jeffrey123
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6 Corners: An In Depth Look.
Article by Jeffrey123 (Kevin K)
December 21st, 2011
HGSS-On Format
Article by Jeffrey123 (Kevin K)
December 21st, 2011
HGSS-On Format
So, here's the scenario. You're 17 years old, a sore loser, and a worlds competitor. Your first year playing the Pokemon TCG, you top cut every event you attend, and grind into Worlds. The next year, however, you can't seem to do much of anything. You 1-2 drop every Battle Road you attend, 5-3 whiff Regionals, and just have an overall horrible performance at Cities. Welcome to my life. Ever since the format shift, I haven't felt comfortable with any deck. In comparison to the MD-On format, this format feels much less tactical, and much more luck based. While I do agree there are a few decks that require skill to pilot, there are twice as many that do not. In this article, I am here to discuss one of the toughest decks to understand and play.
When I first saw Virizion, I laughed at the small bits of hype it was receiving. Your first attack draws 2 cards. While that may not sound very impressive, it gives you so many options, which we'll get into later. Basically, 6 Corners is a counter deck. You run so many different types of attackers, that you can hit majority of decks for huge damage via weakness. So why is this deck better than other big basic decks, like Zekrom, or Reshiram?
Why I feel that 6 Corners is an excellent deck:
~ Hits almost everything for weakness. When you account that most of your cards hit for 80+ damage, you're looking at roughly 160 damage. Your damage cap is enough to KO anything in the format (even basics with Eviolite attached).
~ You don't have a set up. This may be sort of difficult to explain, especially to younger players. 6 Corners plays what is given. If you draw into a hand that isn't ideal, you're going to have to find outs, which takes a lot of creativity and good playing. For example, Reshiphlosion aims to set up Typhlosions on the bench, while attacking with Reshiram. In comparison, 6 Corners doesn't have to set up anything, you're just creating unfavorable situations for your opponent.
~ Resources. Your opponent will be catchering around your Pokemon that they cannot KO. This is due to Outrage. If Reshiram attacked Kyurem with Blue Flare, it would deal 120 damage. This is 10 less HP than needed for a knockout. Kyurem can use Outrage, and return KO a Reshiram, or even play Pokemon Catcher, and drag up a Typhlosion on the bench and KO that. Normally, my opponent's have used all of their Junk Arms and Pokemon Catchers by the time they have 2 prizes left, which makes it enormously difficult for them to pull the last 2 prizes.
~Options. This deck has the most options out of any Archetype deck in the format. Being able to Spread, Tank, and deal damage creates very unfavorable situations for your opponents. Also, the deck is so left field, that many will not know how to properly play against it.
The List:
Pokemon: (13)
4 Virizion
2 Terrakion
2 Shaymin
1 Zekrom
2 Kyurem
1 Victini "V-Create"
1 Cobalion
(33)
4 Pokemon Collector
4 Prof. Juniper
4 Prof. Oak's New Theory
4 Junk Arm
3 Switch
4 Pokemon Catcher
4 Eviolite
1 Super Rod
2 PokeGear 3.0
2 PlusPower
1 Seeker
(14)
4 Grass
2 Fighting
1 Water
4 Rainbow
3 Double Colorless
STOP!
Netdeckers beware. This is not a simple "pick up and play" deck.
This list above is my current list, and the list that fits my metagame the best. You may find that you prefer Reshiram or Bouffalant over Victini. That's ok, it's preference. The greatest thing about this deck is that nothing is "wrong". You can build it however you like, as long as you understand the goals of the deck. We'll get to the goals later, but first, let's get a break down!
The Break Down:
Virizion is your starter, and probably the most important Pokemon in your deck. At the beginning, I found that I preferred Tornadus as a starter. I loved the raw power of a turn 2 Hurricane, but now that I understand the deck much more, I see why Virizion is more important. You're always looking to start with Virizion turn 1, for its attack "Double Draw". Double Draw can be game breaking on the first turn. By drawing 2 cards, you start with a 9 card hand. This is great because you always need to manage resources and have them in hand. In addition it allows you to draw into your Eviolites, Pokemon Catchers, and Switch early game. Leaf Wallop is actually a very powerful attack as well. On your 2nd turn, you can Catcher a benched Pokemon (Cleffa, Tyrogue, Tynamo, Oddish, Voltorb, etc) and knock it out. On your next turn, you attack for 80 damage. If you attack a Tornadus or Thundurus second turn, you can knock them out the next. The downside to this is that if your opponent plays Pokemon Catcher, the attack resets, and you start off attacking for 40 again, but I find that it just forces them to waste resources or give up prizes. Virizion is very under-rated.
These cards make up a small part of your deck, but are very important. Cobalion is primarily your counter against Kyurem and Vileplume based decks. Although I do not run any Special Metal energy cards in the deck, if you find that Cobalion fits well in your metagame, you can always add a Cobalion and some metal energy. The card is mainly in my deck as a Kyurem counter. Energy Press can hurt a lot of decks, and Iron Breaker is a great attack to have in a pinch. Terrakion is your avenger, and your out against any electric based decks. If Terrakion gets fully charged, and has Eviolite (to force Thundurus to 3 shot you), it is Magnezone/Eelektrik's worst nightmare. The card is also great as a surprise drop. Keep Shaymin, Terrakion, an energy card in your hand, let your opponent KO something. The next turn, bench Terrakion, bench Shaymin to use "Celebration Wind", moving the energy around to Terrakion. Now you are set to KO your opponent right back.
These cards are your way of defeating Reshiphlosion, and other decks that cap out at 120 damage. Kyurem is the second most important attacker in the deck. Glaciate wins games quickly. If you can get a quick Glaciate off, your opponent has no choice but to attack your Kyurem. With Eviolite, you can take the hit, drop Shaymin, move your Rainbow energies to another attacker, and then KO the defending Pokemon with Outrage. Zekrom is a little less handy, but still requires a spot in the deck. Once again, with Eviolite, Zekrom can take hits from anything in a ZPST deck (Zekrom/Pachirisu/Shaymin/Tornadus) and return fire with Outrage. It gives you a way to beat Tornadus easier. You can also Bolt Strike, but just like everything else, there's a right time to do it.
Victini and Shaymin are the cards that will win you games, but also, if you aren't careful, will be the cards that can lose you games. First off, let me explain why Victini is in this deck rather than Reshiram. I feel that Victini is a much more powerful attacker, and doesn't require your opponent to hit you for you to deal massive damage. As such, you can encounter on a Cobalion with 4 SP Metal and an Eviolite (Dramatization), and still KO it. It can easily be surprise dropped as well. In addition. Victini is not only for Cobalion though. Since it deals the most damage in your deck, it can sweep a poorly set up field. With Eviolite, it has 90 HP, which still isn't bad. In regards to Shaymin, if both of copies are prized, you have a very high chance to lose. Shaymin is what makes the deck work. By attaching energy cards to benched Pokemon, you have reserved energy to move from those benched Pokemon to other attackers that you can retrieve via Pokemon Collector. This includes some very handy plays. For example, you can attach Rainbow energy cards to your Pokemon that use Outrage to put damage counters on them (which increases Outrage's damage), and then use Shaymin's Poke Power to move all the energy from the Outragers to your attackers. You can have an active Kyurem with 2 Rainbow, 1 Double Colorless, get hit by Zekrom's Bolt Strike and oh no! Your Kyurem is 10 damage from being knocked out! Play down Shaymin, move the rainbow energy cards to other attackers, and keep the Double Colorless to be able to Outrage for a KO! But be careful. Since both Victini and Shaymin have only 70 HP, you have to be conservative with these cards. They are cheap prizes for your opponent.
Trainers/Supporters:
Do you realize how important Eviolite actually is?
Do you realize how important Eviolite actually is?
This is one of the most important cards in your deck, hands down. Eviolite is the difference between a one shot, two shot, or even...three shot knockout. Being able to add more defense to your bulky attackers is huge, and is really what makes the deck shine. This card completely stops Hydreigon spread attempts, and more importantly, an enemy Kyurem's Glaciate. I could go on and on about how important this card is, but the fact of the matter is, if you don't understand why it's in the deck, you need to keep practicing with 6 Corners until you understand. There are some matchups/situations where you may not want to drop Eviolite (to allow them to hit you for more damage, which in turn allows you to Outrage them for more damage), so keep that in mind. You don't just mindlessly strap an Eviolite on every Pokemon you have in play.
Originally, I had played 4 Switch, and 4 Pokemon Catcher in this deck. Now, I still play the same amount of Pokemon Catcher, but I run 3 Switch. I find that for players unfamiliar to 6 Corners, 4 copies of Switch is acceptable. This is because at first, it is very difficult to understand what to bench, and when to bench it. I found myself constantly benching Terrakion when it wasn't necessary, and benching it in wrong matchups caused me to lose. Once you get more experienced with the deck, you can drop to 3 switch. 4 Pokemon Catcher is necessary. You're trying to get the knockout turn 2 with Leaf Wallop from Virizion, and from there, continuous Pokemon Catcher knockouts will furthers seal the deal between you and victory.
Pluspower is a pretty important card in this format, whether you KOing, or getting KO'd. Those random moments where you're 10 damage from a knockout could be the difference between a win and a loss. It's a must have in the deck. I originally ran 1, but I love having 2. Pokegear 3.0 is a very important card in the deck as well. It helps you dig out the turn 1 Pokemon Collector, and it gives you a very nice recovery card, in case of an N or Judge. I always burn a Pokegear 3.0 turn 1 if I can, just in case my opponent tries to disrupt my hand. If I draw into a Junk Arm, I can use it to re-use Pokegear 3.0, which in turn will net me a Supporter card (most of the time).
Energy Explanation:
My energy line fits my preference. Your energy line should fit yours. Mainly, you want to have 4 Rainbow energy. It's just too handy not to have, allowing you to damage your Outraging Pokemon, and giving everything in your deck the capability to attack. In regards to energy count, I find that 14 energy is the perfect number to be able to attach every turn without whiffing an energy drop. That's really important. If you lose the Pokemon that has 2-3 energy attached, you lose the game. The trick to this deck is being able to keep as much energy on the field as long as you can. If you give up 2 Rainbow energy, you're in a bad spot most of the time. You can choose to run more special energy, but I prefer the higher Basic count, which gives me an easier time against Durant, and other decks that decide to run Lost Remover (which hurts you pretty badly). Which allows you to move more energy with Shaymin's Celebration Wind, meaning have you a greater chance at winning the game.
Walkthrough:
1.So you understand that you want to start with a Virizion and Double Draw on your first turn.
2. You understand why Eviolite is important
3. Now what?
Now, you deal with the hand that is given to you. This may sound really sappy and generic, but it's how the deck plays. The overall goal of your deck is to deny prizes by forcing them to 2 shot you at best, while being able to return KOs at almost all times. Pokemon Catcher is an excellent disruption card that will change outcomes of games as long as you aren't the one being negatively hit by it. For example, Terrakion is the worst Pokemon to bench when you are positive that you won't have access to Switch. I will only bench Terrakion when I have Junk Arm in hand (with a Switch in the discard pile), or a Switch in hand. Furthermore, you need to be observant. If you have 2 prizes left, benching Terrakion could cause you to lose. What if they play N? What are the chances that they have a Pokemon Catcher in hand? Terrakion becomes a liability if you can't get him attacking for 90, or if you can't get him out of the active position. The deck rewards great players, and if you pick up this deck and play with it for a long time, I can't promise that you will become good, but I can promise that it will open up your eyes to how complex some decks can be. You have to keep as much energy on the board for as long as possible. That's one of the most important rules of the deck. Sacrificing Outragers in expense for a prize will usually be fine, but losing multiple Rainbow energies will be your downfall. Shaymin is a cheap prize that your opponent may or may not take. Normally, it's good if they KO Shaymin because Super Rod allows you to put it back into your deck, allowing you to use Shaymin more than twice.
Your turns may take twice as long while playing this deck due to all the options that you have. This deck truly allows you to play mind games with your opponent. You want to keep a watch on how many Junk Arm, and Pokemon Catcher they have used, as well as Switch counts, Supporter counts, and more. It's best if you run generic lists through your mind. For example, I know that majority of Magnezone/Eelektrik players are running a 3-2-3 Magnezone line, 3-4 N, 2 Switch, and 3-4 Junk Arm. I always assume the worst, this way I can prepare for the next turn. If they burn all their Junk Arm, I won't have to worry about them Switching since both of their Switch and 4 Junk Arm are in the discard. It's sound thinking that helps you play 6 Corners well.
Matchups:
Magnezone/Eelektrik- 70/30 - Your Advantage:
Magnezone/Eelektrik is probably one of your easiest matchups. Virizion will almost always take a prize turn 2 from a Cleffa or a Tynamo, in which case you then smack away at a Magnezone/Magneton/Thundurus for 80 the third turn of the game. This already puts you in great position. Assuming you go first, you can draw your 2 cards, they would charge (via Thunderous), you then Pokemon Catcher a benched Tynamo (unless you see that they aren't setting up a Magnezone for some strange reason), or hit the active Thunderous for 40. Next turn, you are guaranteed a prize. Basically, they waste so many resources taking even 3 prizes that by the time the game gets down to the wire, you're still playing Pokemon Catcher while they're sitting ducks. Terrakion is difficult for them to deal with, Virizion is difficult for them to deal with, and Kyurem can just flat out make the matchup hell for them. I've only lost once to this deck, off of dead draw. That doesn't mean that the matchup can be difficult. If they somehow godstart and get2 Magnezone turn 2, as well as Eels with energy in the discard, you can be in for a scrap. A good player will manage their resources much better than a bad player will, but keep in mind that every KO forces them to Lost Burn 3 energy. Standard lists are running 12-14 energy. As long as you're careful with your Shaymin drops, you win with ease.
ZPST- 50/50- Even:
ZPST (with T1 Zekrom)- 30/70- Their Advantage:
Turn 1 Zekrom gives any deck trouble, and if they hit a T1 Zekrom on you, it makes the matchup quite difficult, almost unwinnable. Surprise Terrakion drops hurt, as well as running the "Outrage strategy". Bench your 2 Kyurem and Zekrom, and attach Eviolite to all of them. Don't bother benching any Outragers without Eviolite, Zekrom will just PlusPower KO you. To Take a prize, ZPST is forced to either hit you with Tornadus (in which, you just return KO with Outrage and a PlusPower) or Bolt Strike with Zekrom and play 3 PlusPower/Junk Arm. If they hit the Triple PlusPower, don't worry. That's a good thing. They burn a huge amount of resources in doing that, which will give you a greater lead late game. Against this matchup, I generally save Terrakion in hand, because if you decide to bench it, it will be targeted and KO'd. Focus on trying to take a prize every turn on Pachirisu, Shaymin, and when the cheap prizes are gone, you can focus on KOing the heavier hitters (Tornadus/Zekrom).
Reshiphlosion- 50/50- Even:
An inexperienced 6 Corners player will be beaten by a Reshiphlosion player 9 times out of 10. If you don't know how to play the matchup, you will lose almost every time. Kyurem Glaciating turn 3 tilts the matchup immensely in your favor, almost more than a T1 Zekrom. If they make the misplay of evolving into their Typhlosion early, continually Pokemon Catcher it up and force them to burn energy to retreat it. This means that they can't attach to their Reshirams, and you get another free turn to spread. Continually Pokemon Catcher around Reshiram until you see that it can KO if they do drop a DCE. This is important. If they take a cheap outrage KO on you, no matter how many prizes you've taken, you can lose the game (since you will be losing at least 1 rainbow energy, and 3 energy in total). Virizion is a great card, but just not in this matchup. Use it for a T1 Double Draw, then ditch the rest of them. Watch out for surprise Black Belt drops, be prepared for N, and this matchup shouldn't be too difficult granted a decent start.
CaKE (Cobalion/Kyurem/Electrode)- 50/50- Even: The game comes down to Electrode. You have better type Coverage, you have more attackers, you play more resources. If they pop Electrode via "Energymite" and hit 3+ energy, the matchup goes from 50/50 to 30/70 or worse. Really, you want them to start hurting you with Cobalion. This way, you can drop a surprise Victini for a KO, which can put you ahead. Be sure to attach a basic energy card to the Victini, and use Shaymin's "Celebration Wind" to move a Rainbow energy to Victini. This means that Glaciate will now 2HKO, and it gives you another turn to take a Prize. But like I said, Electrode is the factor in this game. Virizion is a great player here too, as it can take the T2 KO on Voltorb, and then Catcher KO Terrakion on the bench.
Chandelure/Vileplume- Your Advantage: I have never played this matchup, but from other experienced 6 Corners players, it is said to be an advantage and it makes sense. Chandelure is dropping 6 damage counters a turn. Every attacker in your deck (not counting Shaymin or Victini) has 110 HP or more. This means that it would take 2-3 turns just to be able to KO one of your Pokemon, whereas you 2HKO their Chandelure guaranteed. Virizion is also an all star in this matchup, as it can take a Prize turn 2 from a Doduo (with a PlusPower), or an Oddish. The next turn, if they fail to lock you, you can KO one of their Lampents that they will surely have being built. I have also heard of players teching Absol in their decks for OHKO's on Chandelure, which surely puts the matchup around 70/30 (your advantage) with Absol, and 60/40 (your advantage) without Absol.
Durant- 50/50- Even: First off, I have never lost to Durant in both competitive play, and in testing with this deck, and yes, I have played against the "good version" (which has won 2 Florida City Championships at the first 2 in the FL Marathon). As long as you start with Virizion and an energy, you basically have the game sealed. First turn you can Double Draw if you feel like your hand isn't sufficient enough, next turn attach and hit a Durant for 40. Every turn afterwards, you hit for 80. Play Pokemon Catcher, attach energy, and be very cautious about how much energy you have on your Virizion. Cobalion can come out of nowhere, so you need to keep a maximum of 3 energy at a time on a Virizion. Black Belt + Energy Press can win a game at any time, so you really need to be cautious about it. Watch for the Cobalion and if they do bench it, you should bench another Pokemon (if you can charge up your own Cobalion, that's what you'll want to do). If they bench Cobalion, play Pokemon Catcher and aim to KO it right away. The reason why this matchup is even is because of Crushing Hammer. If they hit heads at crucial moments, you lose.
The Truth (Reuniclus/Vileplume)- 60/40- Your Advantage: The matchup plays a lot like the Chandelure/Vileplume matchup. Basically, you're going to want a T3 Kyurem to decimate their field. Cobalion stops anything they send active dead in its tracks with Iron Breaker, and Virizion takes cheap prizes early game. They can have an optimal setup (Active Donphan, benched Vileplume, benched Reuniclus, 2 Dragons) and still get dominated. If you send up an active Kyurem, Donphan can either stay active the whole game, or attack and then easily be return KO'd. You can force them to attack you with Donphan by Glaciating. Glaciate would hit Donphan for 40, so you'd be able to deal 190 damage a turn assuming they have 5 benchsitters and an active Donphan.
Tech Cards:
Both Bouffalant and Tornadus are excellent attackers in 6 Corners. Tornadus is a great starter, yet inferior to Virizion. Virizion will still be taking a prize turn 2 in most scenarios, and is great turn 1 for draw. Tornadus is still a very solid card in the deck, and especially good in a build like this one, which runs more basic energy than most lists. Bouffalant is a punch attacker that works as a pseudo Terrakion. I like the fact that he can be surprise dropped without Shaymin, and both cards give you a very solid Rayquaza/Deoxys LEGEND counter. If I were to run either of these, I would increase my Double Colorless Energy count to 4, and most likely drop 1 Virizion, and 1 Grass. But it's up to you. Your next tech card, Absol Prime, is an 80 HP wonder. This card is quite interesting, as it is very flexible. The card stands out as a Chandelure counter, although just starting with it creates opportunities. When you start with Absol, whenever your opponent benches a Pokemon, that Pokemon takes 20 damage. All of a sudden, when you're playing against decks such as Magnezone/Eelektrik, or any setup based decks, Magnemites are now easily knocked out by Virizion's Leaf Wallop the first time around! The card is interesting and I suggest giving it a shot if your metagame calls for it.
Reshiram is a fire type Outrager. Great if you feel like another Outrager would be perfect in your list. Hits Virizion for weakness, and is essentially the same card as Zekrom. I wouldn't suggest Blue Flaring though, as you will lose your energy, which is opposite of what this deck wants to do. Landorus is an interesting tech option for a metagame full of electric type decks. Landorus has 110 HP, resists the lightning type, and with Eviolite, it sits at 130 HP. Thundurus would have to 4HKO Landorus. Zekrom swings for a mere 80 damage. Landorus' spreading capabilities will also fuel your Pokemon that have Outrage, and create opportunities to knock out your opponent's Pokemon in one hit, regardless of Eviolite. Be careful, because Landorus also spreads to your bench too! Lastly, Druddigon is another interesting option. You can catcher up cards such as Typhlosion and lock them in the active position, forcing your opponent to burn their Switch cards early. This further completes your goal of depleting your opponent of resources.
You can also run an abundance of tech trainer cards as singular copies. Here is a list of cards that I have tried;
And there are tons of other trainers that you can run. Basically, just keep testing until you find what works best for you. The deck is very techable, and a lot of fun, as well as solid. I hope that you enjoyed my article, and I hope that you now understand 6 Corners (or at least, aspire to play it!)
Happy Holidays
-Jeffrey123
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