Expanded Deck Tech: Centiskorch VMax - Energy Hoarder

In today's Expanded article, we'll recall a card that has a gigantic destructive potential. After Charizard PGO 10 was released in Sword/Shield: Pokémon GO, this Pokémon's attack got even more optimized: we're talking about Centiskorch VMAX SHF SV109, which gets 40 extra damage for each Fire energy attached to it.

Decklist

Centiskorch: The Deck's Main Attacker and How It Works

Centiskorch V

Its first attack is perfect to delay your opponent: Radiating Heat. When attacking, you can discard an energy card from your opponent, delaying their setup, if they use double special energies that cover the costs of their attacks. I'll list some examples:

1) Meowscarada ex PR-SV 33 with Double Colorless Energy SUM 136.

2) Tapu Lele-GX GRI 60a, which can also use Double Colorless Energy SUM 136.

3) Ultra Necrozma CEC 164 using Double Dragon Energy ROS 97.

4) Dragonite V PR-SW SWSH154 using Double Dragon Energy ROS 97.

5) Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX CEC 221, which needs to use Double Dragon Energy ROS 97 because of its GX attack, which can really delay your opponent.

6) Pidgeot ex sv3 164 if they use Double Colorless Energy SUM 136 to attack.

7) Heavy colorless Pokémon that demand many energies to attack, such as Slaking V PGO 58, if it isn't in Lugia VSTAR SIT 211 decks and depends on Double Colorless Energy SUM 136.

8) Hisuian Zoroark VSTAR CRZ GG56 if they use Double Colorless Energy SUM 136.

Burning Train's cost is quite heavy: four Fire energies. But, as we now have Charizard PGO 10, we have its ability, which doubles the value of each Fire energy attached to your Pokémon - which means, with just two Fire energies, you'll have four energies, and will be able to pay for your attack's cost!

This will really help you speed up the game's setup without depending on Kiawe BUS 116a, or spending Welder UNB 214 or two Blacksmith FLF 88a.

Centiskorch VMax

This is this deck's main star, with its attack that deals 40 damage per each Fire energy attached to this Pokémon. After it attacks, you get one Fire energy from the discard pile and connect it to this Pokémon. Like so, it is a periodic energy hoarder, which means you can save Blacksmith FLF 88a.

In the best-case scenario, if this deck has 10 Fire energies, and we have Charizard PGO 10 helping us double energies, we "virtually" have 20 energies at our disposal to attack. By calculating some possibilities for these extreme situations, your Centiskorch VMax can reach up to 800 damage in a single blow!

I don't even need to say that his amount of damage destroys any Pokémon in this format, right? Pokémon with an anti-damage ability against Pokémon V are your only "counters".

Recursive Pokémon

Pokémon do Double Energies

Charizard PGO 10 has its ability, Burn Brightly, which states that basic Fire energies attached to your Pokémon are worth two energies, helping your Centiskorch V SHF SV108 hoard energies.

Pokémon to Pull Enemy Pokémon

Thanks to its ability, Nine Temptations, Ninetales TEU 16 is an alternative in your turn that allows you to not spend your Boss's Orders RCL 189 on some enemy target. Just discard two basic Fire energies from your hand to activate its effect, and, of course, you can search for this card in your deck by using Fiery Flint DRM 76. This will allow you to search for 4 Fire energies (discarding two from your hand), to pay for this Pokémon's ability cost.

If you need to activate this ability again, just use Fire Crystal UNB 231, return up to 3 basic Fire energies in your hand to get a new shot at reactivating this effect.

But be careful because this list only has the 1-1 Vulpix and Ninetales line. If you lose this Pokémon, recalling it and setting it up again will take two turns, and you'll need to use Ordinary Rod SSH 215.

Pokémon to Speed Up Energies on Turn 1 and Makeshift Attacker

Its main role is by using Fire Starter: if you're second to play on turn 1, you'll be able to, instead of searching for one Fire energy in your deck and attaching it to one of your Pokémon, to attach 3 energies in this order.

This will be useful to energize your Centiskorch V and guarantee some damage on the next turn.

It may serve as a "single prize" attacker as well if you need it to, dealing 110 damage if there are four Fire energies in play. Keep in mind that, if Charizard PGO 10 is in play, two energies already fulfill Volcanion's attack effects thanks to Charizard's ability.

Pokémon to Renew your Hand and Set Up Energies

This card is useful if you start with it in your hand (considering you have another Pokémon that will be the active Pokémon, so you can play Squawkabilly on the bench) right away on turn 1, if you have Squawkabilly ex sv2 169 and a few Fire energies in your hand.

If some of these energies are sent to the discard pile, it will be useful in the future with Centiskorch VMAX SHF SV109, and its attack that pulls energies from this pile.

Starting Hand

In this simulation, we have this thought:

1) Ideally, you'll go second. Then, you'll start by placing Vulpix SIT 17 as the active Pokémon.

2) Considering that you need to go second, you have in your hand a stadium, Giant Hearth CEC 263, which you can use with the Fire energy in your hand. You'll discard it to pull two extra Fire energies from your deck, and, like so, consider two situations:

- Using Quick Ball SSH 216 to look for Centiskorch V SHF SV108 (spending the energy in your hand) and then using Professor's Research (Professor Oak) CEL 24 to discard your hand and draw 7 new cards.

- Or using Quick Ball SSH 216 to look for Squawkabilly ex sv2 169 (if it is in your deck) and not have to spend Professor's Research (Professor Oak) CEL 24, like so compensating your turn by using that turn's Supporter. You'll play Welder UNB 214 to look for Vulpix SIT 17 and pray that this card's effect "draw power" is good and that you don't draw "tech" cards that will make you lose if you play Squawkabilly ex sv2 169 this turn.

In this simulation, the situation is slightly complex:

1) Once again, the best option is to go second, so you can use Welder UNB 214.

2) On your turn to play, you'll have to use Fiery Flint DRM 76 (using your Charizard PGO 10 and Volcanion PR-SM SM179) to pull four Fire energies from your deck to your hand, and, like so, set up the Welder UNB 214 combo. This combo consists of using this card's effect and attaching two energies to your Centiskorch V SHF SV108, trying to draw three useful cards like so. You'll attach the third energy (the one you get each turn) on this Pokémon, already preparing it for its VMax form on the next turn, but you'll already be able to use its first attack and delay your opponent.

Lastly, in this last simulation, the situation is quite lighter:

1) Play second, because we want to use Volcanion PR-SM SM179's first attack.

2) If you're lucky with your coin toss, you'll easily place Volcanion PR-SM SM179 as the active Pokémon and Centiskorch V SHF SV108 on the bench.

3) You'll put in play Giant Hearth CEC 263 to filter your deck, like so searching for Fire energies (you need to discard a card from your hand to activate this effect).

4) If you have enough energies to use Volcanion PR-SM SM179 and pull 3 energies from your deck, attaching them to Centiskorch V SHF SV108, calmly use Welder UNB 214 to attach another energy to this Pokémon and draw 3 cards.

5) Use one of the Fire energies you have left and use Quick Ball SSH 216, which brings you to two options:

- Look for Squawkabilly ex sv2 169 immediately to activate its ability, discard your hand and draw 6 new cards.

- If Squawkabilly ex sv2 169 is in your Prize Cards pile, look for Tapu Lele-GX sma SV94 for the next turn, to look for a Supporter that needs to set up your hand. In this case, we'll prioritize Professor's Research (Professor Oak) CEL 24.

Trainer Cards

Supporter to Heal your Pokémon

Cheryl is great alongside Centiskorch VMAX SHF SV109, which are evolution Pokémon. They benefit from her healing effects, even if they do lose energies, because we have Blacksmith FLF 88a, the Supporter, which gets two basic Fire energies from the discard pile and attaches them to your Fire Pokémon. This allows you to go back to the game's attack phase - not leaving you in the negative and making Centiskorch VMAX SHF SV109 a "tanker Pokémon.

Supporters to Set Up Energies on your Fire Pokémon

For those who play and enjoy Fire archetype decks, it is mandatory to know that these cards are essential, because they are the best energy accelerators. Welder UNB 214 can attach basic Fire energies to your Pokémon, at most two, and also has the benefit of drawing you three extra cards.

As for Blacksmith FLF 88a, it pulls basic energies from the discard pile, and attaches them to your Fire Pokémon (unlike Welder, which can attach energies to any Pokémon).

These cards are the ways you'll speed up Centiskorch VMAX SHF SV109's power!

Supporter to Pull Enemy Pokémon

Supporter to Draw Cards and Renew your Hand

Items to Look for Pokémon

Item to Look for Energies in the Discard Pile

Item to Look for Energies

Item to Recycle Pokémon and Energies

Item to Recycle Supporters

Item to Discard Cards

Battle Compressor Team Flare Gear is present in this list so you can filter your deck and remove the exceeding Fire energies, making Blacksmith FLF 88a more efficient, and guaranteeing at least two Fire energies from the discard pile to activate your Supporter's effect.

Item to Visualize your Prize Cards

Stadiums

- Heat Factory ◇ LOT 178's strong suit is its "draw power" ability. By discarding a basic Fire energy, you'll draw 3 new cards.

- Magma Basin BRS 185 attaches one Fire energy from the discard pile to one of your benched Pokémon, but they'll get two damage counters.

- Finally, Giant Hearth CEC 263 filters the Fire energies in your deck to your hand. When combined with Welder UNB 214's effect, it sets up energies to your Centiskorch VMAX SHF SV109 faster.

- This deck is dynamic and sets up energies on your Pokémon quite fast, which makes it easier to pay for Centiskorch VMAX SHF SV109's base cost of two colorless energies. This can also be sped up by Welder UNB 214 and Blacksmith FLF 88a, but you can also pull one Fire energy from the discard pile per turn.

- If your Pokémon is gravely affected by damages that can bring it to a knockout, you can use Cheryl BST 159 and repeat the cycle above. This Pokémon is consistent and aggressive.

- You have massive amounts of damage that can reach 800, in the best-case scenario, destroying everything in the format.

Favorable

- Grass archetype decks.

- It can destroy any high-HP Pokémon, such as, for instance, Skeledirge ex PR-SV 34, due to its 340 HP total (I am not considering Venusaur ex sv3pt5 3 here because of the double damage to weakness).

- Against decks that use United Wings, Lost March, Mad Part, Night March mechanics, due to this deck's healing power thanks to Centiskorch VMAX SHF SV109.

Unfavorable

- Against Water archetype decks.

- Ironically, at the same time I stated above that this deck has an advantage against other decks with United Wings, Lost March, Mad Party, Night March mechanics, they can also take down Centiskorch VMax if you don't draw Cheryl BST 159. This can be an issue, because it will give your opponents 3 Prize Cards if it is knocked out.

- Control decks such as Alakazam ex PR-SV 50, if they use Mimikyu sv2 97 as a lock and attacker.

- Decks with "instant K.O." effects, such as Roaring Moon ex sv4 229, Yveltal SHF 46, Giratina VSTAR CRZ GG69; or when this "effect" is present through some specific condition that needs to be met, such as Kingambit sv3 150, Gengar BKT 60, Yveltal-GX FLI 79, Darkrai-GX BUS 88.

- Decks that drastically reduce HP to "instant K.O.", such as Raticate BREAK BKP 89, Raticate BCR 105 and Alolan Raticate PGO 42.

- Mewtwo & Mew-GX UNM 71 decks that copy Glaceon-EX FCO 20's second attack.

- Decks that hit harder per each number of energies you and your opponent control, such as Tapu Lele-GX GRI 60a, Mew V DAA 69, Victini V PR-SW SWSH104.

- Decks with Pokémon that don't take damage from Pokémon V, such as Mimikyu sv2 97, Aegislash sv4 134 and Miltank ASR 126.

For those who like practical, explosive and consistent decks, it is ideal, because it has a simple script to follow and can deal massive damage.

It is great for those who enjoy the Fire archetype and don't really want to think of elaborate strategies when they play. Just hoard energies, heal when you need to, and repeat the cycle.

See you next time!