Expanded Deck Tech: ADP Tag Team GX + Dragonite V

We've had a sudden, absurd, trend wave of the dragon type in TCGOnline (and outside Brazil in the physical TCG) alongside Regidrago VStar from the set Silver Tempest. Before it, it was Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX CEC 156 with Dragonite V PR-SW SWSH154, which came in a promotional box in its regular rarity version, as originally, it is from the Evolving Skies set, in which it was only possible to get, in boosters, its Full Art and Alternative/Secret Art versions.

However, with the arrival of the special set Crown Zenith, a tool came along that enhanced the way this deck can be destructive: Sky Seal Stone CRZ 143, which added an extra card draw to the ones that this deck already does naturally, thanks to ADP's GX attack.

Decklist

Arceus & Dialga & Palkia Tag Team-GX

1) Attack - Ultimate Ray (W)(M)(C): deals 150 damage and charges up to 3 energies from your deck to one of your Pokémon in any way you'd like.

2) GX Attack - Altered Creation (M): if you use a steel energy to pay for it, you get 30 more damage to all your Pokémon on board during the whole game. However, if besides the (M) energy, you also have a (W) energy attached, aside from the previous benefit, you also draw one extra Prize Card for each enemy Pokémon you Knock Out during the whole game.

Here begins the absurd power of this card, which has 3 roles:

1) The charging of 3 basic energies to any Pokémon you'd like.

2) With its GX attack, you grant 30 additional damage to your Pokémon throughout the whole game.

3) And through its GX attack, besides the benefit above, you can get one extra Prize Card for each Knock Out any of your Pokémon causes to your opponent, in which:

- Considering if you defeat a "baby" Pokémon, you get 2 Prize Cards instead of 1 card!

- If you defeat an EX, GX, V or VStar Pokémon, you get 3 Prize Cards instead of 2 cards!

- And finally, if you defeat a Tag Team-GX, VMax or VUnion Pokémon, you get 4 cards instead of 3 cards!

Dragonite V: Second Attacker and Match Finisher

1) Attack - Shred (C)(C): this attack deals 50 damage and isn't affected by any of the enemy Pokémon's Active effects.

2) Attack - Dragon Gale (W)(W)(L): this attack deals 250 damage to the enemy's Active Pokémon, but with the downside of dealing 20 damage to all your benched Pokémon.

The first attack needs no introduction because it goes through any effect, even over those annoying Pokémon which are protected against damage such as "the next round, I don't take damage from basic Pokémon", such as Eiscue EVS 47 or any Pokémon which are immune to V Pokémon damage, such as Decidueye DAA 13 and Altaria CPA 49.

About the second attack, which has the downside of dealing 20 damage to your benched Pokémon, we have Mr. Mime BKT 97 with its ability Bench Barrier, which protects your benched Pokémon from being damaged.

And with these points, let's remember Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX CEC 156's GX attack grants 30 additional damage. ”Shred” becomes 80 instead of 50, and ”Dragon Gale” becomes 280 instead of 250 damage; and with 280 damage you destroy 90% of any Tag Team-GX Pokémon in the format, as their average HP is 270 (with a few exceptions), besides all the format's VStar (except for Regigigas VSTAR CRZ 114).

But what about VStar Pokémon? Don't be afraid because with the use of Choice Belt BRS 135,you get 30 extra damage for any V type Pokémon, that is, from 280, you'll deal 310 damage, and then indeed, you can destroy all VStar Pokémon in the format and also get 3 Prizes due to ADP'S GX effect! . That is without mentioning some VMax Pokémon you can deal one final blow, such as Mew VMAX LOR TG30; and in that, to close out damages against VMax, we have Radiant Hawlucha ASR 81, which grants 30 extra additional damage, reaching 340 damage, and therefore able to destroy an Eternatus VMAX SHF SV122.

And now the icing on the cake: ADP's GX effect in the third topic about card draw... In the new special set Sword/Shield: Crown Zenith, there is a tool called Sky Seal Stone CRZ 143:

"If a basic V Pokémon has this tool attached, and it Knocks Out an enemy VMax or VStar Pokémon, it gets an extra Prize Card for doing so."

Now, remember the additional draw from ADP's GX effect? In this simulation, let's say your Dragonite V PR-SW SWSH154 through its Dragon Gale attack with an attack buff, deals 280 damage and is equipped with Sky Seal Stone CRZ 143, destroys a Lugia VSTAR SIT 139 which is not equipped with a V Guard Energy SIT 169, so it has the exact 280 HP for your Dragonite V to close the deal: besides drawing Lugia VStar's two Prize Cards by the rule, you get 2 Prize cards, plus 1 more due to ADP's GX effect, and then you draw one more Prize card due to the Tool Sky Seal Stone, totalling 4 Prize Cards in one go!

Now do you understand how this combo is extremely strong and devastating?

Vikavolt V: the Item Lock Attacker

1) Attack - Paralyzing Bolt (L)(C): deals 30 damage and in the next round, the opponent won't be able to play any Item type Trainer cards from their hand.

2) Attack - Super Zap Cannon (L)(L)(C): you deal 190 damage and discards two energies from this Pokémon.

What interests us is its first attack, in which it locks down any enemy Item usage, that is, it locks down the use of Quick Ball, Level Ball, Ultra Ball, also preventing Mew VMAX FST 114's deck a lot, which uses and abuses cards such as Cram-o-matic FST 229 and Power Tablet FST 236. Considering Mew's League deck is in the foreign market for a while, it is very common to face it.

That is without mentioning Vikavolt V DAA 60 deals double the damage to Lugia VSTAR SIT 139 because of its electric type weakness, there being its second-biggest advantage.

And keep in mind, it can get ADP'S attack increase bonuses, making Paralyzing Bolt go from 30 to 50 damage, and Super Zap Cannon from 190 to 220 damage.

It can also use Choice Belt BRS 135 to get 30 extra damage against V Pokémon; and going further, with Sky Seal Stone CRZ 143, let's imagine a match in which Vikavolt V DAA 60 faces an Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR ASR 40. Vikavolt-V can draw 4 Prize Cards, as Origin Forme Palkia VStar has electric type weakness, being hit for 440 damage, including ADP's damage!

In another hypothetical situation, let's suppose there is a match against a Lapras VMAX SSH 50, with 320 HP. With Sky Seal Stone CRZ 143 and the Pokémon's electric type weakness, besides drawing 3 cards as per the rule, if you are boosted with ADP's GX effect, you draw 1 extra Prize Card and another one thanks to Sky Seal Stone CRZ 143, totaling 5 Prize Cards for 440 damage in one hit alone!

Good Hands for Game Start

Here there are no secrets! Be the second to play in the game's first round so that you can play Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX CEC 156 with Double Dragon Energy ROS 97 to activate the GX attack (and pray your opponent doesn't use a Pokémon Ranger STS 104 or an Enhanced Hammer GRI 124 to disrupt you).

In that, you have Zeraora-GX LOT 86 with Thunderclap Zone, which allows all your Pokémon to have free retreat cost in case they have any electric energies attached to them.

We also have Dragonite V PR-SW SWSH154 ready to be put on the bench, so it's the next attacker.

Besides you also having a Quick Ball FST 237, which gives you two choices: look after a Tapu Lele-GX GRI 60 to go after a Supporter card in the turn such as a Professor's Research (Professor Oak) CEL 23 or N FCO 105; or go after Dedenne-GX UNB 57 to discard your hand as a sort of "Professor's Research" without spending a Supporter in the turn and draw 6 cards and pray in the next turn, your hand is better.

Recursive Pokémon

- Dedenne-GX UNB 57 comes in with Dedecharge, which if you play from the hand to the bench, you discard your current hand and draw 6 cards.

- Crobat V DAA 104 has Dark Asset, which if you play from the hand to the bench, you draw cards in your hand until you have 6.

- Zeraora-GX LOT 86 has Thunderclap Zone, which your Pokémon have their retreat cost to zero if they have an electric energy attached to them.

This effect can be locked down by the stadiums Silent Lab PRC 140 and Path to the Peak CRE 148 or Pokémon that lock down abilities, such as Alolan Muk SUM 58 or Garbodor BKP 57.

But this Pokémon can also serve as an attacker by using basic electric energies against enemy Pokémon that disable the use of special energies, as this deck uses special energies for its dragons, and that can be an advantage.

- Tapu Koko ◇ TEU 51 has Dance of the Ancients: if it is in the bench and there are basic electric energies in the discard pile, you can activate this ability and choose two benched Pokémon to get an energy each, and if you do, you send Tapu Koko ◇ to the Lost Zone.

It comes in as a very useful and efficient energy booster.

- Radiant Hawlucha ASR 81 has Big Match, in which your Pokémon get 30 extra damage against VMax type Pokémon.

- Sudowoodo GRI 66 hasRoadblock, in which, if he is placed in your bench, it forces your opponent to reduce their benched Pokémon from 5 to 4.

That is very good for matches against these decks:

1) Regigigas ASR 130 and its family.

2)Eternatus VMAX SHF SV122.

3) Lugia VSTAR SIT 139, as it will disrupt the set-up of their Archeops SIT 147.

4) Mew VMAX LOR TG30 which, to fill their bench, depends on at least one Mew V CRZ 60 in the reserve and many Genesect V FST 185 in card draw.

5) Turbo combo decks, such as Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR PR-SW SWSH256.

6) Bench expansion decks using Sky Field ROS 89.

7) “One Hit Attack”, such as Pheromosa-GX PR-SM SM66 or Marshadow-GX BUS 80.

- Mr. Mime BKT 97 comes in with its ability Bench Barrier, which prevents damage reaching your benched Pokémon.

Trainer Cards

- Raihan EVS 152 can only be played if your Pokémon was Knocked Out in the previous round. With that, you attach one basic energy from the discard pile to one of your Pokémon and also look in your deck for any card you want and place it in your hand.

It serves mostly to speed up your Pokémon's charging, getting electric energies from the discard pile and attaching them to one of your Pokémon.

- Roxanne ASR 150 is an enhanced and more destructive ”N” : if your opponent has 3 Prize Cards left to win the game, you can play this card. By doing so, your opponent shuffles their hand and draws only 2 cards, and you shuffle yours and draws 6 cards.

- N FCO 105 is useful to shuffle the enemy hand and yours into the respective decks, and you both draw new cards based on the number of Prize Cards left of each.

Supposing you are losing the game, and opponent has one Prize Card left to win, and you have 5 Prize Cards left, you use this card and then, your opponent will shuffle and get only one card, and you will shuffle yours and draw 5.

However, it is also a double-edged sword because if you both have one Prize Card left to win the match, and you play this card, both only get one card in hand.

- Pokémon Ranger STS 104 is useful to cancel all attack effects from all Pokémon in play.

That's to face a ”Mirror Match” against an opponent ADP TAG Team, so they don't get to benefit from their GX attack.

- Guzma BUS 115 is useful to force a benched Pokémon into the Active position, and, afterward, you do the same trade with one of your benched Pokémon going to the Active position.

It's a type of more enhanced ”Boss’s Orders” to catch an enemy Pokémon off guard.

- Guzma & Hala CEC 193 is for two goals only:

1) You can look for a stadium in your deck and place it in hand.

2) You can discard two cards from your hand to pay a new tribute and besides looking for a stadium in your deck, you look for one special energy card and one Item card in your deck and place them in your hand.

- Tag Call CEC 206 looks for 2 cards with the name Tag Team in your deck and places them in your hand.

- Trainers' Mail ROS 92 is useful to look at the top 4 cards in your deck and look for any Trainer type card and place it in your hand. The rest go back to the top of the deck and are shuffled.

- Max Elixir BKP 102 is useful to look at the top 6 cards in your deck and in these 6 find a basic energy, and you can attach this energy to one of your benched Pokémon.

- Field Blower GRI 125 is a resource in which you can choose a combination of two Tool and/or Stadium cards and discard them.

- VS Seeker PHF 109 allows you to get from the discard pile a Trainer card of the Supporter kind and place it in your hand.

- Choice Belt BRS 135 is a Tool that grants 30 extra damage against V type Pokémon (be it VStar, VMax, VUnion).

- Float Stone PLF 99 is a Tool that grants zeroed retreat cost to the Pokémon it is attached to.

- Sky Seal Stone CRZ 143 is a Tool that can only be equipped to basic V Pokémon, in which, if it Knocks Out any VStar or VMax Pokémon, it draws one extra Prize Card.

- Computer Search BCR 137 is an ACE SPEC card (a special card that you can only have one copy of in your deck), and you discard two cards in your hand to look for any card you want in your deck and place it in your hand.

Stadium

Special Energies

- This card serves only for dragon type Pokémon. It provides two energies of any type to them

Advantages

It needs no comments. As one of the most aggressive decks that ever existed in the whole TCG for the Expanded format, it can easily mow down many decks easily due to ADP's GX attack, which allows you to have multiple draws, and now with the addition of the card Sky Seal Stone CRZ 143, its performance is boosted.

Disadvantages

- Honchkrow-GX decks, such as this one; though there are ways of countering it. If possible, it's best to charge as quickly as possible Vikavolt V DAA 60 and Zeraora-GX LOT 86 as they use basic electric energies and hit for double due to Honchkrow-GX UNB 109's weakness.

- Aggressive decks that can hit fast with just a few energies; Radiant Heatran ASR 27 because of its attack effect, which for each damage counter it has it gets 70 damage, reaching massive damages.

- Decks which can deal damages above 250 at minimum and easily reach 320 damage that don't depend a lot on basic Pokémon with abilities. A Charizard VSTAR CRZ 19 using its VStar attack is potentially dangerous, or also in cases of Charizard VMAX PR-SW SWSH261 with the use of Choice Belt BRS 135 or Incineroar UNB 29 as an additional damage support.

- Ultra Necrozma + Garbordor decks.

- “Hit Kill” or “Instant Kill” decks, such as Beedrill TEU 5, Beedrill CRE 3, Hisuian Zoroark LOR 76, Absol GRI 81, Yveltal SHF 46, the Raticate BCR 105 and Raticate BREAK BKP 89 duo, Alolan Raticate PGO 42, Gengar GEN 35.

- Decks which are immune to special energy damage, such as Duraludon VMAX SIT TG21 or Alolan Persian-GX CEC 219 itself, as described here.

- Togekiss VMAX VIV 141 decks can be a bit annoying to deal with as they hit fast, heal with Max Potion GRI 128 or Cheryl BST 123 and can recovre with Double Colorless Energy SUM 136 to deal damage, and even though it's just a little, it can search for cards in the deck.

- Decks with Regidrago VSTAR SIT 136 can be quite complicated.

It is a practical, aggressive, with not a lot of complications deck (but of course, you need to combo right when the situation demands it), but that doesn't take away from its main focus, which is mowing down any opponent.

For those who like this type of build and this multiple Prize Cards draw, it is a great option.

Now it's up to you: what did you think of the deck? You're welcome to comment down below!

Until next time.