Amid the Top 8 decks in Balitmore that featured the usual suspects (i.e. Gardevoir, Regidrago, Lugia and Roaring Moon) was this weird deck Canadian player Nolan Randall used utilizing only 2 Pokémon: Cornerstone Ogerpon ex and Noivern ex. So come with me (or don't, I'm not your Dad) as I dissect this oddball deck and decide whether or not Nolan was on to something.
THE DECKLIST ITSELF
Pokémon: 9
4 Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex TWM 112
3 Noibat PAL 152
2 Noivern ex PAL 153
Trainer: 39
4 Arven OBF 186
3 Penny SVI 183
3 Colress's Experiment LOR 155
3 Iono PAL 185
2 Colress's Tenacity SFA 57
1 Boss's Orders PAL 172
4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
4 Pokégear 3.0 SVI 186
2 Night Stretcher SFA 61
2 Nest Ball SVI 181
1 Scoop Up Cyclone TWM 162
1 Counter Catcher PAR 160
1 Energy Loto ASR 140
1 Earthen Vessel PAR 163
1 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144
1 Technical Machine: Turbo Energize PAR 179
1 Rock Chestplate SVI 192
1 Exp. Share SVI 174
1 Rescue Board TEF 159
1 Town Store OBF 196
1 Artazon PAL 171
Energy: 12
5 Fighting Energy SVE 6
4 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151
3 Mist Energy TEF 161
This deck feels like Iron Thorns ex: a control deck with few Pokémon in it that whales on you with a rather-weak-yet-steady attack while its ability (or in Noivern's case, the effects of Covert Flight) keeps you nearly powerless and only rarely able to knock something out. However, there's a few additional cards that feel tailored to it, such as Rock Chestplate serving as a means to further shield Cornerstone Ogerpon. Outside of that, there's standard fare like Arven and Colress (both his Experiment and his Tenacity) for fishing out cards, Penny and Scoop Up Cyclone to get your Pokemon out of sticky spots, and Town Store to fish out some tools.
DECKS THIS WORKS GOOD AGAINST
Cornerstone Stance makes Ogerpon a good shield against cards like Charizard ex and Regidrago VSTAR, even if Demolish is rather weak. Meanwhile, Noivern could possibly inconvenience Raging Bolt ex and Iron Thorns as they are both Basic Cards.
DECKS THIS WORKS BAD AGAINST
The biggest weakness to this deck is Roaring Moon ex. It has no abilities that could make Cornerstone Stance worth it, and Covert Flight could easily get negated by Frenzied Gouging. Gardevoir could also use Drifloon and Mimikyu to tiptoe around invincibility. Looking forward, Terapagos could abuse the fact that Demolish doesn't hit for Weakness and that a DTE Cover Flight is useless once Bouffalant's Curly Wall is established AND that it has no ability to flog Ogerpon with a full Area Zero Bench or Crown Opal.
VERDICT
Play this if you don't feel like playing Iron Thorns.
THE DECKLIST ITSELF
Pokémon: 9
4 Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex TWM 112
3 Noibat PAL 152
2 Noivern ex PAL 153
Trainer: 39
4 Arven OBF 186
3 Penny SVI 183
3 Colress's Experiment LOR 155
3 Iono PAL 185
2 Colress's Tenacity SFA 57
1 Boss's Orders PAL 172
4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
4 Pokégear 3.0 SVI 186
2 Night Stretcher SFA 61
2 Nest Ball SVI 181
1 Scoop Up Cyclone TWM 162
1 Counter Catcher PAR 160
1 Energy Loto ASR 140
1 Earthen Vessel PAR 163
1 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144
1 Technical Machine: Turbo Energize PAR 179
1 Rock Chestplate SVI 192
1 Exp. Share SVI 174
1 Rescue Board TEF 159
1 Town Store OBF 196
1 Artazon PAL 171
Energy: 12
5 Fighting Energy SVE 6
4 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151
3 Mist Energy TEF 161
This deck feels like Iron Thorns ex: a control deck with few Pokémon in it that whales on you with a rather-weak-yet-steady attack while its ability (or in Noivern's case, the effects of Covert Flight) keeps you nearly powerless and only rarely able to knock something out. However, there's a few additional cards that feel tailored to it, such as Rock Chestplate serving as a means to further shield Cornerstone Ogerpon. Outside of that, there's standard fare like Arven and Colress (both his Experiment and his Tenacity) for fishing out cards, Penny and Scoop Up Cyclone to get your Pokemon out of sticky spots, and Town Store to fish out some tools.
DECKS THIS WORKS GOOD AGAINST
Cornerstone Stance makes Ogerpon a good shield against cards like Charizard ex and Regidrago VSTAR, even if Demolish is rather weak. Meanwhile, Noivern could possibly inconvenience Raging Bolt ex and Iron Thorns as they are both Basic Cards.
DECKS THIS WORKS BAD AGAINST
The biggest weakness to this deck is Roaring Moon ex. It has no abilities that could make Cornerstone Stance worth it, and Covert Flight could easily get negated by Frenzied Gouging. Gardevoir could also use Drifloon and Mimikyu to tiptoe around invincibility. Looking forward, Terapagos could abuse the fact that Demolish doesn't hit for Weakness and that a DTE Cover Flight is useless once Bouffalant's Curly Wall is established AND that it has no ability to flog Ogerpon with a full Area Zero Bench or Crown Opal.
VERDICT
Play this if you don't feel like playing Iron Thorns.