Standard Deck Tech: Magnezone-VStar - Spread Sniper & Item Finder

Hello everybody. I'm Rodrigo, and I'm here to bring you more ideas and deck possibilities for the Standard format in the Pokémon TCG.

In the face of new cards from the new expansion, let's get to know another Pokémon VStar that is present in the collection and see if it has the potential of a strong deck for the format? I present Magnezone VStar.

Deck Analysis

From the ultra-rare cards within the format, let's analyze whether Magnezone VStar has the potential to enter the competitive scene.

Basically, it's simple to deal with, with the "basic" Magnezone-V hits as "Spread Sniper" in addition to dealing damage to the active Pokémon; and its "evolution" VStar that looks for Items in the deck dealing damage at the same time.

From its VStar power, its attack does very low damage as a "sniper", which is not much — since there are Pokémon with better damage output that can do this "sniper" effect more often, such as Urshifu- VMax -Rapid Strike-, Greninja-VUnion, Jolteon-VMax, but it's already something to consider.

Important Pokémon

From resource-seeking Pokémon, we have the Inteleon CRE 43 line with the ability Quick Shooting that per turn, you put two damage counters on one of the opponent's Pokémon and the Inteleon SSH 58 with the Shady Dealings ability, where if it evolves from your hand into a Drizzile on your turn, you look for two Trainer cards from the deck.

And finally, we have Crobat V DAA 104 with its Dark Asset ability, which if played from your hand to your bench, you can draw cards until you have six in your hand.

Trainer Cards

Now let's talk about the most relevant Trainer cards for deck analysis:

- Professor's Research BRS 147 serves as the “Draw Power” of your game: Discard your hand and draw 7 cards in a row.

- Boss's Orders BRS 132 serves precisely to pull a Pokémon from the opponent's Bench to bring it as active and close with a knockout for Magnezone to finish the damage it started to spread in the game, both with the active and those on the opponent's bench, with the spread done.

- Choice Belt BRS 135: If the Pokémon is equipped with this tool, it gains 30 more damage against the opponent's Pokémon V (either V, VMax, VStar, VUnion).

- Evolution Incense SSH 163 has the effect of looking for an evolution in your deck, revealing it to your opponent and putting it in your hand. It is essential to combo with Inteleon to search for resources, as one of the pillars of the mechanics to find Trainer cards that you need.

- Scoop Up Net RCL 165 Trainer Item type: used to collect a Pokémon that is not V or GX from the game to your hand, that is, the famous "looping" of recycling Sobble, Drizzile and Inteleon to reset its search abilities.

Advantages

This deck is usually for more casual and "for fun" use, as it doesn't shine much in the competitive scenario like an Origin Forme Palkia-VStar, Mew-VMax, Giratina-VStar, but you can play around a bit, and it can be fun.

Also, with 180 damage being Electric-type, it can double the damage dealt by weakness with two main attacking decks like Origin Forme Palkia-VStar and Flying Pikachu-VMax dealing 360 damage.

Magnezone has a great effect for fetching Item cards like Choice Belt, increasing its base damage from 180 to 210, being able to KO 80% of the current Metagame's basic Pokémon V, as well as rendering the opponent's Bench spreads with 90 damage, and maybe pull with a Boss' Orders, dealing 270 damage to one of the opponent's Pokémon.

Disadvantages

The deck is relatively weak and this is due to the raw damage and for being unable to close the basic damage against Pokémon V and VStar of the format, always needing at least two turns to create a “spread” damage net to attempt a working damage engine; and if you are considering more aggressive Pokémon with “Spread Sniper” we have Urshifu-VMax -Rapid Strike, Jolteon-VMax, Greninja-VUnion, Raikou Amazing Rare, Kyogre Amazing Rare, for example.

And in the current format with Pokémon with higher power-up speed to deal tons of damage for few energies, we have Giratina-VStar and Mew-VMax as examples of decks that have low-energy requirements and hit very hard, conditions that Magnezone -VStar can't take.

I would actually avoid this deck, as its potential is one of the lowest within this expansion, probably not worth the investment. However, it can be fun to play this strategy in casual games.

Here is only a partial and suggestive analysis of the possible assembly of the deck, but there may be modifications that can improve it, in some thought of the reader who can see something positive in it and make a few improvements.