Changes of metagame decks with Noble Victories

N gives many decks a lot to think of.

Hello all The Deck Out followers!

Today’s update is for The Decklist Out. This is also a very interesting entry to all of you who are going to City Championships in the next few weeks. I’ll go through every already known metagame deck in this entry and I’ll reveal an updated list for each deck with NV in it. Hope you enjoy this article; there are lot of lists and even more thoughts about the decks in general!

Let’s get started:



Zekrom/Tornadus


I already reviewed Zekrom/Tornadus/Eelektrik but here is the list once again. Don’t worry I’ll also reveal an updated list of the old ZPST.


Pokemon:

4x Zekrom
3x Tornadus
4x Tynamo(NV)
4x Eelektrik(NV)
=15

Trainer:

4x Pokémon Collector
4x Sage’s Training
4x Professor Juniper
3x N(NV)
2x Pokegear 3.0.
2x Eviolite(NV)
3x Pokémon Catcher
2x PlusPower
1x Energy Switch
1x Switch
4x Junk Arm
=30

Energy:

11x Lighting Energy
4x Double Colorless Energy
=15


Well, once again I wanted to start with the most obvious one. I already made an entry about this few days ago but I want to get briefly back to this deck. This is like a Lighting type ReshiPlosion. Eelektriks load Zekroms and Tornaduse, which hit hard and win the prize race. The whole deck is created around the new cards from NV – Eelektrik and Tynamo.

The deck also includes the must cards for almost every deck in the format right now: ah, so versatile N and a Basic deck-must Eviolite. N works perfectly in this deck because the deck isn’t a T1 deck and it can still attack even though you end up having only 1 card in your hand with N. Eviolite is self-explanatory if you’ve read my article.

Well, the question is how much better this deck is than the original ZPS? In terms of speed, - not much worse. In terms of consistency – a lot better. I would pick this build of Zekrom any day over the normal ZPS because the speed version of the Zekrom suffers a lot from disturbing cards like N and Judge. It also has a lot of bad starters whereas this deck has none of them. This deck’s consistency combined with fair speed just makes it for me.

Now for the changes that NV brings to ZPST. Remember, this is only one of the variants that can be made thanks to ZPST and I’ll show this list because I think most people will just add Eviolite to it and think “yeah, this is great now”.

4x Zekrom
4x Tornadus
2x Pachirisu
2x Shaymin
= 12

Trainer:

4x Pokémon Collector
2x Pokegear 3.0
3x Dual Ball
1x Cheren
4x Professor Juniper
4x Professor Oak’s New Theory
3x Pokémon Catcher
3x Eviolite
3x Defender
4x Junk Arm
2x PlusPower
2x Energy Search
=35

Energy:

9x Lighting Energy
4x Double Colorless Energy
=13

So yeah, this deck is all about tanking. The idea is to go all- in with Defenders and Eviolite and make Zekrom last more than 1 turn. This list is superb in mirrors were resources always tend to run out. The main strength of this deck is that it doesn’t have to use Pachi and Shaymin that often. You just keep Zekrom alive and attach energy to the second benched Zekrom and you’re all right. This deck can use 7 Defenders during the game (Junk Arms + Defenders) so your opponent will have some serious problems dealing with your tanked Zekroms.



Reshiram/Typhlosion

Pokemon:

1x Cleffa
4x Cyndaquil
3x Quilava
4x Typhlosion Prime
4x Reshiram
=16

Trainer:

4x Professor Juniper
3x Sage’s Training
1x N (NV)
1x Judge
4x Pokémon Collector
1x Pokegear 3.0
3x Pokémon Communication
4x Junk Arm
4x Rare Candy
3x Pokémon Catcher
1x Super Rod
2x PlusPower
=32

Energy:

2x Rescue Energy
10x Fire Energy
=12


As horrible as it sounds, RershiPlosion won’t be going anywhere. Probably the most horrifying thing about it doesn’t have to change – at all. The only thing I’ve done to this list is added some consistency and disturbing supporters as N and judge and a little consistency with Super Rod. N and Super Rod are the only cards that are from Noble Victories.

Some may wonder why Eviolite isn’t here since Reshiram is the main attacker. Well, the reason is quite simple. First of all, I didn’t have space for it. And the reason why I didn’t find space for it was because it’s not a must in this deck. Your opponent’s Reshirams will always be 130 damage away from being KOed even if they run Eviolite, so you need to just have a PlusPower or a Catcher always ready for those situations. Also, if your opponent is playing ReshiBoar their Reshirams have 150 HP which is just too much for you to handle anyways. Playing Eviolite is a personal preference because it really makes the deck less consistent and in my opinion – worse.  However, if you want to find space for Eviolite from this list I would take off Judge and Super Rod/Pokegear/Collector.

So what does ReshiPlosion think about the changes in the format? Well, it’s only happy that Durant and Cobalion are in the format. Some easier OHKOs and wins for it. Durant is just an autowin and Cobalion needs some serious help from Kyurem in order to stand a chance. ReshiPlosion is still able not to have any autolosses in the format if no one finds a decent way to run Kyurem. ReshiPlosion is able to keep its place in the top tier.



Reshiram/Emboar

4x Reshiram
3x Tepig
2x Pignite
2x Emboar (2x Inferno Fandango)
1x Emboar (1x BadBoar)
2x Rayquaza&Deoxys LEGEND
=14


Trainer:

4x Pokémon Collector
3x Pokémon Communication
4x Professor Juniper
2x Sage’s Training
3x Professor Oak’s New Theory
2x Eviolite(NV)
3x Rare Candy
3x Junk Arm
2x Pluspower
2x Energy Retrieval
2x Switch
1x Pokémon Catcher
1x Burned Tower
=32

Energy:

11x Fire Energy
1x Rescue Energy
2x Lighting Energy
=14


Reshiboar isn’t a tier1 deck but it’s a nice metagame with decent match-ups all around the field. This list has tech RDL instead of Zoroark so it’s more of a traditional build. The deck has also worked so far without Ninetales that I have keeped the Pokémon lines quite the same as well. the only true fixes are 2 Eviolites. The great thing about Eviolites in Reshiboar is that inferno Fandango doesn’t hurt Reshirams like Afterurner does. 150 HP Reshiram is almost impossible to OHKO and it gives a headache to many decks.

The deck doesn’t want to run N because this deck appreciated big hand. N will only hurt you in the late game so it’s better not to run them. They’re never better than PONT and after you’ve taken your first prize, they’re always worse than PONT.

As for future of ReshiBoar in HGSS-NV format. Reshiboar will be a bit played like before but I don’t see it doing extremely well even though it’s a very decent deck. It sometimes set-ups too slow and sometimes it doesn’t set-up at all. It will also be hurt by N a lot because it can’t have 10 card hands anymore. Reshiboar will be a tier2 deck that can challenge tier1 decks on a good day.



Yanmega/Magnezone


Pokémon:

4x Magnemite
1x Magneton
3x Magnezone Prime
4x Yanma
3x Yanmega Prime
1x Cleffa
=16

Trainer:

4x Pokémon Collector
1x Pokegear 3.0.
3x Judge
1x Copycat
4x N (NV)
3x Twins
4x Pokémon Communication
4x Rare Candy
4x Junk Arm
1x PlusPower
1x Switch
3x Pokémon Catcher
=33

Energy:

9x Lighting Energy
2x Rescue
=11

I haven’t liked Yanmega/Magnezone before because in my opinion it doesn’t have a favorable match-up against ReshiPlosion. However, things are changing for this deck with Noble Victories. N makes disturbing a very efficient way to win games and there is nothing which benefits more from N than Magnezone. In the late game Magnezone’s Magnetic Draw combined with N is so good that it gives Magnezone an edge against all the other decks.

This list is a standard Magnezone/Yanmega list with 4 N in it. N is so great that there is no way you wouldn’t want to play 4 them. They will help you in the early game for set-up and in the late game they will disturb your opponent a lot. N will be the key card for winning games with Magnezone in the HGSS-NV format.

I see a very bright future for Magnezone/Yanmega in the upcoming future. Recovering from 3, 2 and 1 card Ns is something no other deck in this format is able to do. I’m pretty sure Magnezone will be seen as solo and as a supporting Pokémon for many other decks as well because of N. This has already been seen with ReshiPlosion and even more decks will try to include Magnezone in them.


Gothitelle/Reuniclus

Pokémon:
4x Gothita(Hypnotic Gaze)
2x Gothorita(Deleting Glare)
3x Gothitelle
3x Solosis
1x Duosion
2x Reuniclus
1x Kyurem(NV)
1x Reshiram
2x Cleffa
= 19

Trainer:

1x Pokegear 3.0.
4x Pokémon Collector
4x Pokémon Communication
4x Twins
2x Sage’s Training
3x N(NV)
2x Tropical Beach
3x Rare Candy
1x Max Potion
1x Super Rod
3x Junk Arm
2x Pokémon Catcher
=30

Energy:

2x Double Colorless Energy
9x Psychic Energy
=11


Gothitelle has 2 new cards for the already very well working list. First, you can add Kyurem because it can Outrage Water weak Pokémons like Reshiram easily. I dropped Zekrom for Kyurem because Reshiram is still a very good counter against Kingdra Prime. The way you play Legendary Digimons in your deck is up to you and your metagame. You have a lot of options and you have to think carefully what fits your metagame the best. 

The second new card is obviously N. It’s like PONT which disturbs your opponent at the same time. Gothitelle is a slow set-upper which wants to be behind prizes all the time so N is perfect for this deck. It doesn’t combo very well with Tropical Beach but sometimes N can buy you 2-3 turns by giving your opponent a bad hand. This will come in handy when you have a horrible opening hand. Third we have Super Rod which is great for this deck because it can get back the Leegendary Pokémons you KO with your damage movements. It can also take back killed Gothitelle, extra energy or Solosises. Super Rod is a perfect fit for this deck.

The future for Gothitelle is beyond my future sight. If Cobalion becomes popular it will have huge problems. Gothitelle has no ways dealing with Electrode based Cobalion deck which has a side attacker which OHKOs Solosis from the bench (Kyurem). Durant autowins Gothitelle as well. The more popular Metal type Pokémon will become, the worse Gothitelle will be. At the moment it looks like Gothitelle will be dead in this format.



Changes in general

If you’ve read my Impact Crater entry of Noble Victories you know pretty much how the set impacts the metagame. However, as we look the old decks there are little to none change in their lists. The greatest impact that NV brings to the metagame is on the deck level. There will be new decks that will make old decks to adjust to them.

N has the greatest impact because it forces fast decks to adjust to it and it makes slower decks a bit stronger. Eviolite works only in Basic attacker decks but most of the format is like that already and it’s difficult to fit in the deck without losing consistency so it’s like a double-edged sword for decks. Super Rod adds late game consistency to each deck that decides to run it. It isn’t necessary in all of the metagame decks but it’s playable.



Conclusion

I’ll be looking forward to CC season and seeing how people modify their decks with Noble Victories cards. The changes I introduced are the basic changes most of the decks will have to face in the format but I hope people are going to come up with new teches against bad match-ups as well. For example in Japan people played Cobalion in ReshiBoar as a Kyurem counter, which I thought was pretty interesting. I’m hoping to see something like that in the western metagame as well.


I hope you found this article informative and came up with good changes to your City Championships decks! CCs are just around the corner so now is your last chance to make the finishing touches to your decks. Feel free to leave comments and questions, good luck for upcoming tournaments and thanks for reading!

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