When Rebel Clash was still the newest set released, Dragapult VMAX was arguably the best deck at the time.  Ever since Darkness Ablaze & Eternatus VMAX was released, Dragapult VMAX has started to fall off in popularity. However, Dragapult VMAX still sees some moderate success with Lycanroc GX! Dragapult has pretty much turned into a more energy disruption deck, which in our current Standard Format is very powerful! Let's look at a list that I have been playing recently to online tournaments! 

The List:

Pokémon: 17 
- 3 Dragapult VMAX (RCL)
- 4 Dragapult V (RCL)
- 3 Rockruff (CP)
- 2 Lycanroc GX (TEU)
- 2 Dedenne GX (UNB)
- 1 Crobat V (DAA)
- 1 Eldegoss V (RCL)
- 1 Mimikyu (CEC)

Trainers: 32 
- 1 Cherish Ball (UNI)
- 4 Crushing Hammer (SWSH)
- 1 Evolution Incense (SWSH)
- 3 Pokémon Communication (TEU)
- 4 Quick Ball (SWSH)
- 2 Reset Stamp (UNI)
- 2 Switch (SWSH)
- 1 Tool Scrapper (RCL)
- 1 Chaotic Swell (CEC)
- 2 Air Balloon (SWSH)
- 2 Boss's Order (RCL)
- 4 Marnie (SWSH)
- 4 Professor's Research (SWSH)
- 1 Team Yell Grunt (SWSH)

Energy: 11 
- 2 Aurora Energy (SWSH)
- 4 Horror Psychic Energy (RCL)
- 5 Basic Psychic Energy 

As you can see, this list plays a ton of energy disruption cards like Crushing Hammer, Team Yell Grunt & Lycanroc GX! The deck wants to use all these disruption cards to slow down the opponent so that you can get a ton of damage racked up with Dragapult VMAX's Max Phantom attack! The nice part about the energy disruption is that it gives you a window to beat Eternatus VMAX as you can remove their energy every turn because they are a single energy a turn attachment deck! Other decks right now are also playing Crushing Hammer, so you have to watch out since Dragapult VMAX is also an energy every turn type of deck, where other Crushing Hammers can still slow you down.

Dragapult's Max Phantom attack is really strong as it does 130 damage to your opponent's active but then 50 damage to your opponent's bench, wherever you want! This allows you to set up KO's on cards like Dedenne GX & Crobat V when you play a Boss's Order on them later on, but also to set up damage on your opponent's other attackers! One combo that I am trying out in the deck is using Mimikyu to combine with Max Phantom. Mimikyu can shut off abilities like Mewtwo & Mew GX, Oricorio GX & Silvally GX! This card can help in matchups where these cards are popular, like in PikaRom, Welder Mew3, Blacephalon & Centiskorch/Silvally! With a Mimikyu/Marnie, you can shut off a Blacephalon from even being able to attack you as their Oricorio GX's ability is shut off! Silvally GX is starting to see play with Centiskorch VMAX now as it won a big online tournament, so Dragapult can shut off Silvally's ability to slow them down too! 

The Lycanroc GX, while discarding energy, can also attack! As the deck does use 2 copies of Aurora Energy, allowing you to use Lycanroc GX! Lycanroc's GX attack, Splintered Shards, does 30 damage for each energy in your opponent's discard pile.  Since we are discarding so many energy & when we take KO's on Pokémon with energy on them, Lycanroc GX can come in and take a big knockout! This attack can also be used to knockout PikaRom & Eternatus VMAX! The Lycanroc can help make that Eternatus VMAX matchup a bit easier! 

The Trainer cards are pretty straight forward as there is the usual Pokémon search, but also I have thrown in a Tool Scrapper to help against the Lucario & Melmetal matchup to remove Metal Goggles! Metal Goggles prevents you from being able to Max Phantom to a card on the bench with that tool card on!

Some of your most favorable matchups include:

• Blacephalon
• ADPZ
• PikaRom(Lycanroc GX is useful here)
• MEW3 decks (like MewChu & Welder MEW3)
• Decidueye(Shred lets you damage Decidueye & early Max Phantoms on 50 hp Rowlets)
• Mad Party & other single prized decks can be beaten as Max Phantom usually destroys them! 

Some other cards you can play in this deck include:

• Devolution Spray Z (For Lycanroc GX, I cut them because I found myself never using them)
• Phione
• 3rd Switch
• Mallow & Lana
• Zigzagoon
• Giratina

Dragapult VMAX may have to deal with Eternatus VMAX, but players have figured out how to make it good; still, we will have to see where Dragapult VMAX goes next and if it can win an online tournament! 

Post By: Littledarkfury