Evolving our Metagame

Prismatic Evolutions has been the hottest set that the Pokémon TCG has ever seen, but that's been more from a collectors standpoint. Having $2000 USD chase cards, like Umbreon ex [Prismatic Evolutions], has made this set fly off the shelves. But what about the other cards in the set? You know, like the competitive ones… There are less than I would hope, but the few competitive cards in the set are more impactful than most initially thought. Those two cards are Budew [Prismatic Evolutions], and Regigigas [Primatic Evolutions], and are actually going to be the theme of my next two Ultimate Guard blogs. In this blog, I’ll be covering Regigigas, why it's impactful, and a few decklists that utilize this card quite well! Let’s jump into it.

Understanding Regigigas

Upon first glance, Regigigas might not seem too viable with its four Energy attack doing 100 damage, but it can swing for a solid 330 damage if it's facing down a Tera Pokémon. Some popular Tera Pokémon in our current standard metagame include Charizard ex [Obsidian Flames], Dragapult ex [Twilight Masquerade], and even Teal Mask Ogerpon ex [Twilight Masquerade]. So now that we know the damage is legit, we have to overcome a different hurdle, how are we powering this Pokémon up? Well, that is really gonna be the theme of this article! I’ll be showcasing the most popular choice: Lugia VSTAR [Silver Tempest], and a few other options that are a little less popular - I love to give you all options! As long as you’re able to do the right amount of damage to Charizard ex and Dragapult ex, and it isn’t too far-fetched of a strategy, Regigigas can swing for some massive numbers!

Lugia VSTAR Deck

Lugia VSTAR has been a popular deck since the release of Silver Tempest, and has been one of the best decks in format for many of those formats. Our strategy for the deck is going to remain the same, discard Archeops [Silver Tempest] with Ultra Ball [Scarlet and Violet], summon them with Lugia VSTAR, and be able to power up a plethora of tech cards with Special Energy. How does Regigigas fit in? Archeops power it up of course! Being able to load up Regigigas with a bunch of Energy to respond back with an OHKO against a Dragapult ex is certainly going to be impactful. It takes pressure off from needing to Evolve into Cinccino [Temporal Forces] right away since Regigigas is a Basic, and that can be the difference between a win or a loss. I’ve put a lot of effort into testing my list, it is one of my top choices for EUIC, and I hope you enjoy trying it out! Here is the list:

I love how clean the White Katana Sleeves pair with the Colorless type of Lugia VSTAR so be sure to check them out here.

Arceus VSTAR / Armarouge Deck

While it might be as successful of a deck as Lugia VSTAR, Arceus VSTAR [Brilliant Stars] / Armarouge [Scarlet and Violet] is making a bit of a comeback! Why? Let’s go with Regigigas! Instead of Special Energy loading up Regigigas in this deck, we will be going with Fire Energy! Using a combination of Arceus VSTAR’s Trinity Nova attack, and Magma Basin [Brilliant Stars], Armarouge can move Fire Energy to a variety of different Pokémon, Regigigas included. Whether you need to OHKO a Tera Pokémon, or want to use Iron Hands ex [Paradox Rift] to Amp You Very Much - this deck has it all! Let’s check out my latest list for this archetype!

If you’ve read any of my articles for Ultimate Guard, you know that I love matching my decks in the right Sidewinder deckbox - and this article isn’t any different. The Red / White Synergy Sidewinder pairs amazingly well with this Arceus VSTAR / Aramarouge Pokémon TCG Deck. Check it out here. 

Lost Zone Giratina VSTAR Deck

Lost Zone Giratina VSTAR [Lost Origin] hasn’t been played in a hot minute, but with Regidrago VSTAR [Silver Tempest] taking a backseat in this metagame, it has found its way once again! You still have the same Lost Zone engine to ramp cards up in the Lost Zone, and we eventually want to reach seven to be able to activate Mirage Gate [Lost Origin]. Having access to powering up Giratina VSTAR means an easy 280 damage with Lost Impact, or it can mean powering up Regigigas in yet another way to OHKO a Tera Pokémon. Having a strong matchup against Charizard ex and Dragapult ex can be the difference between winning or losing in this format - and maybe Giratina VSTAR is on the winning side! Let’s check out my latest creation!

I love using any Lost Zone deck in Turquoise Katana Sleeves because it reminds me of the Lost Zone aura on cards from Lost Origin. Check them out here.

Next Stop: EUIC

While Budew has added layers of depth into the format for some decks, Regigigas has added a powerful attacking option to some heavy Energy acceleration decks for an OHKO on Tera Pokémon. However the metagame shapes up, both of these cards will seemingly be powerful in our new Prismatic Evolutions format, and I’m probably going to end up playing or countering these strategies! As for me, I’ll be travelling to the 2025 European International Championships in London, United Kingdom where this new format will be played out - I’m excited to see how it goes! I’ll be sure to keep you all updated with the latest and greatest Pokémon TCG decks around, so be sure to be on the lookout for my next Pokémon TCG article! Thanks for reading, Zach Lesage.