Lugia Deck Analysis: Top 32 Finish by Alex Shimansky at NAIC
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Alex Shimansky achieved a top 32 finish at the North American International Championship (NAIC) with a unique take on the Lugia deck. His approach to the deck diverged from conventional builds, focusing significantly on the capabilities of Iron Hands.
Key Components of the Deck
- Iron Hands: The deck includes two Iron Hands, double Lightning Energy, and the Thoron. This setup theoretically enables Iron Hands to attack multiple times in a match, though practically it might be rare. Iron Hands is a crucial attacker in this build, combining well with Iron Bundle.
- Lugia VStar: The deck uses Lugia VStar extensively. Its Summoning Star ability lets the player retrieve two Colorless non-Roll Pokemon from the discard pile and place them onto the bench. This is crucial for bringing Archeops into play.
- Archeops: Archeops’ ability allows the player to search the deck for up to two special energy cards and attach them to one of their Pokémon. With two Archeops, players can attach four special energy cards each turn, significantly accelerating energy ramp-up.
- Support Pokémon:
- Iron Bundle: Works well with Iron Hands, providing switching capabilities.
- Drapion: Effective against Gardevoir decks, with a powerful attack for four Colorless energy.
- Weirder V: Allows the player to transfer energies to itself upon switching into the active spot, with an attack that scales with the number of energy cards attached.
Supporting Cards and Strategies
- Boss's Orders: Essential for targeting specific opponent Pokémon. After Archeops is in play, the deck focuses heavily on disruptive strategies using Boss’s Orders.
- Gift Energy: When a Pokémon with Gift Energy is knocked out, the player can draw up to seven cards before promoting a new active Pokémon. This maintains hand size and ensures a steady flow of resources.
- Serena: Though not the most potent supporter, it provides flexibility by allowing the player to discard cards to draw more or gust up an opponent's V Pokémon.
- Thoron: Has a switching capability crucial for maneuvering Iron Hands and Lugia V when needed.
Energy Management
Shimansky’s build highlights effective energy management. The inclusion of Legacy Energy, which acts like a Rainbow Energy, plays a pivotal role. It reduces the prize count the opponent takes when knocking out a Pokémon with this energy attached. This deck also strategically utilizes various energy attachments, like the Jet Energy in combination with Weirder V, to maximize attack efficiency.
Match-Up Specific Strategies
- Against Dragapult: The deck uses Weirder V’s high energy requirement attack to effectively counter Dragapult’s tankiness.
- Against Snorlax: The deck has an advantageous position due to Snorlax's slower pace and reliance on Temple of Cinos. Holding stadium cards to counter Temple of Cinos enhances performance in this match-up.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Alex Shimansky’s innovative approach to the Lugia deck at NAIC showcases the potency of Iron Hands within the build. By focusing on energy acceleration and efficient resource management, this deck stands out in the current meta. It provides tools to counter various popular decks while maintaining consistency and adaptability in diverse match-ups.
