Yveltal-EX Variants

I am finding that Darkrai-Zoroark-Yveltal (DZY) is quite competitive now. IMO, this deck offers a variety of attack options which you can use in different situations/match-ups. Unfortunately though, not hitting the Max Elixir can set you back early game a bit; but when you do hit the MEs early game, your odds of winning increases significantly.

My core Pokémon consists of 2 Darkrai EX, 2 Zorua (Moonlight Madness), 2 Zoroark, 1 Zoroark BREAK (amazing), 2 Yveltal (GEN), 1 Yveltal (BKT) and 2 Yveltal EX. Even post-rotation, only 2 cards will need to be replaced, my AZ and Xerosic, which will be easy changes. The deck will remain viable and quite potent, IMO. Which Tier? I don't know yet how popular it will be, but I expect it to be a strong contender.

can you post ur post rotation decklist?
 
This deck list, yes. This is definitely only a tier 3/not even meta. I'm saying a bunch of players have been playing a new yveltal list that's straight dark and takes a bit from the darkrai list and drops the whole gallade Maxie's hidden ball idea and have been winning league challenges and has multiple spots on top 5. I'm saying this deck list should just be abandoned and have yveltal, zoroark, both baby yveltals, and darkrai while utilizing more of the darkrai meta item list from this site. None of us planned to have the same deck, but it came first one day (I wasn't there but friend that plays night match was and came 2nd) and 2nd and 4th and 5th the second league challenge (I was the 4th place and person that won first event was 2nd). It's much more consistent than the deck listed above and plays like yveltal from 2 seasons ago. It's also set up for post rotation where the only thing we're gonna have to switch out are muscle bands for belts.

Hey, new player here, can I ask you what that decklist looks like? Also what a top tier darkrai-ex decklist might look like? You seem pretty knowledgeable and I don't seem to be able to find updated lists anywhere :\
 
can you post ur post rotation decklist?
Following is my post-rotation list I will start testing:

Pokémon (14)
2 Darkrai EX
1 Shaymin EX
1 Yveltal (BKT)
2 Yveltal (GEN)
2 Yveltal EX
1 Zoroark BREAK
2 Zoroark
3 Zorua (Moonlight Madness)

Trainers (33)
3 Fighting Fury Belt
2 Float Stone
1 Giovanni's Scheme
1 Judge
2 Lysandre
3 Max Elixir
2 N
1 Ninja Boy
1 Parallel City
1 Pokémon Ranger
1 Professor Birch's Observations
4 Professor Sycamore
1 Professor's Letter
2 Reverse Valley
1 Super Rod
3 Ultra Ball
4 VS Seeker

Energy (13)
8 Dark
4 Double Colorless

The main difference between this and my current season version is that the AZ and Xerosic were replaced by a Ninja Boy and Pokémon Ranger.

Some of my particular choices, for example the sole Shaymin EX, are personal preferences. Another example would be reflected by the mix of card-draw Supporters I use. I like this particular "diversity" since it provides certain options I can leverage depending upon the game state.

Interestingly enough, I won an LC recently with my current list and noted that the Darkrai EX were used least of all... Yveltal (GEN) is a solid starter, as well as Zorua (its auto-Confusion attack can be clutch at times). Yveltal (BKT) can be a game changer: its Fright Night Ability is really, really good and its Pitch-Black Spear attack can help setup your opponent's board for Pokémon KOs. Also when it's active, remember that its Ability nullifies all attached Tools; so, your opponent's turn will end when he/she Mega-evolves a Pokémon with an attached Spirit Link... Lol. Yveltal EX still remains as one of the best attackers in the game; so, it was used quite a bit this season and I do expect it to continue to be formidable. Zoroark and its BREAK, I've found, to be the "X-factor" in the deck - something that can help you gain an edge in winning the match. Another X-factor is how often you can hit the Max Elixir; for if you can consistently hit those (and the above list could be tweaked even more to increase the chances of doing so), your game-winning odds increases.


Also keep in mind that there are other, solid configurations of a Dark deck that one could build too, such as Darkrai-Garbodor, Yveltal-Garbodor and X-Zoroark (where "X" could be either Darkrai or just Yveltal). In either of these variations, more techs can be incorporated. I also have another idea of how to effectively utilize the new Yveltal BREAK too...

Lastly, with all these great Dark Pokémon, testing and playing these decks should be a lot of fun, as well as rewarding (i.e., solid tournament performance), IMO.

 
I've been running roughly the same list and have very good results. The lineup I use would be 1 less darkrai and zorua, but I run 2 shaymin and 2 zoroark breaks. I would also suggest dropping the pro letter for a 4th max elixer and judge for a 4th ultra ball. Besides that it looks like a solid build. The 1 parallel city is great for getting rid of shaymins early game and to remove other players reverse valley so you can face yours for more damage. I also don't run that many supporters, just n, sycamore, Lysander, Giovanni, but also delinquent. The the ranger and pro birch I would take out for the delinquent and also an escape rope because you have super rod and I love 2 lysandres and a rope. Ninja boy I could see, but possibly run 2 Giovanni's for better damage consistency or a 3rd n for draw consistency. Save ur vs seekers for only Lysander and Giovanni. That's the only thing I would suggest cause it looks like you just threw in whatever supporters you could find.
 
Hi guys, new player here, and I'm planning on picking this deck up since Yveltal and Zoroark are some of my favourite Pokemon!

This is what I'm planning on building so far:
Pokémon - 14
3 Yveltal XY 78 (Oblivion Wing)
1 Yveltal BKT 94 (Fright Night)
1 Yveltal-EX XY 79
4 Zorua BKT 89 (Moonless Madness)
3 Zoroark BKT 91
2 Zoroark BREAK BKT 92

Trainer Cards - 26
4 Professor Sycamore BKP 107
2 Lysandre AOR 78
2 N
2 Wally
1 Delinquent
1 Giovanni's Scheme BKT 138
1 Hex Maniac AOR 75
1 Ninja Boy
1 Pokémon Ranger
2 Reverse Valley BKP 110
1 Parallel City
4 Max Elixir
2 Captivating Poké Puff
2 Ultra Ball ROS 93

Energy - 12
8 Basic Darkness Energy GEN 81
4 Double Colorless Energy GEN 74

Total Cards - 52 (missing 8 cards)

So there's a bunch of slots to fill in, which I'm guessing would be mostly trainer cards. I've noticed that VS Seeker's a staple, so I'll probably include 4 of those once the reprint hits. Anyways, I have some conceptual questions/concerns about designing an Yveltal deck first before I just try throwing in some random filler:
- Yveltal: Oblivion Wing vs Fright Night version? Right now I have more Oblivion Wings because it's low cost and the effect seemed useful, but I've heard that EX's are gonna be more popular next rotation (Mewtwo, Sceptile, Rayquaza), so I'm wondering if it'd be better to try to take more advantage of Pitch-Black Spear instead? Fright Night seems like a cool ability too, but I'm not sure how important tools will be (heard it's at least useful for preventing Spirit Link).

- Darkrai-EX: I've seen some other lists run him, but I'm just wondering if he's actually all that useful right now? Seems to have some synergy with the Oblivion Wing Yveltal at least, but I can't tell if he's a fast enough heavy-hitter to warrant running.

- Yveltal Break: Is it good? Does it need to be built around, or would you just tech 1? It seems like it has some pseudo-synergy with Fright Night Yveltal and Zoroark, I just don't know if the damage output/HP increase leads to anything relevant against the meta or if there's another card to make a better combo with it.

- Wally/Zoroark ratio: So first off, is Wally a bad card to play? Like, my thoughts were to increase access to Zoroark by having Wally around, I'm just wondering if it's bad to have too many Supporter cards so that you miss out on using draw cards like N/Sycamore. Besides that, is there a certain argument to having a specific ratio for Zorua/Zoroark (like 3 Zoroark vs 4 Zoroark makes you brick more/less, etc.)? Actually, I'm just wondering about ratios in general, like how you decide how much energy to run and such.

Those are the main questions I had. Not sure if I'm building/playing the deck right, but for now I think that focusing more on Zoroark Break leads to quicker damage than the Yveltal side (that's why I play stuff like Wally/Poke Puff). Ninja Boy's neat in that purpose to get to Zorua, and vice-versa when I have too many Zorua. Delinquent seems cool because we can make use of Stadiums okay, but she especially seems strong against Mega Rayquaza. Another idea I had is trying to play hand-hate, like with more Delinquent/Ace Trainer/Poke Puff/Whiny Voice Zorua, although that might be too gimmicky.

Anyways, yeah, just wondering if I'm missing out on some obvious cards or if there's some cards that I should definitely take out. Thanks in advance for any advice!
 
Hello fdtl123. So far your deck seems to be on the right path however I would consider making these changes.
-2 Wally
+2 Ultra Ball
+1 Yveltal EX
+1 Hoopa EX
+4 Vs Seekers
+4 Trainers mail
Hope you consider the changes I suggested. I believe that they should really help the consistency and power of your deck.
 
Hey, new player here, can I ask you what that decklist looks like? Also what a top tier darkrai-ex decklist might look like? You seem pretty knowledgeable and I don't seem to be able to find updated lists anywhere :\

yea the decklist i was running (currently switching to mega sizor) was

pokemon:14
2 zoura
2 zoroark
1 zoroark break
2 Yveltal Ex
2 yveltal (o wing)
2 yveltal (fright night)
2 shaymin ex
1 darkrai ex

Trainers: 33
4 Sycamore
3 N
2 Lysandre
2 Giovanni's Scheme
1 Delinquent
4 Vs Seekers
4 Ultra Ball
4 Max Elixers
3 Fighting Fury Belt
2 Float Stone
1 Escape Rope
2 Reverse Valley
1 Parallel City (removes Shayim and mirror match reverse valley)

Energy:13
9 Dark
4 DCE

This deck's very consistent and I havnt seen turn one evil balls since dark patch, but I do honestly feel like yveltal ex doesn't pack that punch anymore. And it hurts to say that because Yveltal has been my main deck since I started back at xy. If I keep playing dark I will probably switch to a quad zoroark build for big benches and prize exchange, or try out a darkrai giritina garb build (double dragon energy adds for much higher damage from darkrai over this list) for post rotation.
 
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Hi guys, new player here, and I'm planning on picking this deck up since Yveltal and Zoroark are some of my favourite Pokemon!

This is what I'm planning on building so far:
Pokémon - 14
3 Yveltal XY 78 (Oblivion Wing)
1 Yveltal BKT 94 (Fright Night)
1 Yveltal-EX XY 79
4 Zorua BKT 89 (Moonless Madness)
3 Zoroark BKT 91
2 Zoroark BREAK BKT 92

Trainer Cards - 26
4 Professor Sycamore BKP 107
2 Lysandre AOR 78
2 N
2 Wally
1 Delinquent
1 Giovanni's Scheme BKT 138
1 Hex Maniac AOR 75
1 Ninja Boy
1 Pokémon Ranger
2 Reverse Valley BKP 110
1 Parallel City
4 Max Elixir
2 Captivating Poké Puff
2 Ultra Ball ROS 93

Energy - 12
8 Basic Darkness Energy GEN 81
4 Double Colorless Energy GEN 74

Total Cards - 52 (missing 8 cards)

So there's a bunch of slots to fill in, which I'm guessing would be mostly trainer cards. I've noticed that VS Seeker's a staple, so I'll probably include 4 of those once the reprint hits. Anyways, I have some conceptual questions/concerns about designing an Yveltal deck first before I just try throwing in some random filler:
- Yveltal: Oblivion Wing vs Fright Night version? Right now I have more Oblivion Wings because it's low cost and the effect seemed useful, but I've heard that EX's are gonna be more popular next rotation (Mewtwo, Sceptile, Rayquaza), so I'm wondering if it'd be better to try to take more advantage of Pitch-Black Spear instead? Fright Night seems like a cool ability too, but I'm not sure how important tools will be (heard it's at least useful for preventing Spirit Link).

- Darkrai-EX: I've seen some other lists run him, but I'm just wondering if he's actually all that useful right now? Seems to have some synergy with the Oblivion Wing Yveltal at least, but I can't tell if he's a fast enough heavy-hitter to warrant running.

- Yveltal Break: Is it good? Does it need to be built around, or would you just tech 1? It seems like it has some pseudo-synergy with Fright Night Yveltal and Zoroark, I just don't know if the damage output/HP increase leads to anything relevant against the meta or if there's another card to make a better combo with it.

- Wally/Zoroark ratio: So first off, is Wally a bad card to play? Like, my thoughts were to increase access to Zoroark by having Wally around, I'm just wondering if it's bad to have too many Supporter cards so that you miss out on using draw cards like N/Sycamore. Besides that, is there a certain argument to having a specific ratio for Zorua/Zoroark (like 3 Zoroark vs 4 Zoroark makes you brick more/less, etc.)? Actually, I'm just wondering about ratios in general, like how you decide how much energy to run and such.

Those are the main questions I had. Not sure if I'm building/playing the deck right, but for now I think that focusing more on Zoroark Break leads to quicker damage than the Yveltal side (that's why I play stuff like Wally/Poke Puff). Ninja Boy's neat in that purpose to get to Zorua, and vice-versa when I have too many Zorua. Delinquent seems cool because we can make use of Stadiums okay, but she especially seems strong against Mega Rayquaza. Another idea I had is trying to play hand-hate, like with more Delinquent/Ace Trainer/Poke Puff/Whiny Voice Zorua, although that might be too gimmicky.

Anyways, yeah, just wondering if I'm missing out on some obvious cards or if there's some cards that I should definitely take out. Thanks in advance for any advice!
You don't need to wait for a vs seeker reprint as its a secret rare in Roaring Skies so you can still use the Phantom Forces one
 
Hi TuxedoBlack,
Interested in your Yveltal BREAK list for comparison purpose to my own built.

I have not yet completed my first deck draft - I'm at a point where I am still trying to resolve a few concerns regarding the following variants:

  • Yveltal (both BKT and STS) - Yveltal BREAK - Darkrai EX - Darkrai (Pr 114)
  • Yveltal (both BKT and STS) - Yveltal BREAK - Zoroark
  • Yveltal (both BKT and STS) - Yveltal BREAK - Garbodor
I will let you know when I've completed my drafts.
 
As the packs include in standard format have changed, should the decklist recommended be change as well?
 
Tell you what, Fairy decks with Assault Vest are a pain in the rear. I played vs a FairyTina Garbodor with it, and it was pretty rough.
 
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Tell you what, Fairy decks with Assault Vest are a pain in the rear. I played vs a FairyTina Garbodor with it, and it was pretty rough.
The resistance has always been an important factor. I'm not sure what possessed them to run an assault vest over exp share in the deck.

I'm still trying to figure out how to improve the fairy matchup, any ideas anyone?
 
The resistance has always been an important factor. I'm not sure what possessed them to run an assault vest over exp share in the deck.

I'm still trying to figure out how to improve the fairy matchup, any ideas anyone?
More consistency and ability to quickly stack energy cus no metal types are to viable in dark decks
 
Im testing a consistency Yveltal build and would like to hear what you Think.

2 Yvletal-EX
2Yveltal Oblivion
2Yveltal Fright Night
2Zorua
2Zoroark
1Mew (Agaonst Mmewtwo)
2Shaymin-EX

4Sycamore
2N
1Shauna
1Lysandre
1Pokemon centre lady
1Giovanni
1Ninja boy

4VSseeker
4Ultraball
4Max elixir
4Trainers mail
1Super rod

3Fighting fury belt
2Float stone

2Reverse valley

4DCE
8DArkness energy
 
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