K2theAblaM
New Member
You and Me do… ELECTRIC BUGaloo!
Before we begin, it’s important to understand that this list and any competitive list in general should CONSTANTLY be adapting to changes in the meta. As you already know, the player who correctly predicts and prepares the best for the meta in this year’s competitive World’s is going to have the best shot at winning. Whether you run Cleffas, Tyrogues, tech for everything or tech for nothing, as a competitive player it’s your responsibility to research and prepare the best you can for “trends” in the competitive field of the Pokemon TCG.
I personally have a few decks that I’m always changing, and implementing new strategies into in order to make it better. As far as Yanmega/Magnazone is concerned, my list should be used as a guide for your style of play. I hope you take what you like and leave what you don’t but most importantly, I hope you voice your thoughts on WHY. A forum is only as good as its content, and its content is only as good as its readers (and writers) will allow it to be.
Yanmega / Magnezone
3 Yanmega
4 Yanma
2 Magnezone
1 Magneton
3 Magnemite
2 Cleffa
1 Tyrogue
1 Pachirisu
1 Zoroark
1 Zorua
3 Junk Arm
4 Pokemon Communication
3 Rare Candy
2 Switch
3 Pokemon Reversal
2 Dual Ball
2 PlusPower
4 Judge
3 CopyCat
3 Collector
8 Lightning Energy
3 Rescue Energy
1 Double Colorless
Total: 60
Introduction
Let’s take a closer look at a build of this year’s National Championship winner. This deck features Yanmega and Magnezone as primary attackers and this list is my personal build for this archetype (one that I currently use and am constantly testing & changing to make as consistent and potential maximizing as possible given the current meta). This build has sort of snuck up on the meta considering all the attention “Magneboar” was garnering but recent championships have shown that Yanmega & Magnezone are a handy pair, given the quickness and efficiency of Yanmega and the “raw” power and “draw” power of Magnezone as a mid to late game sweeper.
Card Explanations:
Yanmega: This is the co-star of this deck. It hits for 70, snipes for 40 and is able to do it all for free given a matching hand size to your opponent. This guy is as popular now than he has ever been given how fast he is and how inexpensive his attacks are. Ideally, you want Yanmega ready to roll T2 at the latest with a reversal in hand to bring up any Stage 1 or Basic pokemon integral to your opponent’s strategy. Horseas, Vulpixes, Tepigs, and Yanma’s will all be at risk.
Up against a sleeping baby, a 40 damage snipe will help you achieve the same goal, hitting the bench directly without the need for a reversal. This attack should be used secondarily to its primary “Sonic boom” unless there is a baby on the bench that will guarantee you a prize card.
Yanma: Used to evolve into Yanmega but this little guy is valuable in his own right, simply because his free retreat when no energy attached to him. Free retreaters are as valuable as they come and gives you more flexibility when you open, allowing you to pull a Cleffa up if you have a poor start. Running 4 is also good practice since you should also be prepared to have these guys reversaled up by your opponent during a mirror or Stage 1 rush Deck. 4 is safe and just plain consistent. Its 50 hp is decent, and is also invulnerable to a T1 Tyrogue donk.
Magnezone: The heavy hitter. I use 2 in my build because I find 3 can get cumbersome and I never have to build up more than 1 at a time anyways. Having to build 2 stage 2’s might take some time and distracts from your early goals (matching hand sizes for Yanmega). For recovery, I use 3 Rescue Energy allowing me to get back to whole line if need be. Because of this, I find a 3-1-2 line to be perfect, with the help of Rare candy of course.
Magneton: Stage 1 option used to evolve into Magenzone. This is for consistency in case you can’t pull a Rare Candy. I don’t run 2 because you’re going to be relying more on Rare Candy to evolve.
Magnemite: Some people run a 2-x-x line but with Yanmega/Pokemon Reversal being so popular, 3-x-x is the definite play. People might not remember but back during Base Set, evolution lines maxed out basics because Gust of Wind was your worst enemy. Running 3 is strictly for consistency and you should be pulling 2 of these out with your collector when you get the chance. Your opponent will be gunning to take this guy out early… just like you will be doing to their basics.
Cleffa: Standard issue Cleffa. It’s lifesaver if you draw a bad hand but can be your downfall if you start with it by itself. Use with caution and never bench unless absolutely necessary since it’s an easy target for a Yanmega snipe. I run 2 but if you want to run just 1, I wouldn’t blame you at all.
Tyrogue:Again, with the popularity of Cleffa, a single copy of this card should be in every deck, even if you’re running red face powder or a Lost Zone variant. The possibility of a T1 donk is just too juicy to pass up. It also provides an efficient 30 if you needed to stall and build up a Magnezone or Yanmega mid to late game.
Pachirsu: Great for T1 donks if you have the available energy, and SUPER great mid to late game when you have a Magnezone out with a Rescue energy that you don’t want to discard. It provides great energy acceleration but not much else. I feel only a single copy is needed.
Zoroark: This is my favorite tech for this deck. It’s a great counter to your standard Reshiram or Zekroms and can OHKO your opponents Emboar 19 or RDL. Against a Yanmega, it can snipe or do 70 without getting a return KO, allowing you another attack. It’s versatile and easy enough to fit into any deck with its Double Colorless energy requirement.
Zorua: Used to evolve into Zoroark, nothing else. It has one retreat so it doesn’t hurt too badly when you retreat but still not ideal by any means.
Junk Arm: One of my favorite cards this format. It lets you search your discard for a trainer and bring it back into your hand. Its very handy and just a versatile card that needs to be in any deck. Recently, I’ve been testing with just 2-3 because I often find it can be a dead draw when trying to match hand size with Yanmega. Because of this, 4 might be too much but it’s still a judgment call to fit your style of play.
Pokemon Communication: The best evolution search card available. Max this out because you’re running a stage 2 and a few stage 1’s. There should be no less than 4 in any deck with evolutions, bottom line. I use the HeartGold variation over the BlackWhite because pikachu is on it. I <3 pikachu and would make room for him in this deck if I could.
Rare Candy: Used to evolve into Magnezone. 3 is consistent enough to draw into, but not enough for dead draws early on. Should be used as Junk Arm trash when you need something from your discard.
Switch: This is used for Magnezone and potential sleeping babies. I run 2 for consistency since I feel its never a dead draw and can be used even when you don’t need it just to have it in your discard for a future Junk Arm retrieval.
Pokemon Reversal: Essential for this build. Used to bring out weak basics to KO with Yanmega T2. I personally can’t wait for the format to switch to Catcher since the coin flip will be irrelevant. That card is going to force people to make tighter decks and better decisions when playing. All competitive players should welcome it with open arms.
Dual Ball: My favorite Pokemon search card when paired with Pokemon Collector. A 3/2 ratio of Collector and Dual Ball is perfect and allows you to either search Pokemon without using your supporter turn, or consistently pulling 3 Pokemon out with Collector. It’s also a great target for Junk Arm when you’re in a bind or need a quick Cleffa refresher.
Plus Power: Super great card that plays an integral part in key matchups. It would help Zoroark with the Resh/Zeck matchup and can save an Energy when Lost Burning with Magnezone against the dreaded Donphan matchup.
Judge: Great for disruption, great for matching hand size, great for hand refreshing and super great when used T1 with an active Cleffa. Paired with Magnezone Prime, it will leave you at a great advantage over your opponents allowing you to draw 4, use up what you can, then draw up to six. The synergy between these two plays is incredible. Judge should be maxed out, bottom line.
CopyCat: Used as a hand refresher and hand matcher simultaneously. I run 3.
Pokemon Collector: Staple card. I used a 3/2 ratio with Dual Ball. (see Dual ball for description)
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Lighting Energy: 8 is the right amount for me since I don’t run any form of energy recovery (although I’ve been toying around with the idea of Flower Shop Lady. More on that below). The goal is to be able to attach one energy per turn so you’ll have plenty of energy on the field once you need to use your Magnezone. Pachirisu is also here to accelerate energy on the field for a quick 100 damage mid to late game.
Rescue Energy: Great Great Great when paired with Yanmega and Magnezone. If you have a Yanma already benched (this is why we run 4), then you can evolve and attack the very next turn your Yanmega gets knocked out. It’s also great for recovering a full line of Magnezone. This card is NEVER a dead draw and should be attached freely to your pokemon on the field.
Double Colorless: Used for Zoroark or to help retreat an active Magnezone when needed. It’s a versatile card but its usefulness is limited in this build so I run only 1. You can bump this up or remove it at your discretion should you decide to play it.
Early game Strategy:
T1: With 4 Yanma and 3 Magnemites, 3 Collector and 2 Dual Balls… you should be able to get one of each out on the first turn most of the time. If not, then a cleffa refresh is in order. Priority always goes to Yanma because you need him to be able to attack T2.
T2: Your goal now is to get a Yanmega out and have a backup Yanma and at least 1 Magnemite ready to evolve. The rest of the game is dependent upon returning your opponent’s KO’s and taking out the basics that are most integral to their strategy. Vulpix’s and Tepigs for Emboar builds, Horsea’s for Kingdra builds etc. By mid game, your Magnezone should be set up with a few energies on the field.
Additional Techs and Optional Cards:
More Magnezone Prime: I run a 3-1-2 line, but if you want, and feel more comfortable, a 3-2-3, 4-2-3 or even a 3-1-3 line would be great too, depending on your style of play. (I prefer to have 2 stage 1's for consistency though. As good as it is, I don't always want to draw into a rare candy to evolve, but I can always search out a stage 1 pretty easily with communications). I opted not to because it would make the list extremely tight and very hard to fit in another 1-1 tech or anything similar.
Kingdra Prime: There are a few reasons to consider this guy in your build. 1. Donphan Prime. Donphan/Yanmega/Zoroark will make a strong appearance this year, thanks to the finals match up between these two builds. Yanmega, although resistant to Donphan's Earthquake, can't trade big hits in return with a mere 70 damage attack that gets reduced to 50 with Donphan's power. Kingdra on the other hand can hit Donphan for weakness and do 100 with a single energy. Along with spray splashes, the damage can definitely ad up and be the difference maker between a KO and Donphan surviving another round, perhaps to be "scooped up" or switched out and seekered. 2. Yanmega's linear attack becomes much, much more potent. You think an extra 10 isn't much but when you add an extra 10 every turn to any pokemon you want, it becomes very strong.
Conversely, I'm not a big fan of running two separate stage 2 lines in any deck, (Magneboar anyone?) especially with another stage 1 in the mix. It's just too slow for my tastes and I'd rather spend my deck's resources on making it as streamlined and consistent as possible. If you do, however, you need to max out Rare Candy, add few Rainbows (so you don't lose consistency with Magnezone and cut down the Magnezone and Zoroark line to accommodate. This is a pretty drastic change so I would advise doing it with caution, and TEST TEST TEST before you step foot into a competitive field. Kingdra will definitely help out with the Donphan match up and give your deck a lot more firepower but it'll be at the expense of consistency and speed. It's your call.
Zekrom: Naturally, Zekrom is a card that should be considered because it shares lightning energy with the deck, but I find the resources are better spent on Magnezone and Zoroark instead. It’s not to overlook that it has a monstrous 130 hp for a basic and can attack for 120 however. I would definitely consider him if you need more attack power, at the expense of a little consistency with Magnezone and energy consumption.
Shaymin: Can be used for energy acceleration for Magnezone and the optional Zekrom. I’ve used this myself and find it’s too cumbersome to pull out another basic for energy acceleration. It works great in ZPS builds, but is a distraction and dead draw when your focus is on Yanmega and Magnezone.
Seeker/Super Scoop Up: I’ve played these cards but have found that they are very, very situational and won’t always be there when you need them, but will clutter your hand when you don’t. They can save you a prize when used correctly but it was a little too inconsistent for my tastes.
Professor Juniper: I have a love/hate relationship with this card. Discarding my entire had is a tough pill to swallow but the benefit of drawing 7 FRESH new cards (since you’ve discarded the cards in your hand that you don’t need at the moment) is a fantastic selling point. I’ve tested it and where the card REALLY shines is when your opponent has less than 7 cards, allowing you to play your hand down to match theirs after playing a Supporter (something that can’t be done with judge/copycat). I wouldn’t play this card without Flower Shop Lady, though since you will be discarding Stage 1’s and Stage 2’s that you’ll undoubtedly need down the line.
Flower Shop Lady: Another form of recovery and necessary when/if you use Professor Juniper.
Matchups:
Mirror: (Yanmega/Magnezone)
Obviously 50-50. A few things that might give you the edge are the extra copies of basics that add to your consistency and in case your Yanmas and Magnemites get sniped. Coupled with Rescue energy, it should provide quick recovery and a strong mid-late game.
Donchamp: (Donphan/Machamp)
60-40. Despite Magnezone's fighting weekness. The difference maker... JUDGE. Donchamp suffers from horrible draw, and can be CRIPPLED with a well timed judge. Coupled with Yanmega's early game resistance, the match is in your favor if you keep the opponent's Machamp's in control since they can cause you serious trouble if they can get a chain ready for multiple "Fighting Tags". Champ OHKO's all of your guys across the board so you'll have to play your Magnezone wisely, and hopefully reverse them up before they do you. Additionally, if you break their energy chain/fighting tag chain, you'll set Donchamp back a couple turns and with well timed Judges, they won't be able to get back.
ZPS Varients (Zekrom/Pachirisu/Shaymin Donk)
30-70. This can be a tough one. Zek has early game on lock and there's nothing you can do about it. Weakness won't even matter until after the first bolt strike when its outrage hits for 60 BEFORE Yanmega's weakness, effectively OHKO your guys with no repercussions since you don’t have anything remotely fast enough to return the KO. You're only hope is to get multiple Yanmegas out by T2 or T3 (or even Zoroark) and return the KO after Zek has damaged himself. If you can stand the first wave of attacks with only a 2 prize deficit, then might have a chance to catch up by sniping their low hp shaymins and pachirisus but I feel it’s still an uphill battle. Zoroark + Rescue energy will be the difference maker for you. Get him out ASAP.
Reshiboar/Tyram (Reshiram/Emboar/Typhlosion varients)
40-60. Yanmega has a real tough time against the Dragons. I know Reshiboar in and out and the only way to defeat it is cut off the draw power, Ninetales. Early game is in your favor since you’re faster but once Reshiram sets up with energy acceleration, it'll be pretty hard to return KO's against the 130hp basic. It recovers in little to no time and can keep a wave of Blue Flares coming every turn. Your only hope is to set up and hit key reversals on vulpix, tepigs and cyndaquils. Once again, Zoroark + Rescue Energy will play an integral part.
Yanmega/Donphan/Zoroak (Stage 1 rush, Megazord, etc)
40-60. I know I know, I heard the news too. I'm aware this deck lost to our Yanmega/Magnazone archetype this past US Nationals but I'm still not 100% convinced that it has a better match up against a faster, more "techable" version of itself (Considering the only different element between the decks is Donphan and Magnazone). Yanmega can hold a few rounds against its mirror and against Donphan but the major difference maker is Dophan's ability to tank and hit our precious Magnezone line for weakness. That means for one energy (with pluspower for Magnezone) and a key reversal, it can potentially cripple the deck, cutting off our draw power and heavy hitter. If this match is too be won, it'll have to be early with a few favorable reversal flips (and coin flips in general) to hit Phanpys and Yanmas while they're still within OHKO range. If the deck plays a 3-3 line of Donphan, then consider yourself outmatched by a faster, attacker that hits you for weakness.
Conclusion:
That's it for Yanmega/Magnezone. Two of the most sought after cards this season and rightfully so. The build is both fast, and strong and still has enough room for some very powerful techs. Like I said before, the effectiveness of the techs that you choose and the outcome of your match ups will depend on what the meta will look like where ever you're playing. If you're well read within the community then you know what decks are top tier and what decks are expected to make a strong showing. Use that knowledge and prepare your deck the best you can to counter them.
Also, keep in mind that CONSISTENCY AND SPEED ARE KING. Yanmega's not the most popular card because it has super strong attacks, it's ran because it's fast, efficient and can hit turn 2 almost every time in a well built deck. Add techs at your own discretion but be aware of the effect it has on the consistency of your deck. A lot of people want to tech for everything but when the time comes, they're never able to get going and end up fluttering out early to mid game and leave themselves open for reversals. If you take anything from reading this, it's just simply: build, test, and make your adjustments accordingly but most of all, make sure you're having a good timed doing it.
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