Standard Deck Tech: Eternatus VMax - Knoxville Regionals

A few weeks ago the Knoxville regional took place, in Tenneesse (USA), and we had a second place with an almost incredulous list, due to the current format, Eternatus VMAX Dark Box, made by Brandon Salazar.

So let's analyze his deck and understand how it works, before rotation.

Decklist

Eternatus VMax: The Main Striker

It's similar to M Rayquaza-EX ROS 76 and Snorlax VMAX SSH 142, as they deal damage based on the amount of Pokémon on the Bench. But with Eternatus, it considers itself as part of the attack addition as well - so if there are 9 Dark-type Pokémon in the game, that's 270 damage guaranteed for just two Energy.

Drapion V: Mew VMax's "counter"

Drapion is very useful for hitting double damage on Mew VMAX FST 114, due to its weakness to Dark-type, being then 380 - and Mew is very present in the current Metagame.

Galarian Weezing: Skill Debuff

It's their job to annoy the opponent to block abilities from Pokémon like Arceus VSTAR BRS 123; decks with Lugia VSTAR SIT 139 and Archeops SIT 147, the Regigigas ASR 130 family with Regidrago ASR 118; and the infamous Mew VMAX FST 114 deck that utilizes Genesect V FST 185.

Recursive Pokémon

- Crobat V SHF 44 comes in as its Dark Asset ability, where if it was played from your hand to your bench, you draw until you have 6 cards in your hand.

- Radiant Hisuian Sneasler LOR 123 has its ability Poison Peak, which makes your Pokémon gain 2 extra poison counters between turns, strengthening the attack of Galarian Weezing SHF 42.

- Galarian Zigzagoon SSH 117 has its Ability Headbutt Tantrum, which if played from your hand to the Bench, it puts a damage counter on any of your opponent's Benched Pokémon.

It is precisely one of the keys to counting a simple drop of damage to close a specific knockout if the Eternatus VMAX DAA 117 damage doesn't manage to close with the 270 or even with the Choice Belt BRS 135 gaining another 30, having a total of 300 damage.

Trainer Cards

- Marnie CPA 56 serves to sabotage the opponent's hand and favor you. Both players shuffle their hands to the bottom of the deck; the opponent only draws 4 cards, and you draw 5 cards.

- Judge FST 235 shuffles the hands of the respective players into their decks, and then each of them draws 4 cards.

- Serena SIT 164 has two very useful functions.

- Forest Seal Stone SIT 156 is for searching for any card you want in the deck and putting it in your hand.

- Dark Patch ASR 139 recycles a Dark-type Basic Energy for your Benched Pokémon.

- Boost Shake EVS 142 searches for a Pokémon in your deck that can directly evolve one of your Pokémon in play automatically, and if it does, your turn ends.

- Escape Rope BST 125 serves as a type of Guzma BUS 115, where the opponent switches an active Pokémon of yours for a Benched one, and then you do the same, however, the opponent chooses which will be the Pokémon that will be exchanged.

- Big Parasol DAA 157, if attached to the Active Pokémon, prevents all types of effects from your opponent's Pokémon attacks against your Pokémon.

Stadium

During each player's turn, each player's special energies became just colorless energies without their special effects.

Special Energy

This energy only serves the dark Pokémon - and if it has this energy equipped, its retreat cost is reset to zero.

Advantages

Decks with Mew VMAX FST 114 due to its typing weakness.

Disadvantages

- Decks that use the stadium Collapsed Stadium BRS 137, as it breaks the ability of Eternatus VMAX DAA 117, the Eternal Zone.

- Decks with Regigigas ASR 130

It is a very unexpected deck for the farewell to the block, and it doesn't have the same strength potential for this post-rotation turn, as in addition to depending on no one using the Collapsed Stadium BRS 137, it is limited only to 270 raw damage, which doesn't close or damage against Pokémon VStar, which has an average of 280 HP, always making it dependent on Galarian Zigzagoon SSH 117 and the Choice Belt BRS 135.

But Brandon Salazar worked miracles to become runner-up, which is quite a feat!

Until next time!