Expanded Deck Tech: Regidrago VStar + ADP + M. Charizard X EX

Today we'll discuss the star, Regidrago-VStar, which allows you to copy dragon type Pokémon attacks from the discard pile, similar to Mewtwo & Mew-GX UNM 71's reasoning, only in this case taking advantage of some Pokémon from previous sets.

Check out below!

This list can be altered depending on your taste regarding Pokémon choice and goals.

In this main version, I opted for something more aggressive and direct, abusing M Charizard-EX FLF 69's power, besides the dynamic powering up that Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX CEC 156 offers, and extra additional damage and Prize collection thanks to its GX attack - Altered Creation.

It would be possible to build control versions such as Tool Lock, Energy Lock and Stadium Lock with Giratina-EX AOR 57, or Spread Damage with the combination of Noivern V EVS 117 and a damage counter finish with Garchomp & Giratina-GX UNM 146.

In this list, I opted not to include Double Dragon Energy ROS 97, as per my personal taste, to highlight a bit the Gardenia's Vigor ASR 143 and Professor's Letter XY 123 combo.

Decklist

Regidrago VSTAR

1) Attack - Apex Dragon (G)(G)(F): This Pokémon can choose one the attacks from the dragon type Pokémon in the discard pile and copy it.

2) VStar Ability - Legacy Star: you discard the 7 cards from the top of your deck. You choose two that will go into your hand and the others will go to the discard pile.

With that outlined, the most important thing is to precisely have it be able to copy Pokémon's attacks from the discard pile, and the variety is huge.

Arceus & Dialga & Palkia Tag Team-GX

1) Attack - Ultimate Ray (W)(M)(C): deals 150 damage and powers up to 3 energies from your deck to one of your Pokémon in any way you'd like.

2) GX Attack - Altered Creation (W)(M): if you use a metal energy to pay this tribute, you get 30 more damage to all your Pokémon on board throughout your whole match. However, if besides the metal energy, it also has a water energy attached, besides the previous benefit, you get one Prize card more for each enemy Pokémon Knockout throughout the whole match.

This is the heart of your strategy because Regidrago VSTAR SIT 136 will be able to get its GX attack benefit, therefore copying other attackers.

Mega Charizard X EX

1) Attack - Wild Blaze (F)(F)(D)(C)(C): you deal 300 damage and also discard 5 cards from the top of your deck.

With this much raw damage, it is practically a guarantee it can face the format's VMax Pokémon if they show up, besides that, considering you have done Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX CEC 156's GX Attack, you will be dealing 330 damage all at once!

And even with the discard downside, on one side it is good because it can help you discard a few dragon type Pokémon from your deck, accelerating the combo process.

There is the possibility to switch to M Rayquaza-EX ROS 61, which also deals 300 damage in its attack, and you only discard two energies in the process (it's up to you).

1) Attack - Chaos Wheel (G)(P)(C)(C): you deal 100 damage and your enemy can't play Tool, Stadium and special energy Item cards in the next round.

Considering that you have already done Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX CEC 156 (ADP)'s GX Attack, you'll be dealing 130 damage and also "controlling" your opponent's hand.

1) Attack - Crushing Punch (W)(F)(C): deals 120 damage.

2) GX Attack - Darkest Tornado (W)(F)(F)(C): discard 3 energies attached to this Pokémon. If you do, you deal 220 damage to one of the opponent's Pokémon.

Considering ADP's GX attack, in the first attack you're dealing 150 damage and in the second you'll be dealing 250 damage, besides destroying any Support Pokémon that exists, such as Tapu Lele-GX GRI 60, Dedenne-GX UNB 57, Crobat V DAA 104, Eldegoss V RCL 19, Lumineon V BRS 40 or Jirachi-EX PLB 60, besides getting one extra Prize card for them.

1) Attack - G-Max Pulverization (F)(M)(M): you deal 220 damage and this attack isn't affected by any of the enemy's Pokémon effects.

Considering ADP's GX Attack, you'll be dealing 250 damage.

1) Attack - Rolling Iron (W)(M)(C): you deal 220 damage and during the next round, you take 80 damage less from enemy attacks.

Considering that you've done ADP's GX attack, you'll be dealing 250 damage, and you also get the damage reduction benefit, which is always welcome.

Recursive Pokémon

- Mew CEL 11 comes in with its ability Mysterious Tail.

It is useful to speed up finding Ultra Ball BRS 150 and Quick Ball SSH 179, besides Battle Compressor Team Flare Gear PHF 92 to speed up the dragons' discard combo.

It also searches for Professor's Letter XY 123 to speed up the search of grass energies to use the benched Regidrago VStar's Gardenia's Vigor ASR 143.

- Jirachi-EX PLB 60 is useful due to its ability, Stellar Guidance. Its advantage is that it can come back to your hand with Scoop Up Net RCL 165 and repeat its effect as many times as you want.

- Radiant Greninja ASR 46 has the ability Concealed Cards, which makes you discard one energy card from your hand to draw 2 cards from the top of the deck.

- Exeggcute PLF 4 has the ability Propagation, which causes it to go back to your hand if it is discarded in any way, which is perfect due to the resource search combo with Ultra Ball BRS 150.

Trainer Cards

- Gardenia's Vigor ASR 143 uses grass energy to power up. You draw two cards and if you do, you attach two grass energies from your hand to one of your benched Pokémon.

- Serena SIT 164 is basically Sightseer LOT 189, only enhanced and with more options.

- Thorton LOR 167 is useful to switch a basic Pokémon for one that is in the discard pile. And all energies, tools, special conditions, damages, etc, that were attached to the old Pokémon, will go to the new one.

It is meant for those cases in which your hand didn't start out as it should, with Regidrago V on top, and instead, an unwanted Pokémon came, such as an Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX CEC 156 or a Garchomp V ASR 117.

- Float Stone PLF 99 is an excellent Tool card as it discounts to 0 the retreat cost of any Pokémon attached to it.

- Scoop Up Net RCL 165 is useful to retrieve a Pokémon, which isn't GX or V in general, in play back to the hand, this way being able to recycle Mew CEL 11 and Jirachi-EX PLB 60 and reactivating their abilities once they're back in play.

- Ordinary Rod SSH 171 is a basic energy resources and discard pile Pokémon recycle, and it allows you to choose one of the two options or both.

- Town Map BKT 150 is useful to reveal all untapped Prize cards, making the enemy Pokémon Prize by Knockout choices easy.

- Energy Recycler BST 124 is useful to recycle up to 5 basic energies from the discard pile back into the deck. As the deck only has 10 energies, this makes reusing them easier.

- Pal Pad SSH 172 is useful to recycle Support type cards, specially Gardenia's Vigor ASR 143, which we only have 3 copies of.

- Battle Compressor Team Flare Gear PHF 92 is essential for the deck to work: it allows you to discard any 3 cards you like from the deck to the discard pile and that's what you must do with the Pokémon which will be used as the bases of Regidrago VSTAR SIT 136's attacks.

- Training Court RCL 169 is useful to search for a basic energy from the discard pile and put it in your hand.

The focus is to recycle grass energies to combo with Gardenia's Vigor ASR 143 and also recycle fire energies, which are scarce in this deck.

Advantages

It is a very aggressive deck that easily deals plenty of damage, from 300 to 330 (considering ADP's GX); it can control and lock down your enemy's resources by creating a copy of Giratina's attack; it has "sniper" damage due to the Garchomp. It is a very versatile deck and very satisfying to use.

My choice of not using Double Dragon Energy ROS 97 is because of these reasons:

- To be able to face an enemy Duraludon VMAX EVS 123;

- Same scenario as above, only with Alolan Persian-GX CEC 129 which also has damage immunity with its ability regarding Pokémon which have special energies attached;

- The feared Beedrill CRE 3, due to its attack that Knocks out right away any Pokémon that has any special energy attached to the enemy active Pokémon.

And we have the bonus of dragon type Pokémon from the new generation not having weakness to the fairy type, which is one less headache regarding this matter of "double damage by type disadvantage".

Disadvantages

- Mirror Matches in which your opponent can hit faster with Regidrago VStar.

- OTK decks such as Yveltal SHF 46 or decks that use that venom base, such as Alolan Raticate PGO 42 and Raticate BREAK BKP 89.

- Decks that use the Supporter card Pokémon Ranger STS 104, which can cancel the ADP's Altered Creation attack effect.

It is a fantastic deck, with plenty of aggression and high damages, and it can face head on VMax, VUnion, and even some GX Pokémon such as Magikarp & Wailord-GX PR-SM SM166 or a Tag Team-GX Pokémon which has 270 HP and uses Fighting Fury Belt BKP 99 to get 40 more health, totaling 310 health. The only one that might give you some trouble, maybe, is Eternatus VMAX DAA 117 as it has 340 health points.

Besides massive aggressiveness with damages, it can lock down opponents, making it hard for them to play special energies, stadiums and tools. Without mentioning "sniper" damage, which is very welcome to any deck, and any player would like to have this versatility in one single deck.

Any thoughts, I'm available in the comment section! See you next time.