Expanded Deck Tech: Incineroar

Rescuing some cards from Silver Tempest thinking about the Expanded format, with Incineroar as a resistant Pokémon that doesn't get “Hit KOed” (we'll explain its mechanics), there are some cards from past expansions to speed up Fire Pokémon like Welder UNB 189 and Blacksmith FLF 88, which will make it easier to power it up.

With that in mind, let's analyze the deck and understand how it works.

Decklist

What matters to us here is its second attack, which does 20 times the damage for each damage counter the Pokémon has (keep that information) as, considering the Incineroar SIT 32 with 170 HP, it can deal up to 320 damage, considering it has lost 160 HP.

It's simple here because the card's first attack is what interests us in the deck, even if the second attack is something like a stop-gap also to complement some damage that will depend on the strategy in play.

The first attack is just for Incineroar SIT 32 to copy this attack and be able to last in the game (save this information).

What matters to us is its first attack, which for an energy of (F) can use any attack from its previous evolutions without having to pay tribute for the original attacks!

With Litten's Reprisal attack, you can deal 20 times the damage for each damage counter you have on you - so considering Incineroar has 170 HP and can be capped at 160 HP, you can deal for just one energy up to 320 damage at once!

And the use of the Torracat attack, the Top Burner, you deal 40 damage and on the next turn, if the Pokémon is knocked out by the opponent, it returns with 10 HP.

So, the play scheme is:

1) You need to evolve as quickly as possible, in even sequential order without using Rare Candy the entire evolutionary line, Litten > Torracat > Incineroar, and for that, set to Snorlax VIV 131 to draw cards until you have 7 in your hand and develop your game by placing at least two Litten.

2) With 2 Litten SIT 30, evolve them gradually to Incineroar SIT 32.

3) Did it arrive in the form of Incineroar SIT 32? Use and abuse the first Secret Attack to copy Torracat SIT 31's Top Burner and deal 40 damage and ensure it has 10 HP next turn if KO'd.

If the item Emergency Jelly SIT 155 comes, it helps to heal with its effect. Then, loop that attack to be able to stall the game and catch a high prize Pokémon, an ultra-rare from the opponent pulling with Ninetales TEU 16 at the right time.

4) When you have 10 HP with Incineroar SIT 32 at some point in the game and see some Pokémon EX, GX, Tag Team-GX, V, VStar or a few VMax that have up to 300 HP, it can use Litten SIT 30's Reprisal attack, to deal 320 damage if one of these Pokémon is in Active Position, use Ninetales TEU 16 to use its Nine Temptations ability by taxing two energy discards from (F) to pull an opposing Benched Pokémon into Active Position and make the KO possible!

Good hand to start the game

In this case, there are no mysteries: put the Snorlax VIV 131 in the active position and the Litten SIT 30 in the bench position, since the entire evolutionary line is in your hand.

You can speed up the game by discarding two cards to use the Ultra Ball BRS 150 to draw another Snorlax VIV 131 and further reduce the number of cards in your hand to draw more using the Gormandize skill to have up to 7 cards, if you like; or you can wait more turns to build your game with Litten's evolutionary line, but run the risk of taking a Boss's Orders.

Recursive Pokémon

- Snorlax VIV 131 enters with Gormandize, where if he is in active position, he draws until he has 7 cards in his hand, and if he does, his turn ends.

- Bibarel BRS 121 has Industrious Incisors, where during turns, you draw cards until you have 5 in your hand.

Although a 1-1 line with the evolutionary line (Bidoof and Bibarel) is risky, it is a palliative form of draws, but it is good for the beginning of the game, right in the first turns, in case Snorlax is knocked out.

- Ninetales TEU 16 comes in with its ability Nine Temptations, which grants the same effect as Boss's Orders, saving Supporter cards in the deck.

This facilitates the replacement of cards, providing a better set-up possible, even if the line is 1-1 (Vulpix and Ninetales), the risk of them being in the prize cards are high, but they are better than using a Boss's Orders and spend a Supporter in the turn.

- Manaphy BRS 41 comes in as a Bench Protector thanks to its ability Wave Veil, mainly to preserve Litten.

- Jynx UNM 76 comes in with its ability Ominious Posture, which transfers damage from one of your Pokémon to another.

With it, you can try to move the damage that Incineroar takes to another Pokémon, such as Snorlax, which has 130 HP. Then there's the Scoop Up Net RCL 165 to return it to your hand and reset all the damage Snorlax has accumulated.

- Radiant Alakazam SIT 59 has its ability Painfull Spoons, which allows you to move 2 damage counters from one of your opponent's Pokémon to another.

This makes closing damage easier, if Incineroar SIT 32 uses Litten's Reprisal attack and does 320, it doesn't close some damage against some VMax Pokémon like Charizard VMAX DAA 20 or Eternatus VMAX DAA 117. Causing the Top Burner of Torracat with 40 base, there are already 360 added (320 + 40).

And if the opponent heals or retreats some Pokémon, you can use these counters, redistribute them among the opponent's Pokémon so that when you use Incineroar SIT 32, you do the specific knockout.

Trainer Cards

- Welder serves to take two basic (F)-type Energy and attach them to one of your Pokémon for Energy Acceleration. And moreover, draw 3 cards.

- Blacksmith FLF 88 Takes two basic (F)-type Energy from the discard pile and attaches them to one of your Fire-type Pokémon.

- Raihan EVS 152 can only be played if your Pokémon was Knocked Out in the previous turn. With that, you attach a basic energy from the discard pile to one of your Pokémon and still search your deck for a card you want and put it in your hand.

It serves to speed up Incineroar SIT 32 and take any other card to help in a future turn.

- Bruno BST 121 is used to shuffle your hand and draw 4 cards. But if your Pokémon was Knocked Out the previous turn, you shuffle your hand and draw 7 cards instead of 4.

- Judge FST 235 serves to shuffle your hand and the opponent's hand so that both draw only 4 cards.

This is a way to disrupt the opponent's hand and sabotage their full hands.

- Fire Crystal UNB 173 is an Item that retrieves 3 Basic (F) Energy from the discard pile and puts it into your hand.

This is good for creating power-up combo with Welder UNB 189 to power-up Incineroar SIT 32 or using those powers with Ninetales TEU 16 combo with Nine Temptations

- Emergency Jelly SIT 155 Heals 120 HP from your Pokémon if it has 30 or less HP.

- Lucky Ice Pop EVS 150 heals the active Pokémon for 20 damage, and at that, you toss the coin again instead of discarding the card. If heads, it returns to your hand.

- Ordinary Rod SSH 171 does resource recovery you can choose between one option or both.

- Scoop Up Net RCL 165 is an Item that you can pick up a Pokémon from the game into your hand, but the other cards attached to it are discarded.

This is good for taking Snorlax VIV 131 out of the game when it has already fulfilled its function of drawing cards or also in the looping combo of transferring damage from your Incineroar SIT 32 to Snorlax VIV 131 using Jynx UNM 76 and when Snorlax has 10 HP, use Scoop Up Net.

Advantages

It is a more defensive strategy deck, even if it has a very significant aggressive expression if Incineroar uses the Secret Attack to be able to copy the attacks of its previous evolutions. It's pretty consistent.

Disadvantages

- Decks that use “Instant KO” strategies like Yveltal SHF 46, VStar attack from Giratina VSTAR CRZ GG69, GX attack from Lugia-GX LOT 159 or that can use stadium Lost City LOR 161 to send knocked out Pokémon to the Lost Zone.

- “Instant KO” decks like Raticate BREAK BKP 89 and Alolan Raticate PGO 42

- Decks that can use attacks like “Amnesia” can be annoying like Golduck BCR 35, Slaking FFI 83, Slowbro GRI 49, Swalot CES 58, Whiscash PRC 40, Bibarel UNM 172, Bibarel DRX 107 that can disrupt Incineroar's Secret Attack, but can be circumvented with its second attack, Flare Shot , destroying them.

- “Deck Out” strategies like Moltres de Sun/Moon: Team Up or Centiskorch.

It's a deck made to practically end the opponent's patience and make them give up on continuing. It has constant durability and deals massive damage to Pokémon that give more prize cards such as EX, M.EX, GX, Tag Team-GX, which can be easily defeated with 320 damage; and with Pokémon V and VStar as well (which vary from 180 HP to 300 HP), and few VMax like Mew VMax.

And now it's up to you: what do you think of the deck? Your considerations and opinions about him? Leave it in the comments below!