Standard Deck Tech: Dragapult VMax + Sableye

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.

With the hype of the expansion of Lost Origin there are new cards that can adapt and have new interactions with old cards, we have an upgrade to Dragapult-VMax with a more comprehensive and dynamic “Spread” damage method.

Deck Analysis

With the Dragapult VMax we have the second attack Max Phantom, which deals 130 and deals 5 damage counters on your opponent's bench, creating this minimum "Spread" in the game distribution.

With the “Spread” damage complement, we have Sableye LOR 70 with its second attack, Lost Mine, which for a psychic energy, can only attack if the tribute is paid with 10 cards in the Lost Zone, and if fulfilled, it puts 12 damage counters on the opponent's Pokémon in any way you choose.

But for Sableye to do this effect for the 10-card tribute in the Lost Zone, Comfey LOR 79 with the ability to look at the top two cards of the deck and choose one for the hand and one for the Lost Zone is a key to create synergy, plus we have resources like Colress's Experiment LOR 155 that complement the discard.

Basically, it's Dragapult-VMax initiating raw damage from 130 and five counters (50 damage total) and Sableye as the KO finisher with the counters since with two turns it can add 24 damage counters for a total of 240 damage!

Recursive Pokémon

1) Radiant Greninja ASR 46, which with its Concealed Cards ability, you discard an energy card from your hand to draw two cards.

2) Comfey LOR 79 with its Flower Selecting ability, where if it is your active Pokémon, you look at the top two cards of your deck: one goes to your hand and the other to the Lost Zone.

3) Galarian Zigzagoon SSH 117 has the ability Headbutt Tantrum, where you choose an opponent's Pokémon and place a damage counter, which is usually to close up any remaining damage that is missing to knock out a Pokémon during the "Spread".

4) Crobat V DAA 104 uses its Dark Asset ability that, if played from your hand to the bench, you draw cards until you have six in your hand.

Trainer Cards

- Colress's Experiment LOR 155 is the heart of the gear of the Lost Zone engine.

- Marnie SSH 169 is for controlling the opponent's hand.

- Roxanne ASR 150: you can only play it if your opponent has 3 prize cards left to win the game. Your opponent shuffles their hand and draws just two cards, and you shuffle your hand and draws 6 cards.

- Mirage Gate LOR 163 is excellent for power-up, as it can take two different basic energies and put it on one of your Pokémon. You must have at least 7 cards in the Lost Zone to fulfill its effect.

- Lost Vacuum is a card that has the same effects as Field Blower GRI 125, but with Lost Zone costs, that is, the cards chosen to be discarded in the game, whether stadium or tool, go to the Lost Zone.

- Scoop Up Net RCL 165 is for catching back a Pokémon from the game to the hand other than GX or V. Useful for picking up the Galarian Zigzagoon SSH 117 and creating the loop with its ability to cause this “Spread” with 10 damage.

- Training Court RCL 169: you and your opponent, between turns, can take a basic energy from the discard pile and put it in your hands.

Advantages

This deck easily has an advantage against Fighting types like Urshifu VMax -Rapid Strike, Hisuian Decidueye V and Galarian Zapdos V due to its double weakness.

Decks that use Diancie ASR 68 to protect the basic Pokémon aren't very effective, as Diancie can't protect Pokémon with its ability.

Strategies that use Manaphy BRS 41 also don't have much solidity against us, as their Wave Velt ability defends from direct damage, not damage counters. And since the *Dragapult VMax deck revolves around counters, it's effective against the archetype in general.

Decks with Inteleon SSH 58, Inteleon CRE 43, Drizzile SSH 56 and Sobble CRE 41 range suffer, especially at the hands of Sableye, as it distributes more counters, managing to undermine in two turns almost Sobble's entire evolutionary line, and taking away the opponent's search resources.

Disadvantages

Decks with raw damage like Mew-VMax, which can hit up to 300 damage and strategies that tap into Dragapult's weakness, dark types like Darkrai-VStar and Drapion-VStar.

Greninja-VUnion matches because the 100-damage “Spread Sniper” on all Benched Pokémon is also something that can be tricky to deal with.

Deck with Pokémon that inhibit damage from VMax Pokémon, like Zamazenta V SSH 139 and Stamina and Durability Decks like Hisuian Goodra-VStar.

It's one of the strongest "Spread" decks we currently have, and it's on par with Mewtwo VUnion and Mimikyu VMax.

For those who like to manipulate damage this way, indirectly and slowly undermining the opponent's Pokémon, this deck is a good guarantee!