The New Metagame & Format Shifts
Next Destinies changed our format a lot – it made decks much faster, more aggressive, more powerful, more consistent, and more basic-based. The EX cards have modified the way the game is played so much that the HS-NV format is hardly comparable to HS-ND. This article analyzes these shifts and their impact on the game.
New Factors
The biggest change the new set brings is the EX cards. Each and every one of these cards is very playable. They bring a risk-reward factor to the table that hasn’t existed in the game to the same extent since the last time ex cards were in the format. Basically, once you play an EX, it becomes the “prime target” on your field. If your opponent is capable of knocking it out in one hit, they will because they get multiple prizes for doing so. Therefore, if your opponent has a card like Magnezone in play, it’s often best to avoid dropping EX’s if it can be avoided.
This risk exists with the entire group of EX cards due to Weakness. For example, Zekrom-EX is OHKO’d by Terrakion. However, the risk is especially great with Mewtwo-EX because it can be Knocked Out easily by an opposing Mewtwo with relative ease. The player who attacks with Mewtwo first almost always loses because the first prize you take with it is irrelevant if they can take two back right away. The ability to capitalize on your opponent being more aggressive than you is so huge that Mewtwo has found its way into almost every deck in the metagame.