[Update 4 Dec 2024] A new variant of this deck makes use of the Pikachu ex card from Super Electric Breaker [SV8]. It is, in fact, now the variant most commonly seen in tournament play and combines the Energy-ramping capabilities of the Mirage Gate card from Lost Abyss [S11] with the immense power of Pikachu ex’s Topaz Bolt attack.

Admittedly, the tournament results of the new Lost Zone Box deck have been somewhat underwhelming with the best finish to date being 26th place; that was achieved by Slovakian player Liliana Imrichová at the recent Stuttgart Regionals. That said, cards from Super Electric Breaker [SV8] / Surging Sparks [SSP] haven’t been tournament-legal for long; there’s plenty of time for this retooled deck to climb up the tournament ladder.

[Update 7 Nov 2024] This deck has been gaining in popularity due to its ability to counter the Regidrago VSTAR deck. Recent notable results using this deck have included Michael Davidson’s runner-up finish at the Louisville Regionals as well as Jack Blyth’s 10th-place finish at the Gdańsk Regionals.

[Update 14 Aug 2024] With just days to go until Worlds, some players have reportedly been experimenting with a new deck variant making use of Iron Thorns ex from Crimson Haze [SV5a]. The inclusion of Iron Thorns ex gives this deck counterplay against leading metagame staples such as the Charizard ex and Regidrago VSTAR decks.

[Update 16 Jul 2024] While this hasn’t been confirmed, many in the Pokémon TCG community are expecting a new Lost Zone Box deck variant to arise. That variant is projected to make use of the Kyurem card from Night Wanderer [SV6a] to serve as a counter to the currently-dominant Gardevoir ex deck. Thus, don’t be surprised to see a decent number of Lost Zone Box decks including Kyurem at Worlds.

[Update 10 Jun 2024] Cementing his position as arguably the best player in the world right now, Andrew Hedrick followed up his Indianapolis Regionals victory by using this deck to win the Pokémon North America International Championships (NAIC) in New Orleans. In addition to Hedrick’s victory, this deck had a very strong performance in general and will be a major force at the World Championships in August.

[Update 7 May 2024] A new variant of this deck has begun to emerge in tournament play. Pioneered by Hunter Butler, an American player who used it to finish 10th at the Orlando Regionals, this variant includes the Groudon card from Raging Surf [SV3a], included primarily as a counter to decks featuring the Iron Hands ex card from Future Flash [SV4].

Although the Lost Zone Box deck has long fallen from its place as the dominant deck of the Pokémon TCG metagame, this hasn’t precluded it from use in tournament play. These days, it’s usually deliberately picked as an anti-meta deck using non-mainstream strategies—sometimes to much success. Recently, Yūya Nakamae placed sixth in the Japan-exclusive Champions League Aichi tournament using a Lost Zone Box deck.

One interesting point about this deck’s new version lies in the fact that although it contains the Sableye card from Lost Abyss [S11] and the Radiant Greninja card from Battle Region [S9a], both are no longer used for attacking purposes. Instead, Iron Hands ex from Future Flash [SV4M] and Roaring Moon ex from Ancient Roar [SV4K] unleash the deck’s true destructive power via their Amp You Very Much and Frenzied Gouging attacks respectively.

This deck also makes use of the Colress’s Experiment and Mirage Gate cards from Lost Abyss [S11] to fill up the Lost Zone, thus enabling the same set’s Cramorant to strike for 110 damage per hit without needing any Energy cards.

Although past versions of the Lost Zone Box deck focused on spreading damage, the newer anti-meta version favors a more direct offensive approach. This is because the new setup serves as a counter to Jirachi from Raging Surf [SV3a] and Manaphy from Star Birth [S9]—both current meta staples.

The total cost of all the cards in a Lost Zone Box deck is at least 6,000 JPY (~US$39).

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