Expanded Deck Tech: ADP Tag Team-GX + Hop's Zacian ex + Zacian V

In today's article, we'll discuss the return of Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX CEC 156 to Expanded, now with Hop's Zacian ex JTG 111, which was recently released in Scarlet & Violet's latest set, Journey Together.

The core of this deck is similar to its 2019/2020 Standard version, as it uses Zacian V ASR TG21 as an alternative attacker. This is another incredibly powerful Metal Pokémon that makes this entire strategy a lot more aggressive.

Let's see how it works!

Decklist

Deck Structure

Arceus & Dialga & Palkia Tag Team-GX

With this Pokémon, we'll buff our other Pokémon and attach energies really early on.

Attack - Ultimate Ray (W)(M)(C): deal 150 damage, get up to 3 basic energies from your deck, and attach them to your Pokémon however you like.

GX Attack - Altered Creation (M): for one Metal energy, you'll buff all your Pokémon for the rest of the game by making them deal 30 extra damage. If, besides this Metal energy (M), you also attach one (W) energy to this Pokémon, you can use the previous effect and draw an extra Prize card for each Pokémon you Knock Out during the entire match. You can only use one GX attack per match.

So, this is what this GX Attack does:

- If you Knock Out a "baby" Pokémon, you'll draw 2 Prize cards instead of 1!

- If you Knock Out a Pokémon ex, EX, GX, V, or VStar, instead of 2 Prize cards, you'll get 3!

- And, finally, if you Knock Out a Tag Team-GX Pokémon, VMAX, VUnion, or in the future, a Mega Evolution ex Pokémon, instead of 3 Prize cards, you'll get 4!

ADP: How to Play It

To play this Pokémon and use its GX attack, you need to be the second to play on turn 1 and pray that, on the next turns, your opponent doesn't sabotage you with Pokémon Ranger STS 104 (which disables GX attacks) or Enhanced Hammer GRI 124 (which removes special energies from play, like Double Dragon Energy ROS 97).

To make your ADP Pokémon more resistant, you can use Fighting Fury Belt BKP 99, which will give it 40 HP (so it will have 320 HP instead of 280). It also buffs its attack, Ultimate Ray, which will deal 180 damage instead of 150 after you use its GX attack, and then deal 190 damage with this Tool.

Zacian V & VStar: How to Play Them

Zacian-V

Ability - Intrepid Sword: this ability lets you look at the top three cards in your deck. If they're basic Metal energies, you can attach them to this Pokémon. Otherwise, they'll go to your hand. After you use this ability, you'll end your turn immediately.

Attack - Brave Blade (M)(M)(M): deals 230 damage, but you can't use it on the next turn.

As it is a basic Pokémon, you'll be able to put it in play quite soon. It is ideal for the mid game or even if you're playing first, as it deals a lot of damage quite fast.

You can attach energies to it with its own ability, Intrepid Sword, which is great if you can't use Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX CEC 156's Ultimate Ray.

After you use Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX CEC 156's GX attack, Zacian V's Brave Blade will deal 260 instead of 230 damage. With Rusted Sword SHF 62, it will deal 290 damage!

Zacian VStar

This Pokémon's first attack is excellent because it ignores effects that prevent Pokémon V damage, such as:

- Mimikyu sv4pt5 37's Safeguard.

- Glaceon-EX FCO 20's Crystal Ray (which is popular in many decks with Mewtwo & Mew-GX UNM 71).

- Altaria ex sv4 140's Light Pulse (popular with Regidrago VSTAR SIT 136).

With the 30 damage buff from your ADP, and the other 30 damage buff from Rusted Sword SHF 62, this Pokémon will deal 260 damage, which is a lot.

In extreme situations, you can use its VStar attack to deal 310 base damage. It will deal 370 damage with the two buffs we mentioned above, but it will take 50 "recoil" damage.

Hop’s Zacian ex

The new cards in this list are Hop's "buff" cards:

- Postwick JTG 154 makes your Pokémon deal 30 extra damage.

- Hop's Choice Band JTG 148 makes your Pokémon deal 30 extra damage and their attacks cost one less colorless energy.

If you combine these cards with Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX CEC 156's GX attack, you'll make your Pokémon deal 90 extra damage. Let's see some practical examples.

You'll be able to use Insta-Strike for free with Hop's Choice Band JTG 148, and deal 120 damage to the active enemy Pokémon, as well as 30 to their bench.

As for Brave Slash, it will deal 330 damage instead of 240, which is enough to Knock Out nearly anything in Expanded!

Recursive Pokémon

► Tapu Lele-GX GRI 60's ability, Wonder Tag, lets you get any Supporter from your deck when you play it from your hand.

► Cobalion-GX TEU 106's ability, Metal Symbol, makes allied Pokémon with a Metal energy attached immune to special conditions.

► Latias ex SSP 76's ability lets you retreat basic Pokémon for free. With this, you'll be able to play around Zacian V ASR TG21's drawback effect, as well as Hop's Zacian ex JTG 111's drawback effect. You'll just be able to retreat them to "reset" their drawback effects.

► Radiant Greninja ASR 46's ability, Concealed Cards, lets you discard one energy from your hand to draw two cards. It's perfect with Metal Saucer SSH 170, which lets you attach energies to Benched Pokémon.

Trainers

Supporter do Draw Cards

You can use it on turn 1 and play around the TCG rule. It will discard your hand and draw 5 new cards.

Supporter to Get Cards From Your Deck

With this card, you can:

1) Get a Stadium from your deck, reveal it, and put it in your hand. In this case, you'll get Chaotic Swell CEC 187.

2) Or, if you also discard two cards from your hand, besides getting a Stadium, you can get a special energy and a Tool. In this case, you'll get Double Dragon Energy ROS 97 to use Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX CEC 156's GX attack, besides Ultimate Ray, and Zacian Tools.

Recursive Supporter to Attach Energies and Filter Cards

You can only use this card if one of your Pokémon was Knocked Out on the previous turn. If so, you'll be able to get one basic energy from your discard pile and attach it to one of your Pokémon. You will also be able to get any card from your deck and add it to your hand.

Supporters to Sabotage Hands

N FCO 105 shuffles your and your opponents' hands back into your decks. Then, you'll both draw new cards according to how many Prize cards left you have.

For instance, if you're losing and your opponent only has one Prize card left, while you have five, your opponent will shuffle their hand and only draw one card, and you'll shuffle your hand and draw five new cards.

However, it is a double-edged sword. If you also only have one Prize card left, and you use this card, you'll both only draw one card.

Roxanne ASR 150 is a better, more destructive "N". If your opponent has three or less Prize cards remaining, you can play it. They'll shuffle their hand and only draw two cards, while you'll shuffle your hand and draw six new cards. It is safer and more controlled than N FCO 105.

Supporter to "Pull" Enemy Pokémon

Supporter to "Disable" Another ADP's Buff Effect in a Mirror Match

Item to Get Pokémon

Tag Call CEC 206 lets you get two Tag Team cards from your deck and add them to your hand.

You must get Guzma & Hala CEC 193 and Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX CEC 156 with it.

Quick Ball FST 237 lets you get a basic Pokémon from your deck if you discard one card in your hand.

Ideally, you should discard a Basic Metal Energy SFA 99 to combo with Metal Saucer SSH 170.

Hisuian Heavy Ball ASR 146 lets you look at your Prize cards and get any basic Pokémon from there.

If you find one, swap it with Hisuian Heavy Ball ASR 146, otherwise, simply discard this card.

Item to Get Trainers in General

Item to Get Energies from the Discard Pile and Attach Them to Your Metal Pokémon

Item to Recycle Supporters

Items and Tools

Rusted Sword SHF 62 only works with Zacian V and Zacian VStar. It makes them deal 30 extra damage when it is attached to them.

Hop's Choice Band JTG 148 makes Hop's Zacian ex JTG 111 deal 30 extra damage and its attack cost one colorless energy less.

Fighting Fury Belt BKP 99 gives 40 HP to the basic Pokémon it is attached to and makes it deal 10 extra damage.

Sky Seal Stone CRZ 143 lets you draw one extra Prize card if the basic Pokémon V it is attached to Knocks Out a Pokémon VMax or VStar. It is great on Zacian V ASR TG21, particularly if you're against these types of Pokémon.

ACE SPEC

Stadium

This Stadium only works with Hop's Zacian ex JTG 111. It makes it deal 30 extra damage.

Pros

This list is great against decks that are weak to Metal Pokémon, namely Ice Pokémon like Kyurem VMAX LOR 49, Chien-Pao ex PR-SV 30, and other Water/Ice Pokémon.

It is also great against Fairy decks (though very few of these are relevant in Expanded).

It deals a lot of damage quite easily, usually above 300, which will Knock Out Pokémon TAG TEAM-GX, all Pokémon VStar, most Pokémon VMax, and even some Pokémon ex, which often have over 300 HP.

Cons

This deck struggles against "amnesia" attacks, as they prevent you from using your Pokémon.

It is also not that great against Arceus & Dialga & Palkia TAG TEAM-GX, Ultra Necrozma + Garbodor, and Honchkrow-GX.

It struggles against aggro lists that deal a lot of damage with just a few energies, like Radiant Heatran ASR 27, whose attack deals 70 damage for each damage counter on it.

Decks that use "Hit Kill" or "Instant Kill" effects are also a natural weakness: Beedrill TEU 5, Beedrill CRE 3, Hisuian Zoroark LOR 76, Absol GRI 81, Yveltal SHF 46, the duo Raticate BCR 105 and Raticate BREAK BKP 89, Alolan Raticate PGO 42, and Gengar GEN 35.

It is also weak against decks that are immune to damage dealt by special conditions, like Duraludon VMAX SIT TG21 or Alolan Persian-GX CEC 219, namely like this list.

Togekiss VMAX VIV 141 can be annoying because it is fast, heals with Max Potion GRI 128 or Cheryl BST 123, and also uses Double Colorless Energy SUM 136. The only solution is a "Hit K.O.".

Decks like Regidrago VSTAR SIT 136 and Alolan Vulpix VSTAR SIT 34 can be difficult, but you can play around them.

Stadiums that can disrupt this deck are Silent Lab PRC 140, which disables abilities on basic Pokémon, Temple of Sinnoh ASR 155, which doesn't let you use Double Dragon Energy ROS 97, and Path to the Peak CRE 148, which disables abilities on Pokémon with Rule Boxes.

This deck combines Hop's Zacian ex with the already popular ADP, which just shows how this card is still an excellent basic attacker. This way, you don't have to use Hop's Snorlax JTG 117, which would only be a dead weight in this list because you can swap its +30 attack buff with ADP's GX attack. This Pokémon is also a great early game attacker.

What did you think of this list? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!