CardBoard Warriors - Switch Series Dragon

My name is Hugo de Torres. I have been competing in the standard format for some time, last year I was 98th in the world championship in Honolulu.

Apart from standard, I love to compete in GLC. In the 2 Internationals I have competed in, I have not qualified to day 2 of the main event, but this has allowed me to continue competing in the Switch series GLC tournaments. I played the same list in both tournaments finishing top 4 in LAIC and top 8 in EUIC. Next I will explain why I think dragon is the best deck in this format.

The Dragon type features some of the best attackers in the format: they are efficient, have high damage potential and boast a lot of HP. Additionally, their draw engine is very complete, allowing for aggressive starts and consistent setups. In this guide, we will analyze the deck's strengths and best plays.

Early Game

Aggressive Start

Thanks to cards like Tag Call and Guzmán & Hala, we can start the game with aggressive attacks from Drampa or Raging Bolt. This allows us to apply pressure from turn 1 and hinder the opponent's setup.

Setup

During the first few turns, we should focus on establishing a solid setup. Ideally, we develop the necessary basics Tatsugiri, Drakloak and Gabite, as they form the core of the deck's draw engine.

Drampa: The Initial Attacker

Drampa is the best option to start the game. It is aggressive and requires little setup. It can deal between 70 and 160 damage on turn 1 if we go second.

To maximize its effectiveness, we aim to combine:

Guzmán & Hala to find Stormy Mountains or Bog.
Float Stone or U-Turn Board to improve mobility.
Double Dragon Energy, a priority in the early turns, as we can recover it with Special Charge.

Generally, the goal is to hit with Drampa 70dmg on turn 1 and then establish some damage counters with Bog or Rainbow Energy on the bench.

Garchomp: The Second Wave

Garchomp is our mid-game attacker. Its ability forces the opponent to spend resources on Gust effects, while its attack is efficient and unconditional.

Setting it up quickly is key, as Gible and Gabite help develop the setup thanks to Gabite's ability. Prioritizing its evolution allows us to maintain pressure on the opponent and win the prize trade.

Mid Game

During the mid game, the goal is to use Tatsugiri and Drakloak to respond to the opponent's attacks, continue preparing attackers or take advantage of Boss's Orders or Guzmán to control the game's pace.

Tatsugiri helps us find key Supporters.
Drakloak allows us to accumulate cards in hand and prepare for future turns.

The supporters that allow us to link attackers are Raihan, Teammates, Colresss Tenacity and Crispin.

Key Strategies

Parallel City is one of the best cards at this stage of the game. It can win games by limiting the opponent's setup, especially against Water or Grass decks.
Druddigon is the best mid-game attacker, as its Revenge attack can deal massive damage if our Pokémon have been knocked out. Combined with Counter Energy, it can turn the tide of difficult matches. Ideally, we bench it in advance and assign energy if we anticipate the opponent taking prizes.

Late Game

In the late game, we aim to create a checkmate situation, ensuring multiple attackers are ready to prevent opponent disruption from affecting us.

Haxorus: The Finisher

Haxorus is the deck's most powerful Pokémon. Its attacks can deal with the main tanks of the meta (Snorlax, Wailord, Cetitan, Wishiwashi, Torterra, Okidogi). We must preserve it to respond to the opponent's biggest threats.

Fraxure's ability allows us to prepare it with energies while protecting it from Gust effects.

Key advantages:

170HP, making it very difficult to knock out in one hit.
Great offensive versatility, capable of eliminating multiple types of threats.

Possible Changes

Regidrago

Regidrago is the least useful Pokémon in the deck. Although its ability allows us to draw up to 4 cards, we rely on Float Stone to retreat it. Its attack is difficult to use since we do not play basic Grass energies.

Raging Bolt

Raging Bolt is an excellent early-game option. Its attack deals 60 bench damage on turn 1, which can disrupt the opponent's setup. If included, it is recommended to swap a Fire energy for an Electric energy to facilitate its use.

Conclusion

The Dragon deck in GLC is one of the strongest options due to its consistency, aggressive attacks, and ability to generate an advantage at all stages of the game. With the right combination of attackers, energies, and Supporters, this deck can dominate any matchup and become the most feared archetype in the format.

Thank you very much for reading the guide, if you have any questions you can contact me at X: @Hugo_PTCG

Guía del Mazo Dragón en GLC

Mi nombre es Hugo de Torres, llevo un tiempo compitiendo en el formato estándar, el año pasado quede 98TH en el mundial de Honolulu. Aparte del estándar, me encanta competir en GLC. En los 2 Internacionales que he competido no me he clasificado al día 2 del main event, pero esto me ha permitido seguir compitiendo en los torneos de Switch series GLC. Jugue la misma lista en ambos torneos quedando top 4 en LAIC y top 8 en el EUIC. A continuación explicaré porque pienso que dragon es el mejor mazo de este formato.

El tipo Dragón cuenta con algunos de los mejores atacantes del formato: son eficientes, tienen un alto potencial de daño y cuentan con mucha vida. Además, su motor de robo es muy completo, permitiendo comienzos agresivos y setups consistentes. En esta guía analizaremos los puntos fuertes del mazo y por qué considero que Dragón es el mejor tipo en GLC.

Early Game

Inicio agresivo

Gracias a cartas como Tag Call y Guzmán & Hala, podemos comenzar la partida con ataques agresivos de Drampa o Raging Bolt. Esto nos permite presionar desde el turno 1 y dificultar el setup del rival.