[Update 9 May 2024] Following the recent release of Mask of Change [SV6], a new Lugia VSTAR deck variant has emerged. That set brought with it the Legacy Energy card that has already become a staple of Lugia VSTAR decks all over Japan.

At Champions League Sapporo held on 3-4 May 2024, four such decks placed in the top 16, topping out at fourth place. Once Twilight Masquerade [TWM] brings Legacy Energy to international players, a similar effect can be expected among Lugia VSTAR decks outside Japan.

Unlike in the Pokémon video games, there’s no inherent advantage for a Pokémon TCG deck to be a high-speed one. Decks of all paces have seen much success in tournament play over the years. However, for players who prefer to push the tempo up, the Lugia VSTAR deck is undoubtedly a viable option.

This deck’s main setup Pokémon is the deck’s titular Pokémon. Lugia VSTAR from Paradigm Trigger [S12] has the VSTAR Power Summoning Star which pairs perfectly with another Paradigm Trigger [S12] card: Archeops. As soon as a pair of Archeops hit the discard pile, the player can use Summoning Star to put them both on the Bench. Following this, Primal Turbo, Archeops’ aptly-named ability, can be used to attach two Special Energy cards to any of the player’s Pokémon—perfect for this deck which is chock-full of Special Energy cards.

Ideally, before the opponent even would’ve had a chance to react, Primal Turbo will have powered up Cinccino, a Wild Force [SV5K] card serving as the deck’s primary attacker. Its Special Roll attack inflicts 50 damage per Special Energy attached to it—so with Primal Turbo’s assistance, Cinccino can steamroll even the bulkiest of foes under the right circumstances.

However, Cinccino’s relatively scant HP of 110 makes it a “glass cannon” that’ll likely not survive to the end of the game. That isn’t a problem, though—once it gets KO’d, Lugia VSTAR and/or Archeops do have enough offensive output themselves to put the game to bed.

Buying all the cards in a Lugia VSTAR deck costs a minimum of 8,000 JPY (~US$52).

In other TCG-related news, check out the Charlotte Katakuri card from Pillars of Strength [OP-03]. Alternatively, you can also head over to the SNKRDUNK App via the banner below and find the top trending and latest single cards and boxes.