays even stronger. In my last article I wrote about the importance of Mew Box being explosive in the first few turns in the current metagame and the Mew Box list that I would probably use in San Diego if I played Mew Box. Deep down I knew that Mew Box, despite being an incredible deck, was not the right call for San Diego, as Malamar/Giratina was a popular deck in Daytona Beach and I was not…
Mew Box/Jirachi for San Diego and Mew Box w/o Jirachi at LAIC + Daytona Beach “One of the things I like most about my list is the fact that it doesn’t use Weakness Guard Energy, Guzma & Hala, or Stealthy Hood, yet it still has a game plan against Malamar decks. Taking these cards out of the deck was a difficult decision, as I tested the deck a lot with them. But a few hours before LAIC, I realized that there would not be much Malamar in the room and I didn’t necessarily need those cards to beat Malamar. If I was lucky enough to not to open with Mewtwo & Mew GX, I’d be…
It anchors itself in the ground with its single leg, then basks in the sun. After absorbing enough sunlight, its petals spread as it blooms brilliantly. (Gossifleur)
The Metagame Review for LAIC 2019, Part 2 “No one seems to be caring much about Blacephalon GX. I think most players will not use Tapu Fini UNM because of Cosmic Eclipse, which brought so many new cards that caught everyone’s attention, and it will deviate away from being the strong deck that has been since its release. We have to keep in mind that Blacephalon GX made Top 8 in the last LAIC and the finals in Worlds 2019. However, I do think Blacephalon GX might have issues dealing with some archetypes that are shaping up the current metagame, namely ADP, Malamar/Giratina, and GardEon (with Fairy Charm…
The Metagame Review for LAIC 2019, Part 1 “GardEon has gotten even better with the arrival of Chaotic Swell to help prevent Fairy Charms from being disabled by Lysandre Labs. In addition, the deck now has all the consistency of Tag Call, Cynthia & Caitlin, Guzma & Hala, and Mallow & Lana. I see some lists cutting Xerneas GX from the deck for the new Tool Island Challenge Amulet. In theory, both Xerneas GX and Gardevoir & Sylveon GX with Island Challenge Amulet surrender only 2 Prizes when Knocked Out, forcing the opponent to Knock Out 3 Pokémon to draw all of their Prizes. In practice, Island Challenge…
Putting ReshiRom to the Test for LAIC “Reshiram & Zekrom-GX is a combination of ReshiZard (Ability), and maybe even Blacephalon-GX, with PikaRom. So I thought of combining the best resources of each deck into the list you’ll see below. We can use Tapu Koko {*} and Volkner from PikaRom, Welder and Giant Hearth from AbilityZard, and Mysterious Treasure and Naganadel LOT from Blacephalon-GX. With so many good cards, there’s no way the deck would be bad, right? Well, it’s far from being bad, but it’s definitely not the BDIF. But let me explain how I came up with the list and what my thoughts were in doing…
Lists, Pros, and Cons for 10 Top Decks this Weekend (São Paulo, AC, and Cologne) “Ability ReshiZard Mew Box Blacephalon-GX/Naganadel LOT PikaRom GardEon Pidgeotto Control Malamar/Spell Tag QuagNag Green’s ReshiZard Dark Box As crazy as it may sound, TAG TEAMs actually don’t have high enough HP to survive the monster attacks of the current metagame. Before Worlds 2019, it was common to see Super Scoop Up, Mixed Herbs, and Great Potion in decks to heal damage, but nowadays these cards have lost a lot of their relevance. Another insane aspect of the deck is that we have non-GX Pokémon that can easily Knock Out TAG TEAMs on the same turn they are benched. Each one…
Zigging Through the GX-Dominated Metagame with QuagNag/Keldeo-GX and Malamar/Spell Tags “As said before, the duo of Quagsire and Naganadel has returned to the metagame to accelerate Keldeo-GX, which is a strong Pokémon in a GX-stuffed metagame. Keldeo-GX’s Pure Heart Ability is so strong that there is a Quad Keldeo deck whose main strategy is to keep Keldeo-GX in the Active position while using Supporters like Steven’s Resolve and Lusamine to get all of the cards you need to prevent your opponent from damaging you and eventually force them to lose by deck-out. Quad Keldeo was used at Worlds 2019 by Dylan Gunn who finished in 26th place, but I believe…
It’s skilled at both offense and defense, and it gets pumped up when cheered on. But if it starts showboating, it could put itself in a tough spot. (Cinderace)
How I Found the “True Form” of Mew Box, the Catcher-Less Junior Top 4 List, and a Comparison to Henry Brand’s Masters Winning List “When I started training with Mew Box, I took as reference some lists I saw on the internet, just to have a base to work with. Mew Box lists were usually full of draw Supporters like Coach Trainer and Cynthia, aiming to draw cards and maybe find Welder for the next turn. The more I tested the deck, the more I realized that the games in which I could use Welder both (A) as soon as possible and (B) over and over were the games where I won convincingly and the deck showed its true power. Every time I had…
My Favorite Decklists for Worlds, Including ReshiZard, PikaRom (w/ + w/o Jirachi), Dark Box, Blacephalon, Malamar, and Lost March “Since my previous article, I ended up changing a few cards in the list, which was way more experimental than now, since I still had some pre-rotation concepts in mind, such as using Turtonator DRM to OHKO any Pokémon and Oranguru UPR to get Custom Catchers back, as well as having a chance of beating Shedinja. However, I soon realized the deck needed more consistency and that maybe its true strength lay in Power Plant and healing cards. I felt like the deck wouldn’t run well for two or three turns if I didn’t start the game with Green’s Exploration.…
Goodbye Insane Cards (We Will Miss You) plus ReshiZard, Raikrom, and Malamar/Ultra Necrozma-GX for UPR-on “However, this year’s rotation goes way beyond Zoroark-GX. Despite it being one of the strongest and most victorious Pokémon card of all time, we’re also losing cards that were as powerful and successful as the Dark-type fox, such as Double Colorless Energy, Ultra Ball, and Guzma. The former has been around since Base Set. It actually rotated for a few years, returned to the format, and now is leaving it once again. It has always been a strong and widely-used card. Ultra Ball showed up in 2012, stayed in the format for seven years, and has always been part of…
A Journey with QuagNag through São Paulo, and Why Zoroark-GX is Now My Main Until the End of the Season “QuagNag on paper looked like a wonderful deck for the metagame a month ago. It is a deck focused on non-GX Pokémon that hits for the Weakness of the main metagame decks, has a good matchup (in theory) versus Control decks like Lucario & Melmetal-GX/Vileplume, and can play against anything. It is worth remembering that the São Paulo Regional was the first tournament with Unbroken Bonds, so the metagame was still a mystery. Based on the results of Japan and my studies, I decided that QuagNag seemed to be a safe choice. And it really was—there was no match in…
ReshiZard & Friends, Turbo PikaRom, QuagNag, and Both Blacephalon on the Spotlight “The new set Unbroken Bonds has just arrived, and with that the metagame has already changed a lot. The main reason for so much change is the arrival of Welder, Fire Crystal, and the great sensation of the moment, Reshiram & Charizard-GX. With São Paulo Regionals coming in a few days, I decided not to waste time and I’ve already been testing—for a few weeks now—the new cards from Unbroken Bonds, in order to try to understand how the current metagame will be and what decks may appear in the tournament. The SUM–UNB format further embodies the end of the…
While it’s engaged in battle, its mountain of coal will burn bright red, sending off sparks that scorch the surrounding area. (Coalossal)