Let's start with the list before I get into any explanations since I know not everyone cares for my explanations.
Pokemon x19
Alolan Ninetales GX x3
Alolan Ninetales x1
Alolan Vulpix x4
Zoroark GX x2
Zorua x2
Tapu Lele GX x3
Tapu Koko Promo x3
Volcanion Prism Star x1
Supporter x12
Cynthia x4
Guzma x3
Mallow x2
Pokemon Fan Club x1
Fisherman x1
Lillie x1
Item x17
Ultra Ball x4
Aqua Patch x4
Choice Band x4
Switch x3
Nest Ball x2
Energy x12
DCE x4
Water Energy x8
For starters, I think that Alolan Ninetales GX/Zoroark GX has a lot of value post rotation for several reasons.
- The TCG seems to be moving into a very basic GX/Ultra Beast heavy format. 190 damage is the perfect number to hit, and Alolan Ninetales GX is one of the best ways to hit 190. Super emphasizing the fact that there's no more Fighting Fury Belt.
- Dusk Mane Necrozma GX is relatively inconsistent for a basic GX deck, and it swings for 220 damage anyway making the weakness to metal pretty irrelivent in the near future.
- With N and Brigette rotating, Alolan Vulpix gains a lot of value. This deck naturally maxes out on Beacon and adds Zoroark GX on top of it for even more consistency.
- Added support such as Wake and the return of Fisherman give you a lot more management options with your energy pool. I'd say more so Fisherman than Wake, because turboing Alolan Ninetales GX tends to make you run out of energy, fast.
- With Float Stone rotating and very few decks currently being able to utilize Escape Board as a free retreat, a deck that naturally relies on free retreat like Tapu Koko makes this deck very mobile. The Guzma pivot is real.
- Speaking of Tapu Koko, Koko + Kukui gives Alolan Ninetales GX the ability to hit for 210-230 cumulative damage with relative ease, which is another set of magic numbers currently in the TCG (Zoroark GX for 210, Gardevoir GX for 230). Kukui's draw power is actually decent now as well with no more N and Sycamore (for the time being).
Now let me reason through the card choices as well.
4/3(1) Alolan Ninetales line up - This is the standard line up. I don't believe in the 2 Alolan Ninetales strategy because of the drop in damage output, "wasting" a Vulpix, and the fact that we run Zoroark GX for draw utility means that your opponent will always have something to target for 2 prizes anyway. Tapu Lele GX also says hi.
2/2 Zoroark GX - Just a 2/2 line as it is not intended to be the main attacker and primarily as a draw engine and a discard outlet to activate Aqua Patch.
Tapu Lele GX x3 - No one's ever going to convince me personally to go lower than 3. Not with all of these 1 of supporters in deck.
Tapu Koko x3 - The classic spread damage & free retreater Pokemon. Still just as good as it always has been in Alolan Ninetales decks. I have made room for a 3rd copy, because free retreat has far too much value with Float Stone rotating out of the format.
Tapu Fini GX x1 - One of the best techs for Alolan Ninetales GX, and I still think it holds up. With the addition of Fisherman into the deck, you actually sometimes have the energy to snipe for 120 then go in for the kill with Zoroark GX + Guzma. At the same time, the GX attack is great for when your opponent uses a Beast Ring to super charge their Ultra Beasts and you have no good outs. All around still a fantastic tech in my opinion.
Volcanion Prism Star - A really solid 1 prize attacker that can 2 hit KO all GX's with a Choice Band. Also adds another form of spread damage on top of Tapu Koko in case we need it, and the pseudo-Lysandre effect discarding water helps us reposition the opponent's board while accelerating with Aqua Patch. It's a great tech all around. Please note that the Pokemon switch is your Opponent's Choice, not your choice.
Cynthia x4 and Guzma x3 are standard. Guzma x4 could be considered, but there's no room in my opinion.
Kukui x2 - This was a strategy that was sometimes used in Alolan Ninetales GX decks before. I personally was never a fan of it due to Fighting Fury Belt and the fact that we already have 8 draw supporters in the deck. But now that we have less draw supporters, there's no FFB, and some of the best GXs we have are sitting at 190 to 210 HP, Kukui becomes a pretty good option, especially for hitting 210. The draw 2 is also very welcome.
Steven's Decision and Lillie should not need explanation anymore for post rotation.
After playtesting Steven's Decision in other decks, I actually think this supporter kind of sucks. It has 0 value outside of turn 1 or 2 and guarantees that you'll be one turn behind past that point. It's also just not needed at all when Alolan Vulpix searches your whole Pokemon line up. We have a better option for searching cards in this archetype. Lillie is still good here, obviously.
Mallow x2 - The classic Zoroark GX + Mallow combo is very effective in this deck. Alolan Vulpix should be guaranteeing you at least one Zoroark GX by no later than turn 3. Using Mallow to search 2 cards instead of playing Steven's Decision to search 3 and end your turn is simply better. With N out of the format to have Beacon stick much more often, and with Garbotoxin also out of the format, Zoroark+Mallow combo becomes an incredibly viable option and way better than blind drawing 2 cards with Kukui.
Fisherman x1 - Having played Alolan Ninetales GX before and quitting the deck, one of the big things I disliked about the deck is that you can actually just run out of energy after discards and investing in Baby Alolan Ninetales and having to deal with tanky Pokemon like when Metagross GX was still a thing. Fisherman effectively gives you 12 water energy to work with the whole game. That's more than enough to help you out in bad scenarios.
Pokemon Fan Club x1 - There's no such thing as too much consistency. Pokemon Fan Club is great in decks that run Alolan Vulpix, because you can Fan Club for Vulpix and something else, and then Vulpix can grab you two more things. Particularly in Alolan Ninetales/Zoroark, you can Fan Club for Alolan Vulpix and Zorua, then Beacon for Zoroark GX and Tapu Lele GX to guarantee draw power and supporter next turn. The great thing about this deck is that you don't need multiple copies of everything on your bench. One Alolan Ninetales GX and one Zoroark GX are all you need to get things going.
Crasher Wake x1 - I would not play this supporter without at least 1 copy of Fisherman for the reasons I mentioned above. This deck already runs out of energy quickly, and Wake makes that happen even faster. Fisherman and Wake offset each other to make sure you still have energy to play after using these supporters. Having just one Wake for a good hard search is situationally advantageous.
This card is pointless with Zoroark/Mallow combo in a format with no Garbotoxin. Zoroark/Mallow combo drops 1 card to search 2. Crasher Wake drops 2 energy to search 2. Over discarding energy in this archetype is an actual problem, and I would argue that having 2 energy in hand that you can actually afford to discard is much rarer than having Zoroark GX/Mallow ready to go.
Ultra Ball x4, Aqua Patch x4, and Choice Band x4 are all standard for this archetype. If you question Choice Band x4, it's because you must be hitting 190 with Blizzard Edge, always.
Switch x3 - I play this instead of Escape Board because I always want Choice Band on my attackers, not escape board. Also, this is a deck that doesn't mind paying the 1 energy cost to retreat due to Aqua Patch. This coupled with Tapu Koko gives you flexibility with your mobility depending on what kind of bench line up you end up with.
Nest Ball x2 - I'm going with the Nest Ball + Lillie set up in this deck because as long as you can put an Alolan Vulpix into the active, you're going to be able to set up just fine. Pokemon Fan Club I feel is not the better option here when you might opt for Wake, Lillie, or Steven's Decision instead. Having Nest Balls allows you to set your basics while playing those supporters.
Energy pool is standard. Don't fix what isn't broken.
I decided not to play Brooklet Hill as it finds only my Vulpixes and Tapu Fini GX, and in a match against Buzzwole GX or Zoroark/Lycanroc, I only help my opponent OHKO my own Zoroark GXs faster.
I believe this deck has a realistic opportunity to function well in the post rotation meta. Feedback always welcome, and if I missed some cards in newer sets please do bring them up.
Pokemon x19
Alolan Ninetales GX x3
Alolan Ninetales x1
Alolan Vulpix x4
Zoroark GX x2
Zorua x2
Tapu Lele GX x3
Tapu Koko Promo x3
Volcanion Prism Star x1
Supporter x12
Cynthia x4
Guzma x3
Mallow x2
Pokemon Fan Club x1
Fisherman x1
Lillie x1
Item x17
Ultra Ball x4
Aqua Patch x4
Choice Band x4
Switch x3
Nest Ball x2
Energy x12
DCE x4
Water Energy x8
For starters, I think that Alolan Ninetales GX/Zoroark GX has a lot of value post rotation for several reasons.
- The TCG seems to be moving into a very basic GX/Ultra Beast heavy format. 190 damage is the perfect number to hit, and Alolan Ninetales GX is one of the best ways to hit 190. Super emphasizing the fact that there's no more Fighting Fury Belt.
- Dusk Mane Necrozma GX is relatively inconsistent for a basic GX deck, and it swings for 220 damage anyway making the weakness to metal pretty irrelivent in the near future.
- With N and Brigette rotating, Alolan Vulpix gains a lot of value. This deck naturally maxes out on Beacon and adds Zoroark GX on top of it for even more consistency.
- Added support such as Wake and the return of Fisherman give you a lot more management options with your energy pool. I'd say more so Fisherman than Wake, because turboing Alolan Ninetales GX tends to make you run out of energy, fast.
- With Float Stone rotating and very few decks currently being able to utilize Escape Board as a free retreat, a deck that naturally relies on free retreat like Tapu Koko makes this deck very mobile. The Guzma pivot is real.
- Speaking of Tapu Koko, Koko + Kukui gives Alolan Ninetales GX the ability to hit for 210-230 cumulative damage with relative ease, which is another set of magic numbers currently in the TCG (Zoroark GX for 210, Gardevoir GX for 230). Kukui's draw power is actually decent now as well with no more N and Sycamore (for the time being).
Now let me reason through the card choices as well.
4/3(1) Alolan Ninetales line up - This is the standard line up. I don't believe in the 2 Alolan Ninetales strategy because of the drop in damage output, "wasting" a Vulpix, and the fact that we run Zoroark GX for draw utility means that your opponent will always have something to target for 2 prizes anyway. Tapu Lele GX also says hi.
2/2 Zoroark GX - Just a 2/2 line as it is not intended to be the main attacker and primarily as a draw engine and a discard outlet to activate Aqua Patch.
Tapu Lele GX x3 - No one's ever going to convince me personally to go lower than 3. Not with all of these 1 of supporters in deck.
Tapu Koko x3 - The classic spread damage & free retreater Pokemon. Still just as good as it always has been in Alolan Ninetales decks. I have made room for a 3rd copy, because free retreat has far too much value with Float Stone rotating out of the format.
Volcanion Prism Star - A really solid 1 prize attacker that can 2 hit KO all GX's with a Choice Band. Also adds another form of spread damage on top of Tapu Koko in case we need it, and the pseudo-Lysandre effect discarding water helps us reposition the opponent's board while accelerating with Aqua Patch. It's a great tech all around. Please note that the Pokemon switch is your Opponent's Choice, not your choice.
Cynthia x4 and Guzma x3 are standard. Guzma x4 could be considered, but there's no room in my opinion.
After playtesting Steven's Decision in other decks, I actually think this supporter kind of sucks. It has 0 value outside of turn 1 or 2 and guarantees that you'll be one turn behind past that point. It's also just not needed at all when Alolan Vulpix searches your whole Pokemon line up. We have a better option for searching cards in this archetype. Lillie is still good here, obviously.
Mallow x2 - The classic Zoroark GX + Mallow combo is very effective in this deck. Alolan Vulpix should be guaranteeing you at least one Zoroark GX by no later than turn 3. Using Mallow to search 2 cards instead of playing Steven's Decision to search 3 and end your turn is simply better. With N out of the format to have Beacon stick much more often, and with Garbotoxin also out of the format, Zoroark+Mallow combo becomes an incredibly viable option and way better than blind drawing 2 cards with Kukui.
Fisherman x1 - Having played Alolan Ninetales GX before and quitting the deck, one of the big things I disliked about the deck is that you can actually just run out of energy after discards and investing in Baby Alolan Ninetales and having to deal with tanky Pokemon like when Metagross GX was still a thing. Fisherman effectively gives you 12 water energy to work with the whole game. That's more than enough to help you out in bad scenarios.
Pokemon Fan Club x1 - There's no such thing as too much consistency. Pokemon Fan Club is great in decks that run Alolan Vulpix, because you can Fan Club for Vulpix and something else, and then Vulpix can grab you two more things. Particularly in Alolan Ninetales/Zoroark, you can Fan Club for Alolan Vulpix and Zorua, then Beacon for Zoroark GX and Tapu Lele GX to guarantee draw power and supporter next turn. The great thing about this deck is that you don't need multiple copies of everything on your bench. One Alolan Ninetales GX and one Zoroark GX are all you need to get things going.
This card is pointless with Zoroark/Mallow combo in a format with no Garbotoxin. Zoroark/Mallow combo drops 1 card to search 2. Crasher Wake drops 2 energy to search 2. Over discarding energy in this archetype is an actual problem, and I would argue that having 2 energy in hand that you can actually afford to discard is much rarer than having Zoroark GX/Mallow ready to go.
Ultra Ball x4, Aqua Patch x4, and Choice Band x4 are all standard for this archetype. If you question Choice Band x4, it's because you must be hitting 190 with Blizzard Edge, always.
Switch x3 - I play this instead of Escape Board because I always want Choice Band on my attackers, not escape board. Also, this is a deck that doesn't mind paying the 1 energy cost to retreat due to Aqua Patch. This coupled with Tapu Koko gives you flexibility with your mobility depending on what kind of bench line up you end up with.
Nest Ball x2 - I'm going with the Nest Ball + Lillie set up in this deck because as long as you can put an Alolan Vulpix into the active, you're going to be able to set up just fine. Pokemon Fan Club I feel is not the better option here when you might opt for Wake, Lillie, or Steven's Decision instead. Having Nest Balls allows you to set your basics while playing those supporters.
Energy pool is standard. Don't fix what isn't broken.
I decided not to play Brooklet Hill as it finds only my Vulpixes and Tapu Fini GX, and in a match against Buzzwole GX or Zoroark/Lycanroc, I only help my opponent OHKO my own Zoroark GXs faster.
I believe this deck has a realistic opportunity to function well in the post rotation meta. Feedback always welcome, and if I missed some cards in newer sets please do bring them up.
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