Decks You Expect to Encounter at Nats

[TuxedoBlack]

What "major" decks do you expect to encounter at Nats?

I expect to see some of the "old" decks (that are tried and true), as well as some newer decks. Specifically, in preparation for Nats, I plan to playtest my 3 Nats decks (still undetermined at this time) against:

• 
  Blastoise-Keldeo
  Charizard variants (*)
  Darkrai EX variants (*)
  Emboar-Delphox
  Infernape
  PlasmaBox (*)
  RayBoar
  Shiftry variants
  Yveltal variants (*)

(*) = upgraded with counters to Pyroar

 

[Athena]

Moved to TCG Competitive Play.

 

[Cortel II]

I agree with most of your list, these are the 10 most popular decks I'm expecting to see.

• 
  Rain Dance (Blastoise/Keldeo EX / BKEX or Rayboar)
  Charzard Variants
  Pyroar Lock decks
  Yveltal EX Variants
  Darkrai EX Variants
  Plasma Variants (Lugia EX, TDK)
  Fairybox
  Mega Kangaskhan EX / Aromatisse
  Garbodor / Big Basics
  VirGen (Virizion EX / Genesect EX / Raichu)

 

[TuxedoBlack]

Expected US Nats Top Decks?

I recently learned from a Poke pal that the Top 8 players in the UK Nats ran the following decks:

• 
  Yveltal-Garbodor
  Yveltal-Raichu
  Yveltal-Garbodor
  PlasmaTisse
  Virizion-Genesect
  Virizion-Genesect
  Darkrai-Yveltal-Bouffalant-Druddigon
  Speed Lugia

After first seeing this list, I was quite surprised that there were no Rain Dance (Blastoise and Emboar) nor Charizard decks in the T8.

Given the UK Nats results, how much "influence" do you think this outcome have upon US players?

Personally, I still expect that Rain Dance decks will be "well represented" at our Nats, especially Blastoise. Good players running Blastoise decks have done well this season; and there are very few (if any?), new Poke that would greatly discourage those players from continuing to run this very successful deck. On the other hand, with the boost Fire Poke received from recent sets, I've seen more players lean towards faster, Basic-oriented decks vs. Emboar-based decks.

Given the decks I've encountered this season and most recently, I expect the "pool" of decks I'll encounter at the US Nats will fall into the following main groups:

• 
  Blastoise
  Charizard
  Plasma
  Virizion-Genesect
  Yveltal

Thoughts?

 

[Blah]

I think you may have forgotten Druddigon.

And I actually feel that the lack of Blastoise and Rayboar in UK is a very clear indicator that the deck isn't what it used to be. It is far easier to gain access to Tropical Beach in Europe due to many languages being legal, and we often see decks that use Tropical Beach pop up fairly often in European countries. The fact that there were none in the top 8 of UK nats shows that it may have really taken a hit from Druddigon being in the format.

Of course, all Nationals results should be taken with a grain of salt, since most foreign Nationals are generally the size of our Regionals, often even smaller. U.S. Nationals, which normally has upwards of 900 players in masters, is a very different tournament.

 

[TuxedoBlack]

I think you may have forgotten Druddigon.

Not at all; I don't consider Druddigon to be a deck "group" as much as a tech one might include in decks (belonging to one of the above-mentioned deck groups).

And I actually feel that the lack of Blastoise and Rayboar in UK is a very clear indicator that the deck isn't what it used to be. It is far easier to gain access to Tropical Beach in Europe due to many languages being legal, and we often see decks that use Tropical Beach pop up fairly often in European countries. The fact that there were none in the top 8 of UK nats shows that it may have really taken a hit from Druddigon being in the format.

Today, I played a Charizard deck (took 4th with 3-1-1 record) at a League Challenge where we had several Blastoise deck players (3 who also still plan to run those decks at Nats). During one game, I noted how my opponent started playing more conservatively after I dropped my Druddigon and KOd her BKEX...

 

[Camoclone]

And I actually feel that the lack of Blastoise and Rayboar in UK is a very clear indicator that the deck isn't what it used to be. It is far easier to gain access to Tropical Beach in Europe due to many languages being legal, and we often see decks that use Tropical Beach pop up fairly often in European countries. The fact that there were none in the top 8 of UK nats shows that it may have really taken a hit from Druddigon being in the format.

Today, I played a Charizard deck (took 4th with 3-1-1 record) at a League Challenge where we had several Blastoise deck players (3 who also still plan to run those decks at Nats). During one game, I noted how my opponent started playing more conservatively after I dropped my Druddigon and KOd her BKEX...

The results of one tournament does not mean that much (bar Nationals and Worlds). Especially a league challenge where local meta plays a huge role (not to mention that not everyone might be extremely competitive). I'm sure that there will be Blastoise and Rayboar players at Nats however I doubt that they will do that well.

 

[TuxedoBlack]

I'm sure that there will be Blastoise and Rayboar players at Nats however I doubt that they will do that well.

I do expect a number of players will run these Rain Dance decks at Nats (these decks have done well throughout the season across the US), but why do you doubt these players will do well?

 

[Camoclone]

I'm sure that there will be Blastoise and Rayboar players at Nats however I doubt that they will do that well.

I do expect a number of players will run these Rain Dance decks at Nats (these decks have done well throughout the season across the US), but why do you doubt these players will do well?

So many decks will run Druddigon FLF (they can easily tech it in). Just because it has done well in the past does no mean that they will continue to do well. Metagames shift when new sets and decks surface.

 

[Ironman131]

As a tech people will probaly only run 1-2 druddigion. That will not stop the blastoise decks, or emboar decks to be powerfull. Druudigion will slow the decks down but it will not change the meta by itself. Decks that have been good all season will still be good at nationals and wolds.

 

[Blah]

I do expect a number of players will run these Rain Dance decks at Nats (these decks have done well throughout the season across the US), but why do you doubt these players will do well?

So many decks will run Druddigon FLF (they can easily tech it in). Just because it has done well in the past does no mean that they will continue to do well. Metagames shift when new sets and decks surface.

^ That, and although foreign Nationals' results should, again, not be taken at face value, Blastoise has been in the top 8 of...one of them out of the 5 or 6 that have happened. Many, many Yveltal/Garbodor lists are teching in Druddigon, which makes the Blastoise matchup for that deck overwhelmingly positive (considering it was already a good matchup before Druddigon was released). Yveltal/Garbodor is probably the most popular (and arguably the best) deck in the format, and considering Blastoise has several other difficult matchups, such as other Garbodor variants and Virizion/Genesect, the chances of it doing well are dwindling.

 

[Ironman131]

Blastoise and emboar decks are still good though. I agree that they wont get played as much as last season. They will still be played though because they still have merit and are still some of the top decks in the format.

I can almost gurentee their will be players playing blastoise and emboar decks at nationals and possibly even worlds. Both decks that can attack that are not Black kyurem ex and Rayquaza EX.

Blastoise has Keldeo EX and emboar has delphox or reshiram that can attack as well.

 

[Yo-yos]

Aromatisse variants (kangaskhan, plasma, etc)
Yveltal / Garb
Raindance (delrayboar and stoise)
Big Basics / stage 1's and garbo variants
Lock Decks (Sigi, Pyroar, Suicune, Trevenant, etc)