Vapor Strike - The Powerful Rapid Strike Duo

Greetings, PoTown readers! Luke from Celio’s Network is here to discuss an awesome new rogue deck that I’ve been placing high within several online events! Today we will be looking at Vaporeon VMAX EVS paired with Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX BST. The Inteleon VMAX League Battle Deck with 2 of the Drizzile and 1 Inteleon, which we will be using in this list, as well as plenty of useful trainers.

I first paired Vaporeon VMAX with Zeraora V CRE, which was influenced by a prominent online player Jake Gearhart. I played this version for a couple of events and have included 1 Rapid Strike Urshifu V BST in the deck to utilize its fighting type advantage against Jolteon VMAX pokemon online decks. I realized that adding Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX could be even better than Zeraora V in some scenarios. The idea of the deck is to be able to KOany VMAX in two hits from either Urshifu, Vaporeon, or both with the additional help of strategic cards like Galarian Zigzagoon SSH and Inteleon CRE, which place damage counters on the opponent’s Pokemon. Not only are the VMAXs in this deck worth attacking with, but sometimes the V Pokemon are sufficient and only give up 2 prizes as opposed to a VMAX’s 3 prizes. If you need any cards to build this pokemon deck or any other pokemon online decks, you are on the right spot! Po Town has a large selection of PTCGO codes and you can get them emailed to you very quickly! That being said, let’s learn more about the Vaporeon VMAX / Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX deck!

Since Vaporeon VMAX and Rapid Strike Urshifu, VMAX both have the “rapid strike” emblem, Rapid Strike EnergyBST is an invaluable asset for this deck that allows the unlikely combination of a water type VMAX and a fighting type VMAX. Let’s take a closer look at the key cards of the deck.

I utilize Vaporeon V’s attacks quite often. Due to Elemental BadgeEVS, Vaporeon V’s Triple Draw can be used for zero energy, and Splash Jump can be used for 1 Rapid Strike Energy since the special Rapid Strike Energy provides a combination of 2 Water and Fighting energy for Rapid Strike Pokemon. Splash Jump is often quite good since we can deal 90 damage to build upon later and also send our Vaporeon V safely to the bench and toss out a single prize Pokemon which is less important at the moment.

Vaporeon VMAX’s Max Torrent is the attack that really makes Vaporeon VMAX the spotlight of the deck. Max torrent can be used for just 1 Rapid Strike Energy when Vaporeon has an Elemental Badge attached to it. We have plenty of ways to place damage on an opponent’s Pokemon prior to using Max Torrent, such as Galarian Zigzagoon’s Headbutt Tantrum, using Rapid Strike Urshifu V’s Strafe attack, or even using Vaporeon V’s Splash Jump in turns prior. Doing 200 damage for just one energy attachment is insanely powerful and efficient. Only needing 1 energy attachment with the help of the badge means that Cheryl fits into this deck well so we can fully heal Vaporeon VMAX and then need to re-attach 1 energy after Cheryl discards the original one. I have used Vaporeon VMAX’s Bubble Pod to slap an Octillery or Inteleon CRE onto the board once or twice, but this attack is very niche and should only be used at the perfect moment or when you are backed against the wall.

Vaporeon is weak to lightning, and that means Jolteon VMAX will be a huge nuisance. Rapid Strike Urshifu helps with that, no problem!

Rapid Strike Urshifu V can handle Jolteon VMAX with its Hundred Furious Blows, so even just the V is great in that matchup. But, Rapid Strike Ushifu VMAX is one of the most versatile attackers at our disposal in standard format since it has 2 strong attacks that do different things. Gale Thrust is great when you only want to allocate one energy to Urshifu and deal a heavy chunk of damage to the active, while Rapid Flow requires more commitment with 3 energy but deals 120 to any 2 of your opponent’s Pokemon.

We are using Drizzile SSH, Inteleon SSH, and OctilleryBST as the “engine” of the deck, so to speak, since these are the cards that make the deck run! Drizzile and Inteleon can search for specific trainers cards for us, which is useful at every stage of the game. Octillery is incredibly powerful because it searches for any Rapid Strike card once a turn which includes Rapid Strike Energy! Also, note that Sobble CRE has Keep Calling as its attack, which can be very useful in the early game.

Along with our heavy count of Pokemon in the deck, I have built this deck with a lower count of draw Supporters like Marnie and Professor’s Research since we have so much direct search with our Pokemon. In place of some of the draw, support is RaihanEVS, which is a powerful supporter card that can make amazing plays possible!

One of the things I enjoy about this deck the most is that it doesn’t have many great matchups or horrible matchups; instead, it has a lot of close matchups which you can swing into your favor with tricky plays and the use of a rogue card like Vaporeon VMAX which many players aren’t practiced against.

Suicune/Ludicolo

Ice Rider/Suicune

Jolteon VMAX

Victini VMAX

Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX can dismantle their board with a turn 2 GMAX Rapid Flow taking out your choice of 2 Sobble, 2 Lotad, or 1 of each depending on how many they have set up. From there, Vaporeon VMAX can essentially one-shot Suicune Vs with a damage counter from Zigzagoon or Inteleon CRE, and you can always Tool Scrapper any Capes of Toughness. Be careful not to fill up your bench too soon - you want to make it hard for them to reach max damage with Suicune V + Ludicolo!

Like the Suicune Ludicolo matchup, Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX can pop 2 Sobbles on turn 2 and stifle your opponent’s setup. Cheryl is a significant card in this matchup since their attackers can never one-shot our VMAX Pokemon.

Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX shines in this matchup, and you really don’t want to bench Vaporeon Vs unless you have absolutely nothing else to work with. Jolteon VMAX’s only attacker is Jolteon VMAX, so you need to knock two of those out with Urshifu, which is incredibly easy.

Opposite of the Jolteon VMAX matchup, all you’ll need to set up here are Vaporeon Vs. As long as you can get an existing damage counter onto Victini, Vaporeon VMAX’s Max Torrent will one-shot them due to weakness.

Dragapult VMAX

Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX

Single Strike Urshifu/Single Strike Umbreon

Leafeon VMAX

Sylveon VMAX

Decidueye

This matchup is played similarly to the Ice Rider matchup, except Leafeon VMAX can heal itself, which sometimes will mess up Vaporeon VMAX’s Max Torrent. This matchup is always very close for me.

In this matchup, you really don’t want to use Rapid Strike Urshifu due to its weakness. This matchup will typically come down to who goes first or who misses an important piece on a turn. Cheryl is precious, and I should also say Cheryl will be a huge play in most matchups whenever you can pull it off with an attack to follow it up.

Dragapult does not do a lot of damage at a time, but they can potentially snipe our Sobbles and Remoraid early on. Again, Cheryl to heal is huge in this matchup - especially if you can heal multiple Pokemon with it at one time. Don’t be afraid to use Urshifu VMAX early to take out their Sobbles.

The main thing about this matchup is if one player gets to Rapid Flow the other’s Sobbles/Drizziles first, that is usually going to give them the advantage. Vaporeon VMAX can sit in the active and swing each turn which Urshifu VMAX is not able to do, which gives you a small advantage in that regard.

If you go first and get energy on an Urshifu, you can go for Rapid Flowing your opponent’s Houndours on turn 2, which could stop them in their tracks. Other than that, they will typically already be damaged most of the time due to Single Strike Roar, which is Houndoom BST’s ability, so Vaporeon VMAX’s Max Torrent will already be set up for you. It is good to try to force your opponent to knock out a VMAX, then a V, and then a VMAX as opposed to just 2 VMAX, so keep that prize trade in mind since it gives you more time to work with.

This matchup is very hard, but if you play well, it is an even matchup. Rapid Flow can clear Rowlets early, and your Inteleon CRE can use Quick Shooting throughout the game to place damage. Inteleon CRE can attack with a Rapid Strike Energy to deal 70 damage to a Decidueye, so this can 2-shot Decidueye. A well-timed Cheryl is crucial to prolong the game in your favor.

Vs Zacian Zamazenta

Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX

Zamazenta is very hard for you to get through since you can’t use their main attackers. Sometimes they need to put down more than1 Zacian V, and when they do, this is great because you won’t need to battle through 2 Zamazenta V if you can knock out 2 Zacian Vs and only 1 Zamazenta V. Be careful not to evolve your Pokemon too early because you may need to attack with your V Pokemon and not the VMAX’s against Zamazenta V.

Rapid Strike Urshifu is typically not going to do much in this matchup. The most brutal thing is that Shadow Rider has the potential to one-shot Vaporeon VMAXs, so this is another matchup where you want to force them through knocking out 3 Pokemon - typically a VMAX, then a V, then a VMAX or a V into VMAX into VMAX.

I’ve been having so much fun experimenting with cards like Vaporeon VMAX, which are less played right now, and I highly suggest you try out this list and also make your own lists with Pokemon, who aren’t getting a lot of love right now in the competitive scene. Like I said before if you need any PTCGL codes to build this deck or any other pokemon online decks, feel free to pick them right here at the PoTown store. They have the largest selection of PTCGO codes, very competitive prices, and instant email delivery of your PTCGO codes. Happy battling, trainers!