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Festival Lead

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With Festival Grounds in play, Dipplin attacks twice: Do the Wave hits for 100 with a full Bench, 200 per turn. Thwackey searches any card each turn, and every Pokémon gives up only 1 Prize.

Difficulty: HardPrizes: Everything gives 1; fragile Benches lose to spread damage

Your turn-2 goal

  • A Festival Lead Pokémon Active: Dipplin, or Goldeen/Seaking until Dipplin is ready.
  • 2–3 Thwackey on the Bench, each using Boom Boom Groove to search any card.
  • Festival Grounds in play and a spare in hand.
  • A full Bench of 5 so Do the Wave hits 100 twice.

Your attackers

DipplinDo the Wave

20 per Benched Pokémon, twice

Your main attack: 100 + 100 with 5 on the Bench. If the first hit KOs, the second hits the new Active.

DipplinFestival Lead

Attack twice with Festival Grounds

Every boost counts on each hit: Brave Bangle plus Kieran makes 160 + 160 = 320 against an Active ex.

SeakingRapid Draw

60 and draw 2, twice

Backup attacker when Dipplin is down: 120 damage and 4 cards. Gladion's Final Battle plus Brave Bangle makes it 170 + 170 into an ex.

GoldeenFestival Lead

Turns on Boom Boom Groove

Turn-2 Active so Thwackey can search before Dipplin evolves.

Key decisions

  • Count Bench and boosts before you attack. 100 per hit with 5 Benched; Brave Bangle and Kieran add 30 each against an ex; Gladion's Final Battle adds 80 to any Active.
  • Play Gladion's Final Battle last. Use every Boom Boom Groove and play out your hand first: Gladion only works as the last card in hand. 180 + 180 with a full Bench.
  • Thin vs full Bench. Every missing Benched Pokémon costs 20 per hit. Only shrink the Bench against spread decks, and keep Rabsca or Shaymin out first.
  • Pick the right wall. Rabsca stops damage and effects of attacks on your Bench, including placed counters; Shaymin only stops damage from attacks.
  • Protect the stadium. If their Stadium replaces Festival Grounds, you get one attack. Keep a Festival Grounds in hand or a Thwackey search for it.

Common mistakes

  • Leaving Thwackey stranded Active after Boss's Orders: retreat 2 and no search that turn. Put Air Balloon on it to make retreat free.
  • Playing Forest of Vitality when you need the double attack: it replaces your Festival Grounds.
  • Filling the Bench with Applin (40) and Goldeen (50) against spread damage before Rabsca is up.
  • Expecting Rabsca to stop Ability or Stadium damage: it only covers attacks.

Versions

Gladion

2 Gladion's Final Battle, Kieran, 2 Brave Bangle, Secret Box. Biggest burst: 210 + 210 into an Active ex with Bangle. Built for big ex decks.

Recovery

Adds Sacred Ash, Lana's Aid and Bug Catching Set to rebuild a Bench that keeps getting KO'd. Better in long single-Prize games.

Psyduck wall

Psyduck with Rabsca: Damp shuts off Abilities that make a Pokémon KO itself. Aimed at Dusknoir decks.

Matchups

Festival Lead vs Dragapult

Phantom Dive KOs any of your Pokémon and spreads counters over your weak Bench. Without Rabsca you lose two Pokémon a turn; with it you can race by KOing Drakloak early and Dragapult ex on a Gladion turn.

Their plan

  • Phantom Dive: 200 to the Active (your biggest is Seaking, 110) plus 6 counters on your Bench, enough for Applin (40) and Goldeen (50) together.
  • Risky Ruins: every Basic you Bench takes 20. Applin drops to 20 and Grookey to 50. Rabsca does not stop it: it's a Stadium.
  • Munkidori: Adrena-Brain moves 3 counters per turn, an Ability Rabsca can't block. With Boss's Orders it removes Rabsca or a stuck Thwackey.
  • Budew and 4 Crushing Hammer: no Items for a turn, and Dipplin loses its only Energy on heads.

Your prize plan

  1. Rabsca first. Bench Rellor and evolve before Risky Ruins lands; Spherical Shield stops Phantom Dive's counters and Cruel Arrow on your Bench.
  2. KO Drakloak before Dragapult ex. A full Bench does 100 per hit: one hit KOs Drakloak (90) or Dreepy (70), and the second hit takes the next Active.
  3. Dragapult ex on a Gladion turn. Gladion's Final Battle does 180 per hit, 360 for the KO; Brave Bangle + Kieran also reach exactly 320.
  4. Air Balloon on Thwackey. Boss's Orders on a Thwackey with no retreat costs you the attack and Boom Boom Groove.

Against an Active Dragapult ex (320 HP), 5 Pokémon on your Bench

Do the Wave, two hits200
Do the Wave + Brave Bangle, two hits260
Brave Bangle + Kieran, two hits320 · KO
Gladion's Final Battle, two hits360 · KO
Rapid Draw + Gladion + Brave Bangle, two hits340 · KO

Don't

  • Benching Applin, Goldeen and Rellor under Risky Ruins without Rabsca: one Phantom Dive takes 2-3 Prizes.
  • Counting on Shaymin: Flower Curtain stops damage, not the counters Phantom Dive places.
  • Putting your only Grass Energy on one Dipplin against 4 Crushing Hammer: keep a second attacker or Seaking ready.

Key turn

  • Your turn 2: KO the first Drakloak or Dreepy with a double attack. Going first and hitting before Budew locks your Items is your best shot.
  • The first Dragapult ex: have Gladion as the last card in hand, or Bangle + Kieran, the turn it attacks. Missing that KO usually loses the race.

If they play…

Moltres

Fighting Wings only adds 90 against ex; you have none, so it does 40 to Dipplin. Ignore it.

Shaymin

Changes nothing: you only hit their Active.

Team Rocket's Watchtower

Replaces Festival Grounds. Keep a spare Festival Grounds or a Thwackey to search one.

Festival Lead vs N's Zoroark

N's Zoroark ex and N's Zorua are weak to Grass, so Dipplin trades one 1-Prize Pokémon for a 2-Prize ex every turn. Your only real risk is losing Festival Grounds to their Stadiums.

Their plan

  • Night Joker copies Rampaging Thunder (250) or Virtuous Flame (170): either KOs any of your Pokémon, but only one per turn.
  • Stadium swap: N's Castle and Team Rocket's Watchtower both replace Festival Grounds and switch off your double attack.
  • N's Darmanitan's Flamebody Cannon: 90 to the Active and 90 to a Benched Pokémon, a two-Prize turn against your small Basics.
  • Munkidori's Adrena-Brain adds 30 anywhere: Shred (70) + 30 KOs a Dipplin even with Growing Grass Energy (100).

Your prize plan

  1. Turn 2: Festival Grounds + Dipplin Active + Thwackey on the Bench. Boom Boom Groove finds Brave Bangle and the next Festival Grounds.
  2. Boss's Orders the Benched N's Zoroark ex: with a full Bench and Brave Bangle, two Do the Wave hits do 520. That is 2 Prizes and one less Trade.
  3. Add Kieran or Gladion's Final Battle and the first hit KOs Zoroark ex alone, so the second hit takes the next Active too.
  4. Zorua (70) needs just 2 Benched Pokémon (80 with Weakness): take it with a spare hit before it evolves.

Against an Active N's Zoroark ex (280 HP, weak to Grass), full Bench of 5

Do the Wave, one hit200
Do the Wave + Brave Bangle, one hit260
Do the Wave + Brave Bangle, both hits520 · KO
Do the Wave + Brave Bangle + Kieran, first hit320 · KO
Do the Wave + Gladion's Final Battle, first hit360 · KO

Don't

  • Running out of Festival Grounds. Keep one in hand or a Thwackey ready to search it the turn they play N's Castle or Watchtower.
  • Hitting Zorua when a Benched Zoroark ex is in reach: Zorua is 1 Prize, Zoroark ex is 2 and also their draw engine.
  • Leaving Thwackey Active after their Boss's Orders: retreat 2 with no Festival Lead. Have Air Balloon on it beforehand.

Key turn

  • The turn they replace Festival Grounds: if you put a new one down and still double-attack, they cannot keep pace with 2-Prize KOs.
  • Your turn 2: Festival Grounds in play also stops Poison on Pokémon with Energy, so Pecharunt ex can't switch on Binding Mochi's +40.

If they play…

Punk Helmet

Each hit on their Darkness Active puts 4 counters on your attacker. Growing Grass Energy (100 HP) keeps Dipplin alive.

Fezandipiti ex

Cruel Arrow does 100 to a Benched Pokémon; Shaymin's Flower Curtain stops it. It is also 2 easy Prizes for Do the Wave.

Budew

Itchy Pollen locks your Items for a turn. Thwackey's search still works: take Supporters and Festival Grounds instead.

Festival Lead vs Dhelmise

Both decks give 1 Prize per Pokémon. Festival Lead's double attack takes 2 KOs on small targets, but their 170 Anchor KOs anything you have and Matcha Spin punishes a full, fragile Bench.

Their plan

  • Vengeful Anchor: 170 for one [P] once 4 Hide 'n' Sneak Pokémon are in their discard. KOs every Pokémon in your deck, Seaking (110) included.
  • Matcha Spin: with 6 in the discard, 4 counters on each of your Pokémon. Applin (40) dies, Goldeen and Rellor drop to 10.
  • Prism Tower: their Stadium replaces Festival Grounds and turns off the double attack.
  • Banette: Puppet Pull does 80, enough for a Dipplin without Growing Grass Energy (80 HP).

Your prize plan

  1. Get Rabsca on the Bench early. Spherical Shield stops Matcha Spin's counters on your Bench; Shaymin does not, because counters are not damage.
  2. Fill the Bench to 5. Do the Wave does 100 per hit: one hit KOs Banette, Shuppet, Poltchageist, Sinistcha or Dunsparce, and the second hit goes to the next Active.
  3. KO Dhelmise every time it attacks. Two hits do 200 against 140; with Gladion's Final Battle one hit does 180, so the second hit takes another Prize.
  4. Hit Dhelmise and ex before Hide 'n' Sneak Pokémon. Each Shuppet or Banette you KO adds to their discard and powers Anchor and Matcha Spin.

Against an Active Dhelmise (140 HP), 5 Pokémon on your Bench

Do the Wave, one hit100
Do the Wave, two hits200 · KO
Do the Wave + Gladion's Final Battle, one hit180 · KO
Rapid Draw + Gladion's Final Battle, one hit140 · KO
Rapid Draw, two hits120

Don't

  • Running out of Festival Grounds. Keep one in hand or a Thwackey to search it after each Prism Tower.
  • Benching Applin and Goldeen with no Rabsca once they near 6 in the discard: one Matcha Spin takes several Prizes.
  • Leaving Thwackey Active after Boss's Orders with no Air Balloon or Switch: it can't attack and Boom Boom Groove stops.

Key turn

  • The turn they reach 4 in the discard: Dhelmise starts trading 1-for-1. Answer each one the same turn, ideally with a double KO so you stay a Prize ahead.
  • Gladion's Final Battle turn: spend Thwackey searches, play everything and keep Gladion as your last card for 180 + 180, two KOs.

If they play…

Dudunsparce ex

270 HP: Bangle + Kieran does 160 per hit (320), or Gladion 180 per hit. Tenacious Tail does nothing to you: you have no ex.

Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex

260 HP: Do the Wave + Brave Bangle does 130 per hit, 260 for the KO and 2 Prizes.

Jamming Tower

Turns off Brave Bangle and Air Balloon and replaces Festival Grounds. Lean on Gladion and Switch.

Festival Lead vs Basic Box

Every one of their ex KOs any of your Pokémon in one hit, and their Stadiums switch off Festival Lead. You need a full Bench, a damage boost and Festival Grounds in play every turn to take 2 Prizes back per KO.

Their plan

  • One-hit KOs on everything: Rapid-Fire Combo (200+), Eon Blade (200), Prism Edge (180) and Myriad Leaf Shower all beat your biggest Pokémon, Seaking (110).
  • Stadium removal: Area Zero Underdepths replaces Festival Grounds, and Chien-Pao's Snow Sink discards it. No Festival Grounds, no second attack.
  • Bench snipes: Cruel Arrow (100) and Torrential Pump (120 to the Bench) pick off Thwackey or Dipplin. Shaymin stops that damage on your Bench.
  • Boss's Orders on Thwackey (retreat 2): it can't attack and Boom Boom Groove stops working.

Your prize plan

  1. Full Bench, Brave Bangle on Dipplin: Do the Wave does 130 per hit to an ex, 260 in two. That KOs Teal Mask Ogerpon ex, Latias ex, Iron Leaves ex and Raging Bolt ex.
  2. Gladion's Final Battle + Bangle is the big turn: 210 per hit. The first hit KOs a 210 HP ex and the second hits their next Active.
  3. Mega Kangaskhan ex (300, 3 Prizes): Bangle + Kieran (320) or Gladion's Final Battle (360).
  4. Meowth ex (170) and Lillie's Clefairy ex (190) fall to two unboosted hits (200). Use Boss's Orders when nothing bigger is in range.

Do the Wave twice (Festival Lead, 5 on your Bench) against an Active Mega Kangaskhan ex (300 HP)

No boost200
Brave Bangle260
Brave Bangle + Kieran320 · KO
Gladion's Final Battle360 · KO
Gladion's Final Battle + Brave Bangle420 · KO

Don't

  • Attacking without a spare Festival Grounds: once Area Zero Underdepths or Snow Sink removes it, you need one ready to replay.
  • Leaving Thwackey without Air Balloon or Energy: a Boss's Orders strands it Active.
  • Hitting a Benched Meowth ex when the charged attacker in front of you survives and KOs your Dipplin next turn.

Key turn

  • The Gladion's Final Battle turn: use Thwackey searches first, leave Gladion as your last card, and take two ex KOs in one attack.
  • Their Stadium turn: if you can't put Festival Grounds back, Do the Wave only hits once.

If they play…

Iron Crown ex

Twin Shotels does 50 to 2 Pokémon, ignoring effects on them: Applin, Goldeen and Rellor fall. Evolve or keep them off the Bench.

Hero's Cape

Kangaskhan goes to 400: only Gladion's Final Battle + Brave Bangle (420) KOs it.

Jamming Tower

Brave Bangle and Air Balloon stop working, and it replaces Festival Grounds. Lean on Gladion and Kieran.

Festival Lead vs Ogerpon Meganium Hydrapple

Every attack they have KOs any of your Pokémon, but you only need 3 ex KOs. Gladion's Final Battle KOs Hydrapple ex in one turn and Brave Bangle handles Ogerpon; keep Festival Grounds in play against their Forest of Vitality.

Their plan

  • Teal Mask Ogerpon ex: Myriad Leaf Shower counts Energy on both Actives; with Meganium, 2 Grass on Ogerpon against your 1 Energy does 180, enough for anything you play.
  • Hydrapple ex: Syrup Storm adds 30 per [G] they have, and Ripening Charge heals 30 each turn. Damage you leave on it doesn't last.
  • Forest of Vitality (4 copies) replaces Festival Grounds and turns off your double attack.
  • Tapu Bulu: Wood Hammer 220 for 1 Prize, so they don't have to hand you ex.

Your prize plan

  1. Bench to 5 and keep Festival Grounds. Do the Wave does 100 per hit; Thwackey re-searches Festival Grounds each time they play Forest of Vitality.
  2. Ogerpon ex with Brave Bangle. 130 per hit, 260 total: KO on 210 for 2 Prizes.
  3. Hydrapple ex with Gladion's Final Battle. 180 per hit does 360, KO on 330 in one turn, so Ripening Charge never heals it.
  4. Boss's Orders Meganium when no ex is open. Two hits (200) KO it, and their Syrup Storm and Leaf Shower drop to half.

Against an Active Hydrapple ex (330 HP), 5 Pokémon on your Bench

Do the Wave, two hits200
Do the Wave + Brave Bangle, two hits260
Brave Bangle + Kieran, two hits320
Gladion's Final Battle, two hits360 · KO
Gladion's Final Battle + Brave Bangle, two hits420 · KO

Don't

  • Half-damaging Hydrapple ex. 260 or 320 doesn't KO it and Ripening Charge heals 30; save the attack for a Gladion turn.
  • Spending double attacks on Chikorita or Applin while an Ogerpon ex or Hydrapple ex is reachable: they want 1-Prize trades.
  • Attacking with no Festival Grounds: one hit of 100 KOs nothing that matters.

Key turn

  • The first Hydrapple ex: KO it the turn it lands with Gladion. Once Meganium and Hydrapple are both online, they KO one of your Pokémon every turn.
  • Stadium turns: whenever they play Forest of Vitality, have Festival Grounds back that same turn or your next attack is a single hit.

If they play…

Budew

Itchy Pollen locks Poffin, Poké Pad and Brave Bangle for a turn. Thwackey's Boom Boom Groove still searches.

Dipplin

Their Dipplin also has Festival Lead: under your Festival Grounds it can use Do the Wave twice.

Briar

When you have exactly 2 Prizes left, a KO by Teal Mask Ogerpon ex gives them 1 extra Prize. Plan your last turns around it.

Sources