Expanded Deck Tech: Origin Forme Palkia VStar + Sky Field

Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR ASR 208 was released in Astral Radiance, and has been shown to be quite strong in Standard. For just two energy, it does a possible total of 260 damage, considering the entire game filled with Pokémon, both yours and the opponent's, fitting many water-type archetypes like Ice Rider Calyrex VMax as well as Kyurem VMax.

In Expanded, let's talk about its maximum potential! And if it's possible to increase both players' bench space, how much damage could it do?

The Decklist

Origin Forme Palkia VStar: main attacker

It can deal 260 damage in normal game considerations (100 damage by your side of the bench in-game and 100 by your opponent + 60 base damage). However, this can be increased with the use of the Sky Field ROS 89 stadium, as your Pokémon's Bench gains 3 more spaces, giving a total of 8 spaces.

So if you and your opponent fill those slots, that's 160 damage on each bench, for a total of 320 damage, plus the base 60 damage - 380 damage for just two basic water energy.

Starmie V: alternate attacker

With zero retreat cost, Starmie V manages to be versatile, being able to build bluff strategies with Escape Rope BUS 163 or even with Guzma BUS 115a as part of the play.

In addition, there is the advantage of not paying energy to retreat, saving the use of Float Stone PLF 99 for Pokémon that need it to retreat, such as Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR ASR 208.

Recursive Pokémon

- Radiant Greninja ASR 46 has Concealed Cards, where you discard an energy card from your hand to draw two cards. And with Melony CRE 146's system of powering up a Water Energy to your Pokémon V, it stays in that systematic cycle of reusing resources.

- Exeggcute PLB 102 has Propagation: If this Pokémon is in your discard pile, you may put it into your hand.

It is useful for two functions:

1) Taxation of cards that need to use discard requirements like Quick Ball SSH 216, Ultra Ball BRS 186 and Computer Search BCR 137, in addition to being sped up to put it on the stack discards with the Battle Compressor Team Flare Gear PHF 92.

2) Use it as a Pokémon to fill your bench when playing Sky Field ROS 89, to have eight spaces filled.

- Phione CEC 57 has Whirlpool Suction. It's like a built-in Escape Rope BUS 163 that can also force the opponent to switch Pokémon and trick them into using Guzma BUS 115a as a surprise.

- Girafarig LOT 94 has its attack Get Lost (C), sabotaging the opponent's resources: whether Trainers, energies or special energy, and even parts of a Pokémon VUnion.

- Dedenne-GX UNB 195 comes in with its ability Dedecharge, where if you play it from your hand to the bench, you discard your current hand and draw 6 cards.

- Lumineon V BRS 156 is like the ”Tapu Lele-GX” of the new generation because of its ability Luminous Sign that if it is put from your hand to your bench, you can look for a Supporter Trainer card in your deck, reveal it and put it into your hand.

In addition to this function, it can still be used as an attacker, using Aqua Return.

- Crobat V PR-SW SWSH110 comes in as its Dark Asset ability, where if it's played from your hand to your bench, you draw until you have 6 cards in your hand.

Deck Operation and Strategy

1) During the coin phase to choose who starts the game, be first. Try to cautiously place your Pokémon into the Benched space by filling 4 spaces and, of course, putting Origin Forme Palkia V ASR 167 into play, at least two of them to be prepared.

That same turn, try to use the Battle Compressor Team Flare Gear PHF 92 to discard 3 Water Energy (W) and the two Exeggcute PLB 102 to filter.

2) In your second turn, evolve your Origin Forme Palkia V ASR 167 to Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR ASR 208 and with the energy of the previous turn prepared in an active Palkia VStar, you can now use your VStar Power to take the 3 Water Energy from the discard to attach them to the other one that you have on the bench as collateral (two energy) and the last energy for your active, using the energy of the turn for another Pokémon.

With your setup assembled, you can choose:

- If your opponent's Pokémon has less than 260 HP, you don't need Sky Field ROS 89, close the damage with your Bench with 5 Pokémon to guarantee at least 260 damage. Here you can opt for additional damage with Choice Belt ASR 211 if needed.

- If your opponent has more than 260 HP, then you'll need to use Sky Field ROS 89, put your Pokémon in the 8 spaces and do the math to pull a Pokémon with high HP that can't fight back with an attack or with easy retreat, and also make sure they don't use any stadium that break yours and take back your benefit, securing your damage points.

The key is knowing when to use Sky Field ROS 89 and how to try not to lose your Pokémon to keep the damage high and ensure your opponent doesn't break your stadium too many times, as the deck doesn't have stadium rescue.

Trainer Cards

- Professor's Research BRS 147 serves to discard your hand and draw 7 new cards for your hand.

- Melony CRE 146 Powers up a Pokémon V, taking that Water Energy from the discard and turning it on, and in the process drawing 3 cards - ideal for Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR ASR 208.

- Wally GEN RC27 serves to evolve Origin Forme Palkia V ASR 167 to Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR ASR 208 quickly.

- N DEX 96 shuffles your opponent's hands and yours into the deck, and you draw new cards based on the remaining prize cards.

- Roxanne ASR 150 is used when the opponent has 3 prize cards or less to win the game. Both players will shuffle their hands into the deck: the opponent only draws two cards, while you draw six.

This effect is more destructive than N DEX 96 and more efficient for the opponent not having many resources of answers in the turn.

- Guzma BUS 115a serves to force an opponent's Benched Pokémon to be promoted to Active Position, and then you do the same switch with your Benched Pokémon to Active Position.

It's like a more advanced "Boss's Orders" to catch an opponent's Pokémon off guard.

- Pokémon Ranger STS 104 serves to nullify any effects of the opponent's attack.

That is, if by chance Mewtwo & Mew-GX PR-SM SM191 uses the attack with the effect of Glaceon-EX FCO 20 to not take damage from evolved Pokémon, this card cancels that effect that turn.

The most important thing here is to cancel the effect of Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX CEC 258's GX attack, to prevent it from drawing additional prizes.

- Quick Ball SSH 216 searches for a basic Pokémon from the deck with the Tribute Cost of discarding a card from the hand. Exeggcute PLB 102 is useful here.

- Ultra Ball BRS 186 is used to search for any Pokémon in your deck, with the tribute requiring two discards from your hand, that is, two cards as a tribute to the effect. Exeggcute PLB 102 is useful here.

- Choice Belt ASR 211, if equipped to the Pokémon, it does 30 more damage to the opponent's Active Pokémon that are V-types in general.

- Battle Compressor Team Flare Gear PHF 92 Searches for 3 cards from your deck and discards them.

- Echoing Horn CRE 225 serves to cycle a basic Pokémon from the opponent's discard pile and force them to bench it, to combo with the effect of Sky Field ROS 89 if it is active, and increase tOrigin Forme Palkia VSTAR ASR 208's damage.

- Escape Rope BUS 163 is a “catcher” item, where the opponent chooses which Pokémon from the bench will be promoted to the active position, and you will do the same afterward.

- Computer Search BCR 137 is an ACE SPEC, and you discard two cards from your hand to search for any card you want in your deck and put it into your hand.

- Field Blower GRI 163 is a resource where you can choose a combination of two Tools and/or Stadium cards that you can discard in play.

- VS Seeker ROS 110 allows taking a Trainer - Supporter card from the discard pile.

- Float Stone PLF 99 resets the retreat cost.

Stadium

If that stadium is on the pitch, both players can increase their bench spaces from five to eight.

Advantages

- It comes with one of the most aggressive decks in Expanded, along with ADP deck, as it enters with a two-turn combo, finishing off the opponent quickly and practically.

- Most of the Expanded decks cannot handle it, not even the ones with brute force like Charizard VMAX PR-SW SWSH261 due to the weakness of the type.

- Has an advantage with decks that use benched resource Pokémon to set up, like Gardevoir ex, Shadow Rider Calyrex-VMax, and some control decks like Mewtwo VUnion that use the line of Ralts, Kirlia, Gardevoir and Radiant Tsareena SIT 16.

Disadvantages

- Control decks that use Robo Substitute Team Flare Gear PHF 102 and Lillie's Poké Doll CEC 197, and with Pokémon like Vileplume AOR 3, Decidueye DAA 13 and Altaria CPA 49 and gets worse if using Big Parasol DAA 157 to nullify the GX effect of Garchomp & Giratina.

- Decks like Ultra Necrozma + Garbordor, if built as quickly as possible, with Garbodor to lock abilities.

- “Instant Kill” decks like Beedrill TEU 5, Beedrill CRE 3, Hisuian Zoroark LOR 76, Absol GRI 81, Yveltal SHF 46, duo do Raticate BCR 105 and Raticate BREAK BKP 89, Alolan Raticate PGO 42, Gengar GEN 35; that's only if they can be assembled fast.

- Electric decks, especially those that can use sniper attacks like Raikou VIV 50 and Jolteon VMAX EVS 51 and Raikou-GX PR-SM SM121.

- Dracozolt VMAX EVS 59, if you can resist, or that contains cards like Avery CRE 130 to destroy your bench, or that can use Sudowoodo GRI 66 to shorten the bench space to 4 slots.

- Decks that have the stadiums Path to the Peak CRE 148 that locks Pokémon abilities with Rule Box; Power Plant UNB 183 that locks Pokémon GX and EX abilities; and Chaotic Swell CEC 187 which breaks stadiums and if another comes to take it down, it breaks once more before being discarded for good.

This enhancement of Palkia with damage acceleration using the Sky Field ROS 89 stadium brought a new perspective to Pokémon, showing how destructive it can be, with the same concepts that were applied to Eternatus VMAX LOR TG22, with Snorlax VMAX SSH 142 and M Rayquaza-EX ROS 76.

Until next time!