Besides Arceus VSTAR, Charizard VSTAR is also one of the chase cards in Brilliant Stars. So today, I’m going to discuss a deck that includes Charizard VSTAR paired with Charizard VMAX and Arceus VSTAR!
This is just an example, if the deck didn’t work for you, you can try to experiment with it yourself and get comfortable with it. I'll update the decklist once Brilliant Stars is online in pokemoncard.io
Table of Contents
Deck Overview
You will use Arceus VSTAR to charge Charizard VSTAR and Charizard VMAX. You can use Charizard VSTAR’s VSTAR Power to OHKO a VMAX or VSTAR. After you used that VSTAR Power, continue hitting with Charizard VMAX because it can hit for 300 damage.
Pokemon
Arceus VSTAR
CCC - Trinity Nova
Search your Deck for up to 3 Basic Energy cards and attach them to your Pokemon V in any way you like. Then shuffle your deck
VSTAR Power - Ability - Starbirth
During your turn, you may search your deck for up to 2 cards and put them into your hand. Then, shuffle your deck. (You can't use more than 1 VSTAR Power in a game.)
Arceus VSTAR is having a great time in this meta. This time I’m playing it with Charizard VMAX and VSTAR. It can charge my Charizard by using Trinity Nova. Its VSTAR Power is also very useful because it can help search one of my main cards, Magma Basin. I don’t know why, but I find it hard to draw Magma Basin in my early turn so I have to keep using Arceus VSTAR’s VSTAR Power.
Other than that, Arceus VSTAR is really a broken card and it really is a must-have card for you to have if you want to play certain decks. Heck, even if you don’t plan to use Arceus VSTAR, it doesn’t hurt you to have 4-3 lines or Arceus V-VSTAR. It can help you to experiment with your deck and maybe come up with a new combo!
Charizard VMAX
Who doesn’t love Charizard? It is a very cool looking Pokemon and it can breathe fire! This time I’m using Charizard VMAX as my second attacker. Its second attack leaves a very good impression on me because it can easily do an OHKO to my opponent’s VMAX Pokemon (except Eternatus VMAX) if I’m using Choice Belt. Even if I don’t use Choice Belt, oftentimes my opponent is already hurt because I already attack with my other Pokemon the turn before so I can easily do the finishing move.
Its first attack is also somewhat useful. I can easily use Magma Basin and attach Double Turbo Energy to do 80 damage and sometimes I can knock one Sobble with it. It’s a good attack in a certain matchup. I also bring more Charizard VMAX because I can tank with it and tank even more with Heat Energy.
Charizard VSTAR
RRC - Explosive Fire 130+
If this Pokemon has any damage counters on it, this attack does 100 more damage.
[VSTAR POWER] RRRC - Star Blaze 320
Discard 2 Energy attached to this Pokemon. (You can't use more than 1 VSTAR Power in a game.)
The other Charizard in this deck is the new Charizard VSTAR. Its first attack can easily help me knock V Pokemon on the board easily while its VSTAR Power is astonishingly good for knocking up VMAX Pokemon. But, I rarely use it because I tend to use Arceus VSTAR’s VSTAR Power more to help me set up.
I usually use Charizard VSTAR when my opponent is struggling to set up any VMAX on their board. I can easily use Charizard VSTAR’s first attack to knock them out because I can use Magma Basin to make myself damaged. It is also a good finisher if my opponent is already damaged. You guys may want to try to play it with Charizard VSTAR only if you find it hard to charge your Charizard VMAX.
Entei V
Ability - Quick Feet
Once per turn, if this Pokemon is in the Active Spot, you can draw 1 card.
FC - Burning Rondo 20+
This attack deals 20 more damage for each Benched Pokémon (both yours and your opponent's).
Entei V is also a new card from the Brilliant Stars set. This card role is similar to Suicune V, it can be used as an attacker too and its ability is also useful because you can draw a card. It also has a lower attack cost so if you need a quick knockout you can try to play Entei V. But the one thing that really differs Entei V from Suicune V is its retreat cost. You cannot use Air Balloon to instantly retreat because Entei V has 3 retreat costs. So you need to bear that in mind.
Lumineon V
Ability - Luminescent Sign
Once per turn, when you play this card from your hand onto the bench, you can add 1 Supporter card from your Deck to your hand.
WCC - Aqua Return 120
Shuffle this Pokemon and any cards attached to it into your Deck.
The new Tapu Lele GX! This card is certainly a must-have because you can try to mix it with Crobat V or even swap it. I can easily search Lumineon V and try to find Professor’s Research if I want to draw power or I can find Boss’s Orders if I want to gust my opponent. It is a really great card because sometimes it is my winning card as I can play it to find Boss’s Orders.
You guys definitely want to have it!
Trainers
Ultra Ball and Quick Ball will be my searcher here. I don’t need too many searchers here because sometimes all I need is 3 Pokemon only (Arceus VSTAR and 2 Charizard VMAX) while the other Pokemon is simply my engine. Finding my VSTAR and VMAX is also considered easy because I can find it by using Ultra Ball or Adventurer’s Discovery.
For switching cards, I play the standard cards, which are, Escape Rope, Air Balloon, and Switch. I always try to put a minimum of 1 Escape Rope for extra gust.
Energy Switch is also being played here because I can move 1 energy to my other Pokemon if I find that my active Pokemon is almost getting knocked out and I need to switch out. That way, my new active Pokemon can attack with full force because Energy Switch can easily fill that 1 energy if I am short on energy. It is also useful because Magma Basin can only charge my bench Pokemon. After I use Magma Basin, I can use Energy Switch to my active Pokemon so I can meet my attack cost easily.
I also play 4 copies of Professor’s Research and only 1 copy of Marnie because I use that slot for Adventurer’s Discovery and Raihan. I don’t want to swap my Boss’s Orders because it is the only gusting supporter that I have and the only one available in the current format.
As I already mentioned, Adventurer’s Discovery really helps me set up the board so I can reduce my searchers' number as I also play fewer Pokemon to set up. Raihan on the other hand, really helps me set up when my Arceus VSTAR is knocked. I can fill my Charizard VMAX energy easily so I can use its second attack the next turn.
For the stadium, I play 3 copies of Magma Basin as it is the only viable stadium for Fire-type decks right now.
Other than that, this combination of cards is pretty solid for me. You may want to add Pokegear if you find it hard to find your supporter, but as far as I’m playing this deck, I’m not in a big dependency on supporter cards because I can just find it by using Arceus VSTAR’s VSTAR Power or using Lumineon V.
Matchup
Setting up the board is quite easy with this deck. Arceus V can easily start first while I’m also charging my Charizard V on the bench using Magma Basin. Ultra Ball is a really good discarding power while I can search for Arceus VSTAR or Charizard VMAX/VSTAR. Evolving it also has no big problem because even if I’m late on evolving my Charizard V, its HP is considered big because it cannot be OHKO by Meloetta (without Power Tablet). Also, Entei V can be my attacker too while I’m charging my Charizard.
Weakness matchup especially Water-type decks is a very hard matchup. Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX can easily knock every Charizard that I put and it really put a big problem. Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX also uses Arceus VSTAR as their pair and they can use its VSTAR Power to find Boss’s Orders to instantly knock my Charizard. Ice Rider deck is also one of the contenders for tier-1 deck in this format so meeting them may be a big no for this deck.
On the other hand, Torterra and Leafeon VMAX/VSTAR can be an easy targets for this deck. You can just deploy Entei V to destroy them all. Even if they bring up their Inteleon as an attacker, it is still a one-prize card so defeating it will be a simple task because your VMAX and VSTAR damage can do an OHKO.
Path to the Peak is also not too disrupting in this deck. But if Path to the Peak is put out early and you don’t have Magma Basin to bump it, it can be a big problem because you cannot use your Arceus VSTAR’s VSTAR Power. So sometimes, you may want to save playing your Magma Basin in case you are facing a deck that brings Path to the Peak because it can be used to bump Path to the Peak. Old Cemetery can also pose quite a threat as well because not only you are damaged when attaching your energy, you are also making yourself in range of an OHKO of some Pokemon. You also need to use Magma Basin and it hurts you as well, so you may want to maximize your Heat Energy usage in order to survive.
Hand disruption is a pretty big thing here. It can easily stall your game if you are bricking. One way to overcome this is to reserve one slot on your bench for Crobat V or Lumineon V so you can do some drawing. Meanwhile, energy disruption is not too big of a deal because you can just use Magma Basin to recycle it back. However, facing Duraludon VMAX may pose a bit of a problem because you cannot use your Double Turbo Energy or Heat Energy to attack. So you may want to charge your Charizard VMAX with only basic Fire Energy.
Other than that, if you are not facing Ice Rider decks or any Water-type decks, this deck is pretty solid because Charizard VMAX can easily obliterate your opponent. Charizard VSTAR and Entei V can also be used to attack your opponent’s VSTAR or V Pokemon because they can be in the OHKO range.
Conclusion
So what do you guys think? If you really love Charizard, you can try to play this deck as this deck pack a solid punch. You can try to play with only Charizard VSTAR in it or even go with Charizard VMAX only. But as always, all decks have their weaknesses, and this time, Water-type decks especially Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX is one of the tier-1 decks right now and it can easily obliterate you. You can try to experiment with some cards and you may find a good combo to counter Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX!
Comment down below to share your thoughts!
Stay safe and healthy! - Arelios
There may be some mistakes and missing points of review in this writing. Please kindly comment to share your correction and point of view too.
