Yanmega and Yanmega BREAK are among the most exciting cards from the XY—Steam Siege expansion. A unique combination of blistering speed and great typing gives these Pokémon the potential to excel in a number of strategies. Take a look at how to put Yanmega and Yanmega BREAK into action.

• Break Down Barriers with Yanmega BREAK!

Break Down Barriers with Yanmega BREAK!

Pokémon

• 3

  Yanmega BREAK

  8/114

  xy11 8
• 4

  Yanmega

  7/114

  xy11 7
• 4

  Yanma

  6/114

  xy11 6
• 4

  Vespiquen

  10/98

  xy7 10
• 4

  Combee

  9/98

  xy7 9
• 4

  Unown

  30/98

  xy7 30
• 3

  Shaymin-EX

  77/108

  xy6 77
• 2

  Klefki

  80/114

  xy11 80
• 1

  Ariados

  6/98

  xy7 6
• 1

  Spinarak

  5/98

  xy7 5

Energy Cards

• 4

  Double Colorless Energy

  xy10 114

Trainer Cards

• 4

  Professor Sycamore

  xy9 107
• 3

  N

  xy10 105
• 2

  Judge

  xy8 143
• 2

  Lysandre

  xy7 78
• 4

  Forest of Giant Plants

  xy7 74
• 4

  Ultra Ball

  xy10 113
• 4

  VS Seeker

  xy4 109
• 1

  Level Ball

  xy7 76
• 1

  Revitalizer

  g1 70
• 1

  Special Charge

  xy11 105

More Info Copy Deck List ****** Pokémon Trading Card Game Deck List ****** Pokémon - 30 3 Yanmega BREAK STS 8 4 Yanmega STS 7 4 Yanma STS 6 4 Vespiquen AOR 10 4 Combee AOR 9 4 Unown AOR 30 3 Shaymin-EX ROS 77 2 Klefki STS 80 1 Ariados AOR 6 1 Spinarak AOR 5 Trainer Cards - 26 4 Professor Sycamore BKP 107 3 N FCO 105 2 Judge BKT 143 2 Lysandre AOR 78 4 Forest of Giant Plants AOR 74 4 Ultra Ball FCO 113 4 VS Seeker PHF 109 1 Level Ball AOR 76 1 Revitalizer GEN 70 1 Special Charge STS 105 Energy - 4 4 Double Colorless Energy FCO 114 Total Cards - 60 ****** Deck list generated on Pokemon.com ******

Building a deck with Yanmega is all about speed and efficiency. If you have exactly 4 cards in your hand, the Sonic Vision Ability allows Yanmega to attack with no Energy attached. For some players, this might bring back memories of Yanmega Prime, a very successful Pokémon thanks to its Insight Poké-Body, which had a similar effect. And just like with Yanmega Prime in the past, Judge works very well to manipulate your hand to the appropriate size, making sure you can attack with Yanmega whenever you need to.

Being able to attack for no Energy cost is extraordinary—assuming the Pokémon has an attack worth using. In Yanmega’s case, the Assault Boom attack can be pretty hit-or-miss. 50 damage isn’t incredibly impressive, but if the opponent’s Pokémon has a Pokémon Tool card attached to it, the attack does an extra 70 damage. Pokémon Tool cards such as Fighting Fury Belt, Float Stone, and Spirit Link cards are used pretty frequently, so you’ll often be able to do the bonus damage from this attack.

If the opponent catches onto your plan, simply not playing any Pokémon Tool cards will severely limit Yanmega’s damage output. Don’t worry—that’s where Yanmega BREAK comes in. The 140-HP Pokémon BREAK has the Barrier Break attack, which hits for a cool 100 damage and gets past any kind of effects on the opponent’s Active Pokémon. Yanmega BREAK retains Yanmega’s Sonic Vision Ability, so it can use either Assault Boom or Barrier Break for no cost. You can even evolve from Yanma to Yanmega BREAK all in one turn if the Forest of Giant Plants Stadium card is in play! The end result is a high-HP Pokémon that can do quick damage without any Energy requirements and can be ready to go in a single turn.

There are many ways to use Yanmega BREAK, but our example deck is modeled after Senior Division World Champion Jesper Eriksen’s deck. The partner Pokémon of choice is Vespiquen, another Grass-type Pokémon that has big potential. Players are likely familiar with the popular Vespiquen and its Bee Revenge attack at this point, but it takes a major hit in the 2017 Standard format without Battle Compressor to put Pokémon in the discard pile quickly. Players will have to adapt their decks to use Vespiquen effectively now.

The ideal plan is to lead off with Yanmega BREAK for damage early in the game. When it gets Knocked Out, three Pokémon will hit the discard pile (Yanma, Yanmega, and Yanmega BREAK), pumping up the damage of Vespiquen’s Bee Revenge in the process. Rather than relying on Battle Compressor for an explosive start, you’ll have to get Pokémon into the discard pile steadily over the course of the game with Ultra Ball and Professor Sycamore. This strategy demands a higher number of Pokémon in your deck than usual—our example deck has a whopping 30 Pokémon in the list! One of these important Pokémon is Unown. Unown’s Farewell Letter Ability allows it to put itself right into the discard pile to boost Bee Revenge even further. By the end of the game, Vespiquen can swing for massive amounts of damage to take down your opponent’s last few Pokémon.

Many players speculate that more Mega Evolution Pokémon will be used in the upcoming season. Whether it’s Mega Rayquaza-EX or Mega Mewtwo-EX, these monstrous Pokémon have a chance to shine without Night March decks in the picture. This deck includes Klefki in response. Klefki’s Wonder Lock Ability allows you to attach Klefki as a Pokémon Tool card to one of your Pokémon. As a Pokémon Tool, Klefki protects the Pokémon it’s attached to, preventing all damage from opposing Mega Evolution Pokémon’s attacks for one turn. With no way to remove Pokémon Tool cards in the current Standard format, opponents will struggle to break Klefki’s Wonder Lock. In this deck, it also serves as another creative way to get Pokémon into the discard pile, since Wonder Lock makes you discard Klefki at the end of your opponent’s turn. It’s always important to look back at cards that could be useful in a new environment when the Standard format rotates.

Every strategy has its flaws, and it’s important to keep them in mind when building your deck. Yanmega’s biggest weakness is that it completely depends on its Ability to attack. A well-timed Hex Maniac from the opponent can effectively stop Yanmega from attacking altogether. Garbodor’s Garbotoxin Ability is equally disruptive, and unlike Hex Maniac, its effect is persistent. There’s currently no easy way to remove Pokémon Tool cards to turn off Garbotoxin, so your best bet is to use Lysandre on Trubbish for a quick Knock Out before it can evolve.

A new season means new strategies for the Pokémon TCG, and XY—Steam Siege is full of cards that are bursting with potential. Be sure to check back at Pokemon.co.uk/Strategy for the latest updates on strategy, tournaments, and more!