This is the article you want to read if you want to do well at the North American International Championships. The biggest tournament of all time in the western world is upon us, and it is time to get ready to compete in it. What’s up, everyone! SmartTCG here, and I am stoked to be writing my most important article to date for Cut or … Continue reading How to Do Well at NAIC: Two Picks for Columbus

Introduction Hello, Cut or Tap readers! With the introduction of Paldea Evolved into the format, many new consistency options are available, such as Iono and Squawkabilly ex. These cards have been increasing Lugia’s consistency to be significantly higher than last format, making the deck an underrated choice for NAIC. Last format, we saw Lugia dominate in the hands of Regan Retzloff, but there were still … Continue reading Looking at Lugia: Single Strike vs Colorless Lugia for NAIC

Welcome back, Cut or Tap readers! As we prepare for the highly anticipated North American International Championships, which is likely to be the largest tournament ever outside of Japan, I am excited to share my unique perspective on a deck that exudes unparalleled power: Baxcalibur. Reminiscent of the iconic Blastoise/Keldeo deck that dominated the Standard format years ago, this new powerhouse possesses the potential to … Continue reading A Unique Take on Baxcalibur

Good morrow, ye olde subscribers – King Butler here to bestow upon you peasants the legend of the mighty Baxcalibur. Since the dawn of the Pokemon TCG, we have been blessed with the Rain Dance mechanic, birthing a plethora of game-breaking archetypes planned around this support option. Placed in this scroll, I will recall tales of old format monsters who need no introduction. We will … Continue reading “The Holy Grail”: A Tale of the Mighty Baxcalibur

Paldea Evolved has finally arrived! Every time a new set comes out, it feels like Christmas for Pokemon players. What’s up, everyone! SmartTCG here, and I am stoked to be hopping into my first Paldea Evolved deck article today. I currently have been focusing a lot of my time on the Scarlet and Violet format, however with the brand new set, it’s time to shift … Continue reading “A Psychic Embrace:” A Dive Into Gardevoir ex with Paldea Evolved

PLEASE STAND UP! M&M is back like he never left – the archetype that is. What’s good, Cut or Tap subs! Back with poetic justice, I have an overview of Meloetta/Mew (which I will refer to as M&M) with some interesting meta information that should help you understand why such an old archetype has taken over this new format. I’ll share some data from the … Continue reading “Shady’s Back, M&M”: A Look into the Meta that Birthed Meloetta/Mew

Over time, players begin getting tired of the same format. It becomes repetitive, as you continue to experience the same thing over and over again. With months of having the same experiences, many players get bored and look to new horizons. Over the next month, we still have multiple Scarlet and Violet expansion tournaments that will continue to shape the metagame as we know it. … Continue reading Top 5 Best Paldea Evolved Cards

Introduction Hello, Cut or Tap readers! I am here today to bring you some analysis of the new Paldea Evolved set, which will be legal for NAIC. By the time this article releases, prereleases will be occurring across the globe, so I will be covering some of the chase cards, their impact on the meta, as well as some of my favorite cards, and some … Continue reading Set Review and Early Analysis of the Paldea Evolved Format

I have a method for meta prediction that I use for every upcoming event, which I felt our subscribers could benefit from understanding. Without having at least a loose idea of what a meta will be, one cannot properly decide what deck is the best play or what the best techs are. In other words, meta-gaming is the foundation for deck choice and a significant … Continue reading Understanding How to Meta-Game

Hey, what’s up everyone! Gabriel Smart here! I hope most of you got into NAIC registration, as it is shaping up to be one of the biggest events ever recorded in Pokémon history! Despite NAIC on the horizon, there still are many important events that us Pokémon TCG players are preparing for. Regionals at Hartford, Malmö, Milwaukee, Santiago, Fresno, and much more are happening over … Continue reading My Top 2 Decks for Hartford

Welcome back, Cut or Tap readers! As we gear up for the upcoming Hartford and Malmö Regional Championships, I am excited to share my thoughts on one of the most formidable decks in the current Standard format. I believe Mew VMAX to be a great choice for securing a high placement at these upcoming tournaments, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to make … Continue reading Mew VMAX for Hartford, Malmö, and Beyond

Salutations, weirdos! The first North American Regional in the Scarlet & Violet meta has concluded, breathing continued new life to the game. Included in my piece will be discussion on the first meta shift of this format, a shockingly effective brand-new archetype, and my personal take on this pile o’ cards. First, I want to include a quick shout-out to Andrew Hedrick, my teammate, for … Continue reading “Keep Pokemon Weird:” Portland Recap and a New Rogue

Introduction Hello, Cut or Tap readers! It is a common consensus that you can throw any tech Pokemon together with the Lost Zone engine, and your deck won’t be half bad, as seen with Zacian VSTAR as an example. However, a frequent issue with many of these lists was the late game. This is why typically we see powerful attackers being added, such as Kyogre … Continue reading “Wrath and Storms:” The Importance of Late-Game Power in Lost Box

Portland Regionals has just concluded, and the metagame has shaken up once again. It seems every Regional gives us more questions than answers, and it becomes ever more important to continue to evolve along with the metagame. Adaptability is everything in this game – moving towards the popular trends, and being able to play multiple different iterations of decks is not talked about enough. I … Continue reading A Journey to the Northwest with Gardevoir. My Day 2 Gardevoir ex List and More

Hello! I’m Andrew Hedrick, and I’m excited to be back writing another article for Cut or Tap. Since EUIC, the meta has changed quite a bit. Tord Reklev’s 2nd place Gardevoir ex list has emerged as a top contender, and almost all Lugia VStar players have begun incorporating Duraladon VMax into their deck. Another archetype that has been adapting is Mirage Gate Lost Zone Box. … Continue reading An Overview of Turbo Lost Zone

Note from Phinn: Michael wrote this article, but I have inserted some comments at different points throughout this article. Michael and I have tested this deck together extensively. Almost all of his opinions and gameplans for Kyogre are the same as mine. I planned on writing about this deck, but Michael beat me to it. Howd’y Cut or Tap readers! It’s Michael Perez. Some of … Continue reading A Storm Is Brewing Again