Becoming the Champ with Machamp GX

About seven weeks ago, my online testing partner, Jeffrey Blade, mentioned he had been having a lot of success with Machamp GX.  Because I wanted Machamp to work, I decided to give it a shot despite my doubts about the damage output.  Turns out, Machamp’s math is perfect.  It feels like he always hits exactly the numbers you need.

Machamp’s first attack, Cross-Cut, does 60 damage to basics and 120 to evolutions for just two energy.  This one-shots Garbodor.  It one- or two-shots every evolution card in the game if you have a Strong Energy or Choice Band.  It also two-shots almost every basic in the game with both a Strong Energy and a Choice Band.

Bedrock Breaker does 130 damage for three energy.  This seems super low.  However, you should have no problem getting a Strong Energy and a Choice Band attached to Machamp.  That puts his damage to 180.  A second Strong makes it 200.

From time to time you will need to one shot something really big.  You can easily hit huge numbers once a game with Muscle Punch GX.  While you will only need a single Strong Energy and a Choice Band for Gardevoir GX, a Metagross or a Ho-Oh GX with a Fighting Fury Belt will require you to find two Strong Energy and a Choice Band.  While this seems like a lot, it is not hard to do once per game, which is all you need.

Here is the current list:

4 Machop – You need to play the Generations Machop (or the Furious Fists one as the one in Generations is a reprint).  Having seventy HP is so important.  It allows you to attach your first turn without worrying about getting knocked out by Lele + DCE + Guzma.  The attack for one energy is also super nice.  You can actually hit Drampa for a ton of damage with a Strong Energy or a Choice Band.

2 Machoke – This Machoke helps your matchups against Greninja and other spread decks tremendously.  I used to play three for this reason.  After testing, I realized that a fourth Rare Candy was better than a third Machoke.  Surprisingly, the extra Rare Candy actually makes it more likely for you to be able to keep a Machoke on your bench.

1 Machamp – This is the card I am least sure of in the list.  Sometimes it is super clutch, but sometimes it feels bad to use it when it won’t put my opponent on odd prizes.  I took out a Rescue Stretcher for it, and I loved having two Rescue Stretcher.  That said, the first attack is amazing.  You can easily take a big return KO for two energy followed up by another KO for a third energy, all on a huge one prize attacker immune to Choice Band.

2/2 Carbink BREAK – This helps a lot in matchups like Volcanion, but it is mainly to power up your second or third Machamp.  The ability to attach Strong Energy from the discard makes 250 HP knock out very easy to find.

2/2 Octillery – I tried a 1/1 line of this and Carbink, and I didn’t like either.  2/2 is important, especially with one Rescue Stretcher.

2 Tapu Lele GX – If it weren’t for the possibility of starting or prizing one of these, I would definitely play one.  The deck could ALMOST play zero.  If you are looking for a budget deck, I suggest this without Lele.

3 Guzma – I was playing two originally, but three is far superior.  I think four is fine, but not necessary.

3 Brooklet Hill – With four you find them way too often.  With two you rarely find them early enough.  Because the card is dead late, I suggest three, but if you find yourself having a hard time getting set up early, four is acceptable.

1 Rescue Stretcher – as I said earlier, I really want two.  It is between the Non-GX Machamp and a second Stretcher for me, but I may even cut a consistency card in order to keep both.

6 Fighting Energy – with Carbink BREAK at 2/2 you don’t need more than this.  If you ever prize a lot of energy, you have to be careful, but ten is definitely not too few.

Now let’s look at the matchups:

Gardevoir GX – While some really good players can give you a hard time, this matchup is not bad at all against most Gardevoir players.  You just need to focus on when to go for the GX.  Generally, you only play two energies on each Machamp.  The baby Machamp can even take a revenge OHKO with just two energy (one being a Strong Energy) and a Choice Band. You can each two-shot each other easily, but you have the better OHKO potential.

Drampa/Garbodor – This is your worst matchup, but is winnable with a good start.  You have to use as few items as possible early.  It is tough to set up.  It is easy to KO Drampa, so if they bench it or start it you have to take advantage of that.  Espeon GX will wreck you, so try to answer it as early as possible.  Garbodor is bad but you OHKO it with two energy and if you can keep your item count under five (difficult, I know) they can’t return the KO.

Ninetales GX – This matchup was easy before they added an easy two prizes in Zoroark GX.  They can’t spread with Machoke up, and you can trade without having to discard energy cards.  You have two easy KOs with your GX and Zoroark GX.  The easiest way to get your other two is with the baby Machamp.

Volcanion – This matchup was really bad when we started with the deck, but it has become close to 50-50 as we refined the list.  The issue is the 180-190 HP basics.  Ho-Oh is especially annoying with resistance (and possibly a Fighting Fury Belt).  But if you keep their Volcanion EX numbers low they can’t one-shot you, and you can build to a one-shot yourself.  Carbink can also wall against the EX.  Be careful with your Brooklet Hill as they can use it to get Volcanion EXs.

Metagross – They hit you for 150.  You usually win this by using a Muscle Punch GX to OHKO a Metagross GX.  Your other two knockouts come from an OHKO on Tapu Lele GX or Necrozman GX and a two-shot on a metagross (or by KOing two Metang/Beldum). Obviously Necrozma is the biggest threat here, but you can definitely OHKO it back.  I consider this matchup favorable.

Greninja – Machoke stops its ability to hit your bench with Giant Water Shuriken.  That really turns the matchup in your favor.  Focus on not letting them set up more than one BREAK.

Bulu Vikavolt – You can easily OHKO their Vikavolts, and you shouldn’t have trouble getting up Machamp before they can get off two Flying Flips with Tapu Koko (which is what they need for one-shots).

Golisopod – They have Garbodor, so you have to be careful.  You can each two-shot but they have an easier time doing it and can heal.  However, the baby Machamp can easily return KO and if they put a Rainbow on Golisopod GX you can OHKO without using your GX.

If you are looking for a Rogue option, or even a budget deck, I highly recommend Machamp GX.  Currently, I am in top cut for the 60 Cards tournament series with this deck.  My list isn’t as strong as the one above, and I am confident I would have an even better record if I had played this list.  In that tournament, I won against a lot of decks including Gardevoir and Volcanion.  I unfortunately lost 2-1 against Drampa/Garbodor, but I hope to get revenge in the top cut!  Believe in the Champ!