Expanded Deck Tech: Ultra Necrozma + Garbodor (Paldea Evolved - 2023 Upgrade)

With the release of "Scarlet/Violet: Paldea Evolved", we can also take advantage of the good cards that have come in the Trainer arsenal to boost old decks in the Expanded format.

With that clear, I'll rescue one of the best decks ever made since this card was released in Sun/Moon: Cosmic Eclipse: Ultra Necrozma, which since 2019 got a lot stronger in Expanded because of the old combo with Silent Lab and Garbodor.

The new Trainer Supporter card from the new Paldea Evolved set, Iono, will replace N and Marnie, as the card brings both effects, which will open up space for other cards in the deck.

Decklist

Ultra Necrozma: The Star of the Deck

You can think this is a bad card when you don't stop to reflect a bit on its ability: "Wow, I can only attack when the opponent is turning the game around with 2 Prize Cards or less. It doesn't make sense to use this card in the match through that."

That's what 98% of people would think/currently think when they don't know the extent and capabilities of combos and synergies Expanded offers us. That's where the real secret is - why do you think this list has the card Silent Lab PRC 140, which has the following description: "all basic Pokémon in play DON'T have abilities"? And what is Ultra Necrozma CEC 164? That's right, a BASIC Pokémon, so, you'll be able to use this Stadium's downside to your favor, this way being able to attack with Ultra Necrozma without being locked by its ability!

We still have other options in the deck which help us counter abilities, such as Garbodor DRX 54's case, which I'll explain further in the recursive Pokémon section.

Good Hand to Start the Match With

Ideally, you'll be second to play. With that, you can already play Double Dragon Energy ROS 97 itself on your Ultra Necrozma CEC 164, considering this special energy can fulfill the role of any energy as if it were an exclusive Double Rainbow Energy for the archetype; next, place the stadium, Silent Lab PRC 140 (never forget it) in play to deny Ultra Necrozma's ability and start attacking your opponent mercilessly.

With this hand, we have two choices - being the first to play or being the second.

Being the First to Play

1) If you are first to play, prepare your Ultra Necrozma CEC 164 as the active Pokémon and equip the Tool Lucky Egg SSH 167. If it's knocked out on your opponent's turn, you'll draw until you have 7 cards in hand.

2) So, you'll place Trubbish NVI 48 on board.

3) You'll be able to use two Trainers' Mail AOR 100 cards and hope that at least one Mysterious Treasure FLI 145 and one Iono sv2 185 come along for the next turn.

Being Second to Play

1) If you choose to be second to play, already equip Ultra Necrozma CEC 164 with Lucky Egg SSH 167; have Trubbish NVI 48 on the bench to set it up to evolve it to Garbodor DRX 54 in the future.

Guarantee this at all costs using Trainers' Mail AOR 100, and hope to get a Mysterious Treasure FLI 145. Look for another Trubbish NVI 48 to deceive your opponent, so they don't use a Boss's Orders to pull a future Trubbish that can evolve with a Float Stone PLF 99 attached to it, and lose this resource.

Or, thinking a bit more long-term, you can also pull a Wobbuffet PHF 36. If Ultra Necrozma is knocked out on the next turn, this Wobbuffet will be promoted to the active position, activating its ability of locking down all abilities from Pokémon in play, be it in the players' hands, on board, and even on the discard pile.

2) If you're second to play, you can use the Supporter card on your turn, so, you can choose one of the two options on the card Guzma & Hala CEC 193. You can only use the second option if you didn't discard the Trainers' Mail AOR 100 copies from your hand to look for a Stadium card and a Tool card, respectively: Silent Lab PRC 140 so Ultra Necrozma can attack and Float Stone PLF 99 for Trubbish.

But, if you decide to use only Guzma & Hala CEC 193's first effect, it is also solid, as you'll pull Silent Lab PRC 140 to play Ultra Necrozma and have it attack. This way, you'll equip the energy Double Dragon Energy ROS 97 on it and it'll attack.

Recursive Pokémon

- Wobbuffet PHF 36 has Bide Barricade.

With that, recursive Pokémon such as Jirachi-EX PLB 60, Dedenne-GX UNB 57, Crobat V PR-SW SWSH110, Eldegoss V RCL 19, Lumineon V PR-SW SWSH250, Squawkabilly ex sv2 169 and similar can't use abilities; but Oricorio-GX CEC 95 and Tapu Lele-GX CEL 60 can!

Uncommon Pokémon which have effects in hand, such as, for instance, Pyukumuku FST 77, can't use their abilities.

Other Pokémon which bring effects on the discard pile, such as Exeggcute PLB 102, can't do it, but Giratina PR-SM SM151 (very common on Tsareena-V decks), can.

Rising Psychic archetype decks, such as Kirlia SIT 68, Gardevoir CRE 61 and Gallade ASR 62, don't struggle with this.

A Pokémon which can counter Wobbuffet, in this case, is Klefki sv1 96.

- Garbodor DRX 54 has its Garbotoxin ability.

It will guarantee Ultra Necrozma's cancel ability will be productive, not only to reinforce it with the presence of the stadium Silent Lab PRC 140, but also when this card isn't on the board. Ideally, you'll leave your Garbodor equipped with the card Float Stone PLF 99 to make its retreat 0, as it is a heavy Pokémon.

Trainer Cards

Supporters

- Professor's Research (Professor Oak) CEL 23 is useful as "draw power": discard your hand and draw 7 cards.

- Guzma & Hala CEC 193 has two roles, and your priority will always be to get Double Dragon Energy ROS 97 and Silent Lab PRC 140. This tool depends on what you need: Lucky Egg SSH 167 for Ultra Necrozma or Float Stone PLF 99 for Garbodor.

This one is extremely important to recycle Pokémon, stadiums, tools and energies (remember this card doesn't specify between basic or special energy, which is great).

You can choose one of this card's four roles to activate or bring all four roles at the same time.

- Iono sv2 185 is extremely powerful, as it is a mix of its predecessors' effects, N FCO 105 and Marnie SSH 169, together.

Example: if your opponent has 2 Prize Cards and you have 4 Prize Cards and you use this card's effect, you both shuffle your hands to the bottom of the deck, and then, your opponent will draw only 2 cards and you'll draw 4 cards.

This card is basically this deck's core, and the essence of this upgrade, because it replaces N and Marnie, being more aggressive and complicated for your opponent to deal with, considering it can be recycled with VS Seeker ROS 110.

This is another wonderful card that came in Paldea Evolved which was a part of this deck's upgrading process. This is precisely the card which has the role of discarding all special energies that your opponent has put in play, being wonderful in matches against Mew VMAX LOR TG30.

Items

- Energy Loto GRI 122 is a way to search for Double Dragon Energy ROS 97.

- Computer Search BCR 137 is an ACE SPEC item, which means, you can only have one copy of it in the deck. With that, it has the role of discarding two cards from your hand to look for any card you want in your deck and place it in your hand.

- Field Blower GRI 163 is useful to choose two discard options in the game. You can choose a combination of two tool cards or a tool card and a stadium card in play to be removed, both yours and your opponents (and of course you'll remove your opponent's).

- Enhanced Hammer GRI 162 is useful to remove a special energy from one of your opponent's Pokémon.

It is faster than Giacomo sv2 182 as it doesn't consume your turn by using a Supporter card, but it is as important as Giacomo sv2 182.

Tools

- Float Stone PLF 99 is useful to zero your Pokémon's retreat cost, and it needs to be equipped to Garbodor at all costs.

Stadium

This card, as previously described in the section about combos with Ultra Necrozma, is useful to cancel any abilities from basic Pokémon in play (for both players).

Special Energy

It is useful only for Dragon type Pokémon. It provides two energies of any type to them, as if it was a type of Double Rainbow Energy EM 87.

Advantages

- Decks that abuse abilities, such as:

1) Mew VMAX LOR TG30, which uses Genesect V FST 185 with its ability, and Garbodor DRX 54 prevents its ability.

2) Duraludon VMAX SIT TG30, which has its ability that prevents it from being dealt damage by Pokémon which use special energies, being stopped by Garbodor DRX 54.

3) Decks that use Sobble CRE 41, Drizzile SSH 56, Inteleon PR-SW SWSH279 and Inteleon SSH 58 evolution lines.

4) Decks with Inteleon VMAX FST 266, such as Cyrus Davis' deck. It really struggles against Ultra Necrozma.

5) Decks with Mewtwo & Mew-GX PR-SM SM191, such as this one.

6) Decks with Corviknight VMax, such as this one.

7) Decks with Kecleon, such as this list.

8) Decks with Lugia VStar + Dragons.

9) Ting-Lu ex sv2 127 Decks.

10) Chien-Pao ex sv2 61 Decks.

11) Decks which use Empoleon V PR-SW SWSH108: you can really take advantage of this one, as its ability removes basic "baby" Pokémon abilities, favoring your Ultra Necrozma's attack.

Disadvantages

- Decks with Rowlett & Alolan Exeggutor, if it is built faster than Garbodor DRX 54.

- Control and stall decks, such as:

1) Decks with Togekiss VMax.

2) Decks with Dracozolt VMax, Regidrago-VStar or Honchkrow-GX.

3) United Wings decks, such as this one, due to how fast it sets up and explosive energization.

4) Decks which use Yveltal SHF 46.

5) Decks which aren't compromised by their ability use and that focus only on attacks, and preferably that can hit for fewer energies and deal lots of damage, such as Tyranitar sv2 222.

6) Decks which use "Amnesia" attacks, that is, that restrict attacks, such as: Ralts SIT 67, Golduck BCR 35, Slaking FFI 83, Slowbro GRI 49, Swalot CES 58, Whiscash PRC 40, Bibarel UNM 172, Bibarel DRX 107.

7) Decks which use Gengar BKT 60.

8) Decks which use Trevenant & Dusknoir Tag Team-GX, or ADP + Dragonite-V.

9) Decks which have attacks with effects that say they don't take damage from basic Pokémon, such as Flying Pikachu VMax.

10) Decks which have Temple of Sinnoh ASR 155, which counters special effects from Dragon type energies in your deck.

It is an aggressive and practical deck to set up with Ultra Necrozma using only two energies to deal reasonable damage, and it still has the possibility of discarding the active Pokémon's energies. Of course that, for that, you need to set up your Garbodor DRX 54 with a Float Stone PLF 99 and the stadium Silent Lab PRC 140 to get a lot of power.

This list provides very consistent victories, catches enemies off guard and demands extensive knowledge of Expanded. To counter it, the player needs to have the same type of knowledge and skill as the one playing it.

See you next time!