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Standard Zygarde Anti-Meta

rayquazatopaz34

rayquazatopaz34

How to Pokemon?
Member
Recently, I've been looking at meta from the past few regionals and LC analyses as written by the big guys and top players and went digging for a specific counter to the meta. During this digging I found Zygarde (10%) 52/124. This completely locks down your opponents active if its either {D} or {Y} (fairy) type. I boiled down to this list.


Zygarde Box

4 Zygarde (10%)
2 Carbink (safeguard)
1 Carbink Break
2 Regirock EX
3 Shaymin EX

Pokemon – 12

3 Professor Sycamore
2 Professor Kukui
2 N
2 Lysandre
1 Hex Maniac
-10

4 Ultra Ball
4 VS Seeker
4 Bursting Balloon
4 Trainers’ Mail
3 Float Stone
2 Special Charge
1 Eco Arm
1 Escape Rope
1 Super Rod

Items - 24

2 Parallel City

Stadiums – 2


Trainers – 36

4 Strong Energy
4 DCE

Energy – 8

Thats 4 open spots for something. I'm not too sure if I've either missed something important, or if its just a thin list.

Card Explanations:
- 4 Zygarde
This is our main attacker (and only really I guess) so it makes sense to run full playset, especially because its a 1 prize attacker.
-2-1 Carbink/carbink BREAK
Carbink for stall. Break for energy retrieval and stall damage against EX's.
- 2 Regirock EX
Extra damage for hitting against resistance (yveltals, Rayquaza) and balancing for extra damage in other matchups
- 3 Shaymin EX
Draw support. 3 for speed. I've consitered running 4 but I feel that 3 is a good number.
- 3-2-2 Draw Engine
3 Sycamore is for discard draw, I cut one for a Kukui
2 Kukui is for even more damage and a little extra draw after a shaymin or something.
2 N is textbook, Could run 3 but I like Kukui
- 4 Bursting Balloon
Extra damage and mind games. I've thought about running 4 FFB instead and cut the eco arm for something else.
- Energy (all Special)
Thank god Aegislash-EX doesn't exist in standard. This is all the energy I need, and running Strong energy over basic is for damage, even if hammers run me through.

Matchups
Turbo Dark - This is the main reason I decided that this would be viable. Its basically a direct counter (rip no tool discarding) other than some loopholes. Its almost an auto loss to them 80-20 to us.

Yveltal - Pretty much the same as above. Harder to 2HKO with resistance (almost). 65-35 to us.

Vespiquen - I'm not too sure about this one. They hit us for weakness but we easily hit easy OHKOs every turn but they return OHKO us every time (almost). Parallel City and Hex (kind of) are our only real help in this matchup. This makes me think I could try to run 2 Hex for both this, volcanion and Ninjas. 40-60 to them.

Gardevoir - If they can get them to burn their switch cards early on (4 or so) with both lysande and Zygarde's first attack (basically a lysandre) you basically win unless they decide that ranger is a fun tech (scrubs). 70-30 to us.

Rainbows Rampage (Road) - I haven't had the chance to have this matchup yet. If someone can theorise this matchup for me, plz suggest. ?-? ?'s favour.

Rayquaza - You will get completely run over 2-0 if you can't get a Parallel up in time. Other than that, carbink is your only hope. 30-70 to them.

Ninjas - Autoloss unless you can pull something crazy. Could run Giratina Promo. give up-9001 their favour.

Volcanion - You win prize trade and you can Attempt to outspeed them but other than that you might be in trouble. 35-65 to them (I think...)

Thats all I can think of for now, so all Input is appreciated.
 
I'm a Zygarde EX deck player too and have played a variety of deck variations in tournaments. So, following are a few thoughts for your consideration:
  • In Standard format play, Regirock EX provide a nice "bump" in damage output, but it is more of a liability than an asset since you'll need to incorprate extra cards to get it back to the bench when your opponent Lysandre 1 to the active position.
  • I'd strongly suggest running 2 Carbink BREAK, not 1. It is that valuable to this deck, IMO.
  • Why run DCE???? This seems to be more of a distraction and not that helpful to your main attackers.
  • IMO, the sole 4 Strong energy are woefully insufficient to maximize damage output at critical times. More F energy is needed.
  • Bursting Balloons can be "played around." Have you considered using Hammers instead?
  • Should you get 3 Shaymin EXs into play and are not able to remove them, then you've provided game-winning targets to your opponent who may not have to deal with your Zygarde EXs.
  • Why no Fighting Fury Belts to help "tank" your Zygarde EXs?
  • I've found Olympia to be a very good, reuseable Supporter to get an unwanted Active back to my bench (in addition to Escape Rope and Switch).
  • 1 Max Potion can also be of great value too at times.
  • The particular deck builds I now use are Zygarde-Carbink-Hammers and Zygarde-Carbink-Zebstrika. I have found these particular variations to be most effective. Interestingly enough, I'm now considering revising a deck to incorporate Regirock EX, but with Zoroark in order to to get unwanted Pokémon out of the active position.
By the way, in terms of some of your listed match-ups:
  • Turbo Darkrai EX: I agree, should be an easy win.
  • Yveltal EX: I also run this deck and usually beat Zygarde EX decks 85%+ of the time, largely due to Fright Night Yveltal.
  • Vespiquen: This is a really bad match-up for Zygarde EX decks. Vespiquen decks usually win the Stadium "war," setup much faster, do not need a large bench (actually reducing that opponent's bench could help them), can not be "walled" by Carbink, and win the prize exchange. IMO, odds of winning that match-up with your current build is 10%-90%.
  • For both Gardevoir EX and Rainbow Force match-ups, well-timed Parallel City play can really help in enhancing your chances to win. 50%-50%.
  • "Typical" Volcanion EX decks can out-speed typical Zygarde EX decks, hit for more damage faster, can win the prize exchange (since little Volcanion is inflicting lots of the damage), and can utilize Rough Seas for healing. 25%-75%
Also, now that SM cards will soon be legal, any thoughts on how you plan to counter the expected G decks?
 
Just saying, Its not the Zygarde-EX I've put up on the list... Its the Fairy and Dark lockdown one. If you did accnowledge that, I will gladly take your suggestions in hand. Just need confirmation that you know its the non-EX Uncommon from FCL.
 
rayquazatopaz34 said:
Just saying, Its not the Zygarde-EX I've put up on the list... Its the Fairy and Dark lockdown one. If you did accnowledge that, I will gladly take your suggestions in hand. Just need confirmation that you know its the non-EX Uncommon from FCL.
Click to expand...
Apologies for my misunderstanding - somehow I unfortunately registered Zygarde EX in my mind (and response comments), not Zygarde (Aura Break). Most of my comments above are irrelevant except for perhaps my comments regarding:
  • Regirock EX,
  • Running a 2-2 Carbink BREAK line,
  • 3 Shaymin EXs, and
  • Olympia
Thank you for bringing this oversight to my attention. Again, apologies.
 
Then you fight a Lurantis-GX deck. Anti-meta? Not for the time being while Lurantis is still hyped. Define toy after a while it will be anti meta but for now Lurantis is too popular.
 
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