Standard Deck Tech - Teal Mask Ogerpon ex & Espathra ex

Scarlet & Violet: Twilight Masquerade will focus on Ogerpon, which will have four types to adapt to the meta: Grass, Fire, Water, and Fighting (its main base).

In this article, I'll show you how to use Ogerpon with Espathra ex sv4pt5 6. We will transfer Basic Grass Energy sv2 278 with teal-mask-ogerpon-ex-twm-25's ability and Energy Switch SIT 212.

Decklist

Teal Mask Ogerpon ex: Understanding its Mechanic

This Pokémon is simple: if you use its ability, Teal Dance, you may get a Basic Grass Energy sv2 278 in your hand and attach it to Teal Mask Ogerpon ex. If you have three Teal Mask Ogerpon ex, you can stack this ability and attach three Grass energies on the same turn.

You'll then transfer them to Espathra ex sv4pt5 6 with Energy Switch SIT 212 to deal even more damage with it.

As for its attack, Myriad Leaf Shower, it is useful in this deck, as it deals 30 base damage plus 30 for each energy attached to both Active Pokémon. It is the same as Espathra ex's attack, and, considering it is a Grass-type Pokémon, it is a nightmare to all Charizard ex Terastal in the meta!

Espathra ex: The Deck's Main Attacker

Its ability, Dazzling Gaze, states that if Espathra ex is your active Pokémon, the enemy Pokémon's attacks will cost one colorless energy more. This really fits this Pokémon's main attack, Psy Ball, which deals 30 damage for each energy attached to Espathra ex and the opponent's active Pokémon.

Against Charizard ex sv4pt5 54, for instance, Burning Darkness demands two Basic Fire Energy sv3 230. With Espathra ex sv4pt5 6's ability, Charizard ex Terastal will be forced to use three energies, which means you'll deal 90 extra damage besides the 120 base damage. Considering Espathra ex sv4pt5 6's energy cost, with Luminous Energy sv2 191, and, applying the weakness to the Grass type, you'll deal 240 damage!

Serperior VStar: The Deck's Second Attacker

Its attack, Regal Blender, might be useful to set up an Espathra ex sv4pt5 6, as you'll be able to move many Basic Grass Energy sv2 278 to your Pokémon. We can also use the teal-mask-ogerpon-ex-twm-25's ability + Energy Switch SIT 212 combo to do the same thing.

In addition, Serperior VSTAR SIT 8's retreat cost is 0, which means you can move this Pokémon around however you think is best for the deck's strategy.

Finally, we have its VStar attack, Star Winder, which you can use in a pinch and deal 60 damage for each Basic Grass Energy sv2 278 attached to it. Later on, you'll move this Pokémon to your bench and promote a new Pokémon as the active Pokémon, like Espathra ex sv4pt5 6 for instance.

Dodrio: The “One Prize” Attacker

Besides the fact you can use any energy to attack with it, and you may deal, at most, 280 damage, with 10 HP left, we also have its ability. Dodrio sv4pt5 200's ability, Zomming Draw, is a great source of card draw.

Recursive Pokémon

Pokémon to Protect your Bench against Sniper Attacks

Pokémon to Protect your Bench against Damage Counters

Its ability, Stellar Veil, protects your Pokémon from ”damage counters”, like Sableye LOR 70 in Lost Box decks.

Starting Hand

This is a very generous starting hand:

1) Put a teal-mask-ogerpon-ex-twm-25 as your active Pokémon, and put the other on your bench.

2) Use Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144 to look for a Doduo sv4pt5 199 and a Flittle sv1 101.

3) Next turn, play Dodrio sv4pt5 200 to evolve your Doduo sv4pt5 199. Then, play Professor's Research (Professor Sada) sv1 189 to discard your hand and renew it with 7 new cards.

Trainer Cards

Supporter to Discard your Hand and Draw a New One

Supporter to Filter your Deck for Items and Tools

This card is ideal to get Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144, look for two Flittle sv1 101 or other combinations of Pokémon with less than 70 cards, and also get a tool. If you get Technical Machine: Evolution sv4 178, you'll be able to evolve your benched Pokémon much faster.

Supporter to Sabotage your Opponent's Hand and Draw New Cards

This card shuffles both players' hands and puts them at the bottom of their decks. Subsequently, you'll both draw cards according to how many Prize Cards each have left.

Supporter to "Catch" Enemy Pokémon

Items to Look for Pokémon

The most important card you need to look for is Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144. It replaced Battle VIP Pass FST 225, which rotated out of the format earlier in April.

Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144 gets you two basic Pokémon of up to 70 HP, and put them on your bench.

Item to Filter Basic Energies

Item to Recycle Energies

This card is an essential resource to get Basic Grass Energy sv2 278 back from your discard pile and use them on your Espathra ex sv4pt5 6 or teal-mask-ogerpon-ex-twm-25.

Tools

Technical Machine: Evolution sv4 178 helps you evolve Flittle sv1 101 into Espathra ex sv4pt5 6, which is this deck's main goal, as well as evolving Doduo sv4pt5 199 into Dodrio sv4pt5 200.

And finally, our ACE SPEC, Hero's Cape TEF 152 gives more HP to Espathra ex sv4pt5 6, which will have 360 HP and last longer in play.

Stadium

As we'll focus on forcing our opponents to use more energies and deal more damage with our Pokémon, this stadium is an excellent option in this deck. It is particularly efficient with Espathra ex sv4pt5 6 and its ability, and is ideal against basic Pokémon in the meta, like Chien-Pao ex PR-SV 30, Iron Hands ex sv4 70, Radiant Charizard CRZ 20 and Gouging Fire ex TEF 38.

Favorable

- Against Charizard ex sv4pt5 54 because of its weakness against Grass-type Pokémon.

- Against Chien-Pao ex PR-SV 30, if you set up your Pokémon before your opponent can set up theirs.

- Against Gouging Fire ex TEF 38 and Iron Valiant ex sv4 89.

- Against Roaring Moon ex PR-SV 67 decks.

Unfavorable

- Against Scizor sv3 141 decks.

- Against Chien-Pao ex PR-SV 30, if your opponent managed to set up their Pokémon before you did, and if they developed their game plan better than you.

- Against Gholdengo ex sv4 139 decks.

- Against decks that disable your abilities, like Lost Box, which uses Flutter Mane TEF 78.

- Against Future Box decks with Miraidon PR-SV 92 and Iron Hands ex sv4 70.

This deck is cheap, easy to build, and easy to set up, besides quite straightforward. It is perfect for anyone who wants to invest in the Grass archetype and is tired of Charizard ex sv4pt5 54's supremacy in the meta.

That's it. See you next time!