Standard Dark Shadow (Yveltal / Zoroark / Shaymin EX)

[Dark Espeon]

DARK SHADOW



Pokémon (16):

• 2 Zoroark Break (beatdown)
• 2 Yveltal XY11 (accelerate)
• 2 Yveltal EX (beatdown)
• 2 Yveltal XY8 (disabler)
  
• 2 Shaymin EX (draw)
  
• 3 Zoroark (beatdown)
• 3 Zorua (evolution)

Trainers/Supporters/Stadiums (32):

• 4 Professor Sycamore (draw)
• 1 Giovanni's Plan (draw)
• 2 Ninja Boy (versatile)
  
• 1 Lysandre (gust)
• 2 N (draw)
• 3 Fighting Fury Belt (beatdown)
  
• 3 Trainer's Mail (search)
• 1 Escape Rope (switch)
  
• 1 Super Rod (retrieval)
  
• 4 Vs Seeker (retrieval)
• 3 Float Stone (enable)
  
• 4 Ultra Ball (search)
• 3 Reverse Valley (boost)

Energy (12):

• 4 Double Colorless Energy
• 8 Darkness Energy

STRATEGY:

The deck focuses on fast beatdown with Zoroark and Yveltal. Start with either Zorua or Yveltal and bench two additional attackers. If the opponent has a full bench focus on Zoroark. In all other cases Yveltal and Yveltal Ex act as mainy attackers. In essence this deck functions akin to a tool box. The tainers have been chosen to draw fast and to boost the attack of the main attackers.

SPOILER:

Reverse Valley
Trainer - Stadium Card
This card stays in play when you play it. Discard this card if another stadium card comes into play. If another card with the same name is in play, you can’t play this card.Choose which way this card faces before you play it.
Blue Side: This ↓ player’s Metal Pokémon take 10 less damage from his or her opponent’s Pokémon’s attacks.
Red Side: This ↓ player’s Darkness Pokémon’s attacks do 10 more damage to his or her opponent’s active Pokémon.

 

[cardgjammer]

That deck reminds me of the deck I used on PTCGO moments earlier... One problem: Zoroark BREAK doesn't exist in English yet, but I used a PHF Hydreigon line w/ Candies and 1 Wally in an effort to speed up the set-up time that would be otherwise necessary to Stage 2 evolve... When BREAKThrough comes out in English, I plan to replace my Hydreigons along with the psychic energy and candies that go with it w/ a Zoroark BREAK line, making the M-Ray matchup more bearable in the process...

I may have used 3 Yveltal-EX on my current build, but I think that number will drop to two come street date for xy8...

^ But that's just my side of the story...

^ For you, I suggest:

-3 Target Whistle
-1 Bridgette
-1 Giovanni's Plan

+1 Lysandre(in case one is prized, and/or Vileplume Ancient Origins limits you to one lysandre use(by means of locking VS Seeker use) otherwise)
+1 VS Seeker(These days, four VS Seeker will put you on par with those who use the same quantity of VS Seeker in deck)
+1 Wally(Can be scooped up by VS Seeker, and speed up the BREAK evolution set-up)
+2 Battle Compressor(Need a quick supporter to scoop up? Need energy for Oblivion Wing to snatch for bonus bench attachments?)

^ What do you think?

 

[Dark Espeon]

Hi cardgjammer,

Thanks for the review. I can do without the third Bridgette but not sure one Giovanni and Target Whistle. Zoroark is the main focus and Target Whistle helps him out a lot since it can refill the opponent's bench with discarded weak basics and Pokémon Ex such as Shaymin and Hoopa which need to be played from hand to make use of their abilities and who are otherwise dead cards filling the bench. I could add a fourth VS Seeker instead of the third Bridgette. What are your thoughts on my remark regarding Target Whistle?

 

[cardgjammer]

Hi cardgjammer,

Thanks for the review. I can do without the third Bridgette but not sure one Giovanni and Target Whistle. Zoroark is the main focus and Target Whistle helps him out a lot since it can refill the opponent's bench with discarded weak basics and Pokémon Ex such as Shaymin and Hoopa which need to be played from hand to make use of their abilities and who are otherwise dead cards filling the bench. I could add a fourth VS Seeker instead of the third Bridgette. What are your thoughts on my remark regarding Target Whistle?

Next-best case scenario, in my opinion...

^ Go ahead. Do as you wish regarding the whistles: Keep them if you want to pounce on dead cards ...

 

[Dark Espeon]

Decided to remove one Target Whistle for one Super Rod and one Bridgette for a fourth Vs Seeker. Still want to retain the last two Target Whistle to fuel Zoroark when needed.

 

[Dark Espeon]

Hi folks,

Here is a varaint of the deck that uses Battle Compressor instead of Target Whistle to speed the deck up a lottle more:

 

[Yo-yos]

-3 trainers mail for +3 Birch, draw power is more important then hand extension, energy in hand is more important then not having it, and though sycamore is good and all it's better to switch up your hand then shut down your options. Also please put an AZ in here, for shaymin.

Fright night yveltal isn't that good, being active to use the ability make's it lack luster when you have so many better attacker's in your deck.

 

[Alderein]

I noticed you have two faded towns, how about using Sky Field instead if Zoroark is your main attacker and making room for a third, just my opinion.

 

[Dark Espeon]

Hi Yo-yos,

Thanks for the review. Will consider the draw supporter but Yveltal XY8 worked real well for me. See the video for some nice examples. AZ sure is a good idea. Might remove one Bridgette for it but need to test it first.

Hi Alderein,

Thanks for the review. The deck uses three Faded Town since once the opponent has five benched Pokémon Zoroark can ohko Pokémon Ex with Muscle Band. Faded Town is ment to hurt Mega Pokémon and works rather well with Yveltal XY8 since he locks down Spirit Links when active and can hit benched Pokémon Ex. With Faded Town that would come down to 80-100 damage on the bench. Not sure on Sky Field at all. I cannot see an opponent bench more Pokémon because of that stadium when faced with Zoroark and more than two Target Whistle did not work that well for me.

 

[Dark Espeon]

Hi folks,

Revised the deck a little after some more matches and analyses of online videos.

 

[Dark Espeon]

Hi folks,

Revised the list to include one card from XY9.