Looking at Liverpool
What’s poppin’ TCG Park readers? I’m back to share the recent results of Liverpool Regionals, the first major European event of 2023. Fresh off the results from San Diego Regionals in North America, this Pokemon TCG event was played in the Standard Sword and Shield to Silver Tempest format. In this article, I will share the top 8 decks from Liverpool Regionals, explain how they work, and include some interesting facts along the way. If you are looking to build any of these decks, be sure to pick up the corresponding products right here at TCGPark.com. That being said, let’s jump into the 8th-place deck.
8th – Sander Wojcik | Yveltal Control
If you’ve been following competitive Pokemon for a while, you might’ve heard Sander Wojcik’s name thrown around in the same conversations of the greats, like Azul Garcia Griego and Tord Reklev. They are mostly known for playing off-the-wall control decks that will have you scratching your head as to how they work. Their latest creation is an Yveltal/ Eldegoss V deck that has answers for seemingly everything. Yveltal can discard Special Energy from popular decks like Lugia VSTAR, Flying Pikachu VMAX can stop Lost Zone Box and Regis from attacking, and Miltank can stop random Pokemon V from doing anything. After using Snorlax and Radiant Greninja to draw a bunch of cards, you need to identify a game plan to win against your opponent. Are you walling them? Are you using Flying Pikachu VMAX? Are you able to Eldegoss V loop with Float Up? Are you able to get back resources with Regieleki while utilizing Boss’s Orders and Galar Mine? When you finally figure out your plan, you need to hone in on it and understand what your opponent can throw at you. I have to warn you that this deck is incredibly difficult to play, but it can be super effective in the right metagame – just like it was at Liverpool. Let’s look at their list!
Pokémon – 17
| 4 Yveltal CEL 19 |
| 2 Eldegoss V CPA 5 |
| 2 Snorlax VIV 131 |
| 1 Snorlax LOR 143 |
| 2 Regieleki ASR 51 |
| 1 Flying Pikachu V CEL 6 |
| 1 Flying Pikachu VMAX CEL 7 |
| 1 Radiant Greninja ASR 46 |
| 1 Manaphy BRS 41 |
| 1 Miltank ASR 126 |
| 1 Starly DAA 145 |
Trainer Cards – 29
| 2 Colress’s Experiment LOR 155 |
| 2 Boss’s Orders BRS 132 |
| 1 Peonia CRE 149 |
| 1 Sidney FST 241 |
| 1 Thorton LOR 167 |
| 1 Bruno BST 121 |
| 1 Bird Keeper DAA 159 |
| 4 Quick Ball FST 237 |
| 3 Scoop Up Net RCL 165 |
| 1 Hisuian Heavy Ball ASR 146 |
| 1 Trekking Shoes CRZ 145 |
| 1 Lost Vacuum CRZ 135 |
| 1 Crushing Hammer CRZ 125 |
| 1 Yell Horn DAA 173 |
| 1 Echoing Horn CRE 136 |
| 3 Cape of Toughness DAA 160 |
| 1 Big Parasol DAA 157 |
| 3 Galar Mine RCL 160 |
Energy – 14
| 4 Capture Energy RCL 171 |
| 4 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151 |
| 3 Twin Energy RCL 174 |
| 3 Speed Lightning Energy RCL 173 |
7th – Vinnie Schelfhaut | Hisuian Goodra VSTAR
One of the first unexpected results from Liverpool was seeing two copies of Hisuian Goodra VSTAR in the top cut! Looking at Vinnie Schelfhaut’s list, it utilizes a Lost Zone engine that consists of Comfey, Colress’s Experiment, and Mirage Gate to power up Hisuian Goodra VSTAR! Cramorant works as a side attacker that can either OHKO some single Prize Card Pokemon or hit into a Pokemon to finish up with Hisuian Goodra VSTAR later. Temple of Sinnoh works as a counter to some of the bigger decks in the format, like Lugia VSTAR and Regis, and Big Parasol allows you to counter Yveltal in a pinch. This deck has a similar place in the format as Arceus VSTAR / Duraludon VMAX because it attempts to counter a bunch of different decks at once, but the poor matchups are kinda rough. In this case, Lugia VSTAR, Mew VMAX, and Arceus VSTAR / Duraludon VMAX are quite difficult, but it seemed like Schelfhaut could avoid them for the most part. Let’s check out their list!
Pokémon – 13
| 4 Comfey LOR 79 |
| 2 Hisuian Goodra V LOR 135 |
| 3 Hisuian Goodra VSTAR LOR 136 |
| 2 Cramorant LOR 50 |
| 1 Radiant Greninja ASR 46 |
| 1 Drapion V LOR 118 |
Trainer Cards – 37
| 4 Colress’s Experiment LOR 155 |
| 3 Marnie CPA 56 |
| 3 Boss’s Orders BRS 132 |
| 1 Raihan CRZ 140 |
| 4 Mirage Gate LOR 163 |
| 4 Battle VIP Pass FST 225 |
| 4 Scoop Up Net RCL 165 |
| 3 Switch CRZ 144 |
| 3 Escape Rope BST 125 |
| 2 Ordinary Rod SSH 171 |
| 1 Hisuian Heavy Ball ASR 146 |
| 2 Big Parasol DAA 157 |
| 3 Temple of Sinnoh ASR 155 |
Energy – 10
| 4 Water Energy 3 |
| 4 Metal Energy 8 |
| 2 Capture Energy RCL 171 |
6th – Ryan Moorhouse | Mew VMAX
It was somewhat surprising to see not one but two Mew VMAX decks in the top 8 of Liverpool Regionals, but what can I say, Mew VMAX is a solid deck! While many players have given up on the “more successful” Double Turbo Energy build of the deck, Ryan Moorhouse was able to pilot the Fusion Strike Energy build of the deck all the way to a 6th place finish. The goal of this deck is to use Elesa’s Sparkle to quickly power up Meloetta to have a powerful single Prize Card attacker that can OHKO Pokemon V with Choice Belt and/or Power Tablet. In the background, you use Genesect V to draw cards, and you have Mew VMAX that can copy any of your attacks in play. While this deck hasn’t seen a bunch of success in the past few months, it still has the ability to beat most decks in format! Let’s check our Moorhouse’s list!
Pokémon – 12
| 3 Mew V CRZ 60 |
| 2 Mew VMAX FST 114 |
| 4 Genesect V FST 185 |
| 2 Meloetta FST 124 |
| 1 Oricorio FST 42 |
Trainer Cards – 41
| 3 Elesa’s Sparkle FST 233 |
| 1 Boss’s Orders BRS 132 |
| 1 Serena SIT 164 |
| 1 Judge FST 235 |
| 1 Cyllene ASR 138 |
| 4 Power Tablet FST 236 |
| 4 Battle VIP Pass FST 225 |
| 4 Quick Ball FST 237 |
| 4 Ultra Ball CRZ 146 |
| 4 Cram-o-matic FST 229 |
| 3 Pokémon Catcher CRZ 138 |
| 2 Switch Cart ASR 154 |
| 1 Lost Vacuum CRZ 135 |
| 2 Choice Belt BRS 135 |
| 2 Forest Seal Stone SIT 156 |
| 1 Big Parasol DAA 157 |
| 2 Lost City LOR 161 |
| 1 Escape Rope BST 125 |
Energy – 7
| 4 Fusion Strike Energy FST 244 |
| 2 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151 |
| 1 V Guard Energy SIT 169 |
5th – Kim Pobega | Lugia VSTAR
Many have claimed that Lugia VSTAR is the best deck in our Silver Tempest format, and for the most part, they wouldn’t be wrong. The deck was able to win the 2022 Latin American International Championships and 2022 Arlington Regionals and take home multiple top-cut accomplishments at other major events too! Kim Pobega piloted a fairly basic version of the deck but made sure to include a few copies of Canceling Cologne to help deal with Aerodactyl VSTAR and Duraludon VMAX. The goal of a Lugia VSTAR deck is incredibly simple – get a couple of Archeops into your Discard Pile, use Lugia VSTAR to summon them into play, and accelerate Special Energy to your various Pokemon in play to overpower your opponent. This strategy has proven itself to be successful over time, so let’s check out Pobega’s list!
Pokémon – 20
| 3 Lugia V SIT 138 |
| 2 Lugia VSTAR SIT 139 |
| 4 Archeops SIT 147 |
| 2 Lumineon V BRS 40 |
| 1 Radiant Charizard CRZ 20 |
| 1 Yveltal SHF 46 |
| 1 Raikou VIV 50 |
| 1 Stoutland V CRZ 116 |
| 1 Drapion V LOR 118 |
| 1 Oranguru SSH 148 |
| 1 Pumpkaboo EVS 76 |
| 1 Dunsparce FST 207 |
| 1 Manaphy BRS 41 |
Trainer Cards – 25
| 2 Professor’s Research BRS 147 |
| 2 Marnie CPA 56 |
| 2 Boss’s Orders BRS 132 |
| 1 Serena SIT 164 |
| 1 Bird Keeper DAA 159 |
| 4 Quick Ball FST 237 |
| 4 Ultra Ball CRZ 146 |
| 4 Evolution Incense SSH 163 |
| 2 Canceling Cologne ASR 136 |
| 1 Choice Belt BRS 135 |
| 1 Collapsed Stadium BRS 137 |
Energy – 15
| 4 Powerful Colorless Energy DAA 176 |
| 4 Aurora Energy SSH 186 |
| 2 Capture Energy RCL 171 |
| 2 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151 |
| 1 Heat Fire Energy DAA 174 |
| 1 Speed Lightning Energy RCL 173 |
| 1 Hiding Darkness Energy DAA 175 |
4th – Raz Wolpe – Lugia VSTAR
Lugia VSTAR is so powerful that it has two appearances in the top cut of Liverpool and Raz Wolpe had a unique idea of their own. They included a copy of Irida that could fetch out both a Lumineon V and some of their hard-to-draw Item cards like Canceling Cologne and Choice Belt. This strategy proves to be effective as they made the top 4 at this massive event, and it seems like Irida/Skyla + Canceling Cologne is catching on globally! Let’s check out their list!
Pokémon – 20
| 3 Lugia V SIT 138 |
| 3 Lugia VSTAR SIT 139 |
| 4 Archeops SIT 147 |
| 2 Lumineon V BRS 40 |
| 1 Radiant Charizard CRZ 20 |
| 1 Yveltal SHF 46 |
| 1 Raikou VIV 50 |
| 1 Stoutland V CRZ 116 |
| 1 Oranguru SSH 148 |
| 1 Pumpkaboo EVS 76 |
| 1 Dunsparce FST 207 |
| 1 Manaphy BRS 41 |
Trainer Cards – 25
| 4 Professor’s Research BRS 147 |
| 2 Marnie CPA 56 |
| 2 Boss’s Orders BRS 132 |
| 1 Serena SIT 164 |
| 1 Irida ASR 147 |
| 4 Quick Ball FST 237 |
| 4 Ultra Ball CRZ 146 |
| 4 Evolution Incense SSH 163 |
| 1 Lost Vacuum CRZ 135 |
| 1 Canceling Cologne ASR 136 |
| 1 Choice Belt BRS 135 |
Energy – 15
| 4 Powerful Colorless Energy DAA 176 |
| 4 Aurora Energy SSH 186 |
| 4 Capture Energy RCL 171 |
| 2 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151 |
| 1 Heat Fire Energy DAA 174 |
3rd – Mikey Block | Lost Zone Box / Rayquaza
While the top cut of Liverpool had three decks using the Lost Zone Engine, Mikey Block’s Rayquaza was quite interesting to look at. This Lost Zone deck works by having a “toolbox” of different attackers to tackle most situations. Once you get a few cards in the Lost Zone, you can use Mirage Gate to power up Rayquaza, Radiant Greninja, or Raikou. Rayquaza can OHKO anything in format if you have Energy, Radiant Greninja can set up some Knockouts, and Raikou can take advantage of a few low HP Pokemon. Sableye can play into the spreading damage strategy to wipe out a few Pokemon or line you up for a KO next turn. Overall, this deck has a lot going on, but Block proved to pilot it quite successfully! Let’s check out their list!
Pokémon – 15
| 4 Comfey LOR 79 |
| 2 Cramorant LOR 50 |
| 2 Sableye LOR 70 |
| 2 Rayquaza VIV 138 |
| 1 Raikou VIV 50 |
| 1 Radiant Greninja ASR 46 |
| 1 Oranguru SSH 148 |
| 1 Manaphy BRS 41 |
| 1 Galarian Zigzagoon SSH 117 |
Trainer Cards – 33
| 4 Colress’s Experiment LOR 155 |
| 2 Raihan CRZ 140 |
| 1 Boss’s Orders BRS 132 |
| 4 Mirage Gate LOR 163 |
| 4 Battle VIP Pass FST 225 |
| 4 Quick Ball FST 237 |
| 4 Scoop Up Net RCL 165 |
| 3 Escape Rope BST 125 |
| 2 Switch Cart ASR 154 |
| 2 Ordinary Rod SSH 171 |
| 1 Energy Recycler BST 124 |
| 1 Air Balloon SSH 156 |
| 1 Training Court RCL 169 |
Energy – 12
| 3 Grass Energy 1 |
| 3 Lightning Energy 4 |
| 2 Psychic Energy 5 |
| 2 Fighting Energy 6 |
| 2 Metal Energy 8 |
2nd – Stephane Ivanoff | Hisuian Goodra VSTAR
Stephane Ivanoff is one of the most successful players in the entire world, so it caught many by surprise to see them pilot a relatively “rogue” deck to a second-place finish. Their list looked similar to Schelfhaut, which also made the top 8, but they didn’t include any copies of Big Parasol. It seems like they decided to take a slightly worse Lugia VSTAR matchup to add in tech cards, like Roxanne and Galarian Zigzagoon. While I’m not sure which of the two decks I’d rather play, I think Ivanoff played wonderfully throughout the weekend and brought an inventive deck to a solid finish! Let’s check out their list!
Pokémon – 15
| 4 Comfey LOR 79 |
| 3 Hisuian Goodra V LOR 135 |
| 3 Hisuian Goodra VSTAR LOR 136 |
| 1 Radiant Greninja ASR 46 |
| 1 Cramorant LOR 50 |
| 1 Lumineon V BRS 40 |
| 1 Drapion V LOR 118 |
| 1 Galarian Zigzagoon SSH 117 |
Trainer Cards – 33
| 4 Colress’s Experiment LOR 155 |
| 3 Boss’s Orders BRS 132 |
| 2 Roxanne ASR 150 |
| 1 Raihan CRZ 140 |
| 4 Quick Ball FST 237 |
| 4 Mirage Gate LOR 163 |
| 4 Scoop Up Net RCL 165 |
| 3 Switch CRZ 144 |
| 3 Escape Rope BST 125 |
| 2 Ordinary Rod SSH 171 |
| 3 Temple of Sinnoh ASR 155 |
Energy – 12
| 4 Water Energy 3 |
| 4 Metal Energy 8 |
| 4 Capture Energy RCL 171 |
1st – Leon Kesselring | Mew VMAX
The surprise for most at this event was Leon Kesselring taking the whole event down with a Mew VMAX/Double Turbo Energy build. This deck has a similar strategy to Moorhouse’s build but focuses on using Path to the Peak and other control cards to slow down opposing decks. Since this deck relies on using Genesect V’s Ability, it has extra Stadium cards and Lost Vacuum to get rid of our own Path to the Peak! Even in a field of Drapion V, Kesselring’s Mew VMAX was able to claim victory at Liverpool and take home the title of Champion! Let’s check out their list!
Pokémon – 12
| 4 Mew V CRZ 60 |
| 3 Mew VMAX FST 114 |
| 4 Genesect V FST 185 |
| 1 Oricorio FST 42 |
Trainer Cards – 44
| 2 Judge FST 235 |
| 2 Boss’s Orders BRS 132 |
| 1 Marnie CPA 56 |
| 1 Roxanne ASR 150 |
| 4 Power Tablet FST 236 |
| 4 Cross Switcher FST 230 |
| 4 Battle VIP Pass FST 225 |
| 4 Quick Ball FST 237 |
| 4 Ultra Ball CRZ 146 |
| 4 Cram-o-matic FST 229 |
| 2 Lost Vacuum CRZ 135 |
| 1 Switch Cart ASR 154 |
| 1 Escape Rope BST 125 |
| 1 Echoing Horn CRE 136 |
| 2 Forest Seal Stone SIT 156 |
| 1 Choice Belt BRS 135 |
| 1 Big Parasol DAA 157 |
| 2 Lost City LOR 161 |
| 2 Path to the Peak CRE 148 |
| 1 Collapsed Stadium BRS 137 |
Energy – 4
| 4 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151 |
Next Stop: Bochum
Well, that wraps up Liverpool Regionals! Sword and Shield to Silver Tempest has been a format that many seem to be conflicted on, but it often boasts a large selection of different decks to choose from! The next European major event is in Bochum, Germany, so be sure to stay tuned for our TCG Park coverage from that event, and we hope to see many of you out there playing! As always, TCGPark.com has everything in stock to support the European Pokemon community, so be sure to pick up some stuff from the site!