The reason for Giratina’s potential resurgence Going into EUIC, there is room for Giratina to be viable again. Rotation and a new set release will lead to competitors playing all sorts of different archetypes and novel lists. Giratina has strength in this type of meta because of the well-rounded nature of the deck. Star Requiem takes a knock out on any ex, V, VStar or … Continue reading Giratina VStar in the Post-Rotation Format

Introduction Hello, Cut or Tap readers! As we finally reach the end of the six-month Silver Tempest format, the long awaited mid-season rotation will be occurring, along with the introduction of the new block, Scarlet and Violet. With many consistency cards such as Quick Ball, Scoop Up Net, Oranguru, etc, rotating, many people have shifted to a Mirage Gate-based Lost Box deck, full of tech … Continue reading The Art of Simplicity: Post Rotation Sableye/Radiant Charizard Lost Zone Box

Hey, what’s up Cut Or Tap readers! SmartTCG here. I hope you are having a wonderful week, and your testing for Charlotte and Fort Wayne Regionals is going well if you are attending! Today, I am going to take a dive into the metagame currently, and exactly what the BEST plays are heading into the events. Now, I will be the first to admit, players … Continue reading My Top Two Decks for Charlotte Regionals!

Hello! My name is Andrew Hedrick, and I am happy to now be writing for Cut or Tap. Recently, I have seen quite a bit of success with Lugia VSTAR, as it has allowed me to take down two of the largest Regional Championships ever, going back to back by winning the tournaments in Orlando and Knoxville with similar (but not the same) Lugia lists. … Continue reading Lugia VSTAR: Card Choices and How They Change going into Charlotte and Fort Wayne

Hi, everyone! Like most of you, I am getting tired of the current Standard format and am absolutely ready for Scarlet and Violet to drop, and for rotation to hit. This format has certainly been kind to me. I made every Day 2 at every event I attended and made Top 4 twice and Top 16 once, all with Amazing Rare Rayquaza Lost Zone, and … Continue reading Top 10 Cards from Scarlet and Violet

What’s poppin’, COT subscribers! This time I’ll be escorting you through the most anticipated moment of the 2022/2023 season: our midseason rotation! Days have turned to months since Lugia’s chokehold on this format, and a breath of fresh air is severely needed. I hope I’m not speaking for myself as a rogue deck builder, but as a community member, when I say these last few … Continue reading “Pigs Might Fly:” A Short Guide to the Japanese Meta, and My Take on Oinkologne

Hey! What’s up everyone! SmartTCG here! I am ecstatic to be writing another article for you all. Over the past few months, the Pokemon TCG has become relatively stale, but this is set to change over the next month! As I write this, we are just about a month away from the next Pokemon TCG Rotation. Rotation is typically a yearly occurrence that causes multiple … Continue reading “A Psychic Embrace:” Diving Into Gardevoir EX

Introduction Hello, Cut or Tap readers! Recently I got 5th Place out of roughly 1150 players at the Regional Championships in Knoxville, Tennessee! Up until this point, I had been playing Lugia/Archeops, and was both getting bored and not seeing the success I wanted to with the deck, so after Orlando, I knew I had to change things up. Leading up to the event, I … Continue reading Inteleon’s Ride Into the Sunset: Top 8 at Knoxville Regionals with Palkia VSTAR/Inteleon      

This article was intended to be a guide on how to beat Lugia, but quickly morphed into descriptions of how to play two match ups optimally – that is, the ones in the title. When writing, the pen can have a mind of its own (or in this case, I suppose my keyboard does). Let’s get right into it. Lugia VS Lugia The mirror is … Continue reading Lugia Mirror and Lugia VS Lost Box

Hey all, my name is Owyn Kamerman and if you are reading this you might know I recently finished 3rd at the Oceania international championships with Mew/Aerodactyl. I had a request to write about the deck, and as I had time to spare on the airplane home, I thought I might as well. A short introduction to me: I’m 19 years old and I’ve been … Continue reading Owyn Kamerman – OCIC Top 4 tournament report

Hi everyone, this is Nick Moffitt bringing you another article for Cut or Tap! I just finished in 3rd place at the largest Regional ever in Orlando with Rayquaza/Raikou Lost Box! This is by far my favorite deck to play in the current Standard format and I believe it is the strongest deck behind Lugia VSTAR. I am excited to share my thoughts on the … Continue reading Orlando Regionals Top 4 Tournament Report

Below is the full audio recording of this article, recorded by Andy Hyun Hello everyone, my name is Manuel Soto and I’m pleased to be sharing my thoughts on the Ditto Control deck I took to an 18th place finish at Orlando Regionals. This event was massive, having nearly 1500 Masters competing for that 1st place spot. I finished with a 10-2-3 record over both … Continue reading “DIT-CON 1:” a Look at Ditto Control in the Standard Format

Abstract In a meta that will span four months, including one Champions League, two International Championships, and 19 Regional level events across the world, the following question is extremely relevant: how can one build the best list of the best play for each event? In this article, I will be taking a deep dive into my general plan of testing, metagaming and deckbuilding –  that … Continue reading An Analysis of Metagaming, Deck Choice, and Deck List: How to succeed in any division at any event

Hey everyone! My name is Gabriel Smart, and I am ecstatic to begin writing for Cut or Tap. I am a professional Pokemon TCG Player based in California, and I travel the world playing the TCG. Currently, I am ranked in the top 10 players in US/Canada, and have already achieved my Worlds invite. You might know me from my consistent tournament placements, Youtube Videos, … Continue reading “Wish Upon a Summoning Star:” a Look at Lugia VSTAR/Archeops

Hi everyone! My name is Nicholas Moffitt, and I am excited to bring you my first ever article for Cut or Tap. Today I am going to be talking all about Lost Zone Box decks. I will start with a brief recap of my last tournament in San Diego, where I finished 10th place with a unique take on Amazing Rare Rayquaza. I will also … Continue reading Lost Zone for Crown Zenith Format

Welcome back, Cut or Tap subscribers! Hunter here to present insightful information on the phenomenon that is Vikavolt Melony box. I’ll be setting the stage for how a completely unknown archetype took down two Regional Championships, earning $7,500 and almost 400 CP. More impressive than the prizes this deck has conquered, the sheer size of these tournaments command respect for the placements from both Krekeler … Continue reading “Follow The Lightning Bug:” Vikavolt Toolbox for Orlando Regionals