Countering the meta with Buzzwole-GX/Zoroark-GX

This weekend was my first weekend of the new standard format. I decided to play a weird Buzzwole-GX/Zoroark-GX deck I had been testing for a few weeks. I felt the matchups were really good and I had a lot of practice with the deck. I finished 16th of 64 mostly because of a misplay on my part.

The List

Card Choices

4th Guzma

I decided to max out on Guzma because against Zoroark decks you want to pull up Zorua in the early game to Jet Punch it. Also, after your Beast Ring turn, if your opponent tries to send up Pokemon you can not knockout you usually will follow up with Guzma for KO turn after turn until you win.

2 Lillie 1 Pokemon Fan Club

Overall I think Lillie is the best turn one supporter in any deck (Particularly in this deck because you have an extra out to basics off off the 2 Brooklet Hill and the 3 Nest Ball). However, some games you open with a hand that you can not thin enough to comfortably Lillie or you already have evolutions, energy, and draw support for next turn, and in those situations you usually want to just search for Pokemon Fan Club instead.

1 Tate and Liza

This is really just a 5th Cynthia. I just wanted a little bit of a consistency boost in the early game, especially against a turn 1 Judge or Marshadow. I considered playing Pal Pad instead but if you have a dead hand it feels bad to top deck Pal Pad.

3 Choice Band

I decided to play a 3rd Choice Band in case my opponent knocks out my Diancie in the early game. Also against decks with 180HP attackers like Rayquaza-GX and Necrozma-GX, you can set up 30 on two, then finish them off with a full benched, choice banded Riotous Beating with Zoroark in the mid to late game.

1 Switch

I decided to play Switch to open up my options since I do not have a free retreater and to increase my odds of a turn 1 or turn 2 Jet Punch.

1 Energy Recycle System

I have heavily debated between Energy Recycle System and an 8th Fighting energy but I think that I have Beast Ring turns with too many energy when I don't play Energy Recycle System more often than I don't have an attachment for turn or any energy in the discard when I draw into Energy Recycle System while playing it.

1 Timer Ball

So I did not test with Timer Ball at all but I had one very flexible spot in the deck and decided to play the Timer Ball at the recommendation of my teammate. During the day Timer Ball went 0-4, excluding times when I only played it to thin. i would not play this card again in this deck.

Matches

Round 1 VS Alexander Stojanovic w/Zoroark-GX/Golisopod-GX/Weavile

So in this game I go first and Pokemon Fan Club for two Zorua. My opponent plays open Zorua and searches out 2 Zorua and a Wimpod on his turn, thinking that I am playing Zoroark-GX/Lycanroc-GX because of the discard of a Fighting energy. Thinking he is playing Zoroark-GX/Golisopod-GX I evolve both of my Zorua, play down Diancie, and use Tapu Lele-GX to search for a Cynthia. On my opponents turn he plays down the Sneasel and I know I'm in a bad spot because of the number of Pokemon with abilities I have in play. I miss the Guzma to knockout the Sneasel before another one comes down. On my Beast Ring turn I manage to hit two and power up two Buzzwole-GX. Eventually, I bring my self down to 2 prizes off of an Absorption-GX while he only had two prizes left and a Weavile in play. He misses the Guzma for the game on my benched Tapu Lele-GX giving me an opening to take the game next turn. I miss the Guzma on my turn with two left in deck and I put myself down to 1 prize left. On his turn he hits the Guzma and takes the game. 0-1

Round 2 VS Andrew Sicard w/Magnezone

This game was pretty unexciting. My opponent opens four basic Pokemon (None of which are Magnemite). He dead draws and I knock out everything he tries to set up before it gets going. He plays down a Magnemite on turn 6 or so and I Guzma KO it. Eventually I just take my 6 prizes to win the game. 1-1

Round 3 VS Vincent Vuong w/Zoroark-GX/Lycanroc-GX

This is the deck's best matchup and it goes exactly the way it is supposed to. My opponent goes down to three prizes off of a Dangerous Rogue-GX, I use two Beast Ring to power up two Buzzwole-GX. I Absorption-GX the Lycanroc and he has no way one to one shot anything I have on Board. I Guzma the next two turns for two more GX knockouts. 2-1

Round 4 VS Kent Shen w/Ultra Necrozma-GX/Malamar

I go first and get a single Zorua followed by a Lillie to 8 which gets me no more playable cards. So I just pass. My opponent with no Inkay in play and a Dawn Wings-GX as his only attacker, uses Mysterious Treasure to search out a Marshadow, intimidated by my eight card hand and wanting to extend his turn. This hits me a Cynthia and him a single Inkay. On my turn I play Cynthia and just get a bit more set up. My opponent plays Cynthia and hits a Malamar but not a second Inkay or another attacker. He does not manage to get a knockout with the Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX that turn but leaves it active; so, on my next turn I judge him back down to 4 and knock out the Dawn Wings. He does knock manage to draw out of the Judge before I win the game. 3-1

Round 5 VS Demetrio Labella w/Honchkrow/Weavile

I went into this round knowing exactly who and what I was going to be playing against. I was a bit nervous because my has a pretty close matchup against spread decks. My opponent never got set up this game however and I was able to just bench him out with Riotous Beatings. 4-1

Round 6 VS Ciaran Farah w/Magnezone

In this game the moment was swinging back and forth. On my first turn I got Buzzwole-GX into the active position, attached to it, benched a Diancie and a Zorua, then played Judge hoping he would draw dead and I could apply pressure with Jet Punch. It worked for a little bit, He was not able to get Ribombee into play because Cutiefly has 30HP which left it vulnerable to Jet Punch. I was able to put 100 damage on to his Dusk Mane before he top decked Steven's Resolve. At this point I also had not got any more set up than I was when I played Judge. I top decked Tate and Liza to get me out of the dead hand. I set up some more, and got more Pokemon in play. The next turn my opponents gets Magnezone and knocks out my Buzzwole-GX. I only hit one Beast Ring and respond with and respond with a knockout. Eventually my opponent gets the knockout on my powered up Buzzwole-GX to bring the game to 1-1 in prizes and gets another Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX into play with an energy on it. Knowing that I can not take another KO I Guzma up a Magnezone to two shot it and hope that my opponent doesn't have the Guzma and an energy or the five metal energy (really three energy because Mt. Coronet was in play) to take the game that turn. My opponent does not have either; however, he does have Tapu Lele-GX in hand. So, he uses Mt. Coronet to retreat the Magnezone, then he uses Tapu Lele-GX for Fisherman to power up the Meteor Tempest for game. 4-2

Changes in hindsight

The only change I would make to the list is I would cut the Timer Ball for a 3rd Buzzwole-GX, since this tournament I have played ten or so games with this change and it allows me to pull out Jet Punch turns in the early game much more consistently while still opening the double Beast Ring play for me more often.

Team Stats