Tatsugiri Stage 2 Control Item Lock

This strange deck relies on controlling the board by having a ton of powerful Stage 2 Pokémon who either disrupt the opponent, or attack effectively. The only Basic Pokémon in the deck is Tatsugiri ex, and the goal is to use its Cinnabar Lure attack on turn 1 by using Guzma & Hala to search for Double Dragon Energy, Sparkling Crystal and, usually, Academy at Night in order to put back one of the stage 2 Pokémon drawn in the opening hand on top of the deck. Alternatively, Path to the Peak and Silent Lab can make it harder for the opponent to progress in the game.

Typically, the most important Pokémon that are put into play are Vileplume and Magnezone, plus a way to search for cards each turn.

Because it's so reliant on an attack that has a randomness factor, Tatsugiri Control cannot be considered a top tier deck. It is also very weak when it has to go first (especially since it tends to mulligan a few times), and can also struggle hard when Sparkling Crystal is prized. However, when nothing goes wrong, a flurry of powerful stage 2 Pokémon can be very hard for even top tier decks to deal with.