Some decks are designed to accelerate the game, while others intentionally slow it down, ensuring opponents struggle to catch up.

The focus of the a3a-043 combined with a3a-042 revolves around disruption and denial, transforming the match into a tactical war of attrition—on your own terms. It’s unconventional, often frustrating for rivals, and surprisingly effective.

If you’re looking for a break from the usual battles and prefer to win through poison, strategic pivots, and a bit of chaos, this deck is exactly what you need.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Gameplay Strategy

Optimal Deck Configuration

Prepare yourself for a unique gaming experience!

** Pros ** | ** Cons **

---|---

** + ** The poison mechanics allow for knockouts without direct confrontations, enabling you to manage your threats effectively. Yes, poison is back! | ** - ** If you don’t draw a3a-042 early, your attacking options are severely limited—no poison means no setup.

** + ** The ability to switch freely with a3a-062 helps you apply pressure where it’s needed the most. | ** - ** Poor draws can completely derail your strategy. There are times when you might just end up with nothing useful and lose immediately.

** + ** The grindcore ability from a3a-043 can turn a losing scenario into a shocking victory. |

** + ** a3a-069 allows for consecutive threats by enabling multi-energy plays. |

Start with a3a-042 to distribute poison and establish pressure right from the beginning. Utilize a3a-062 to absorb damage and pivot, then bring in a3a-043 to either seal the deal or recover from difficult situations.

Similar to other a3a-062 strategies, opening with it is ideal for choosing your next moves.

If you start with a3a-062

This is the preferred card to lead with. Use it to absorb damage initially, allowing you to bring out a3a-042 or a3a-043 later. It’s also beneficial to include a3-146 for soaking damage. Keeping that full 120 HP can be crucial against threats like a3a-061, so consider deploying a3a-042 first to preserve that health for a later turn against a3a-061.

If you start with a3a-042

In the absence of a3a-062, this is your next best option. You want to avoid starting with a3a-043, but it works well as a carrier for a3-146 if they’re about to bring out a new threat.

If you start with a3a-043

It’s not advisable to kick off with this card since you rely solely on grindcore, which isn’t guaranteed. Retreat if you draw a3a-062. Otherwise, continue to charge energy until you can activate grindcore since a3a-069 will help power your next threat if your current one falls.

If you start with a3a-044

If you're using the a3a-045 variant, this is a better opener than a3a-042, as it allows you to inflict damage right away while safeguarding a3a-042. Evolving into a3a-045 or a3-146 can let you deal 20 poison damage per turn.

Having a3a-069 significantly influences your early gameplay. If it’s in hand, consider manually retreating to discard energy for guzzlord later. Keep in mind—you need an opponent's Pokémon knocked out to utilize that card.

If you lack a3a-069 –

You’ll find yourself in a tricky situation, primarily relying on tanking with a3a-062 or a3a-042. Focus on delaying your opponent’s moves using a2b-072 or a2b-070. After charging energy on a3a-042, you may want to pull out another a3a-042 or a3a-043, depending on whether you anticipate needing grindcore soon.

If you possess a3a-069 –

With a3a-069 in your hand, you can confidently load energy onto a3a-042, knowing you can recycle that energy into another a3a-042 or a3a-043. After loading energy onto a3a-042, prioritize putting it on a3a-043, enabling it to gain energy from a3a-069. A manual attachment will allow you to unleash tyrannical hole, which can finish off the majority of threats, especially those that are poisoned.

• Utilize a3a-062 to manage damage and maintain your points effectively.
  
• It’s vital to deploy a3-146 early in the game to maximize poison damage, capitalizing on a3a-042’s added poison effect.
  
• Play a2b-072 whenever possible if your opponent is adding energy to their active Pokémon. Successfully delaying them can shift the advantage in your favor.
  
• As outlined in my previous guides: if you plan to reset your hand, it’s wise to bait a promo-006, a2b-069, or a2-155. Maintain a hand size of four or more if you’re comfortable with a reset, and fewer than three if you want to avoid one.
  

Against non-stage 2 decks:

Immediately deploy promo-006 to hinder their setup—this is particularly effective since they typically aren’t reliant on combos and don’t require two cards to set up.

Against stage 2 decks:

It may be strategic to hold off for a turn. Since they can't evolve yet, keeping promo-006 can be more advantageous, especially after they play promo-007.

If they’ve used all their basic Pokémon, using promo-006 becomes a safe move—this indicates they’re protecting a solid hand.

If not, hold onto it; they might be struggling, and you don’t want to help reset their hand.

Against stage 2 decks, only use promo-006 if they have four or more cards in hand—otherwise, wait for their hand to grow or after they play promo-007.

a2-155 gains strength later in the match. You can afford to be conservative early and unleash it once you’re confident a Pokémon will be knocked out, enhancing its effectiveness.

• Be prepared to activate grindcore from a3a-043 if the game is going poorly—it disrupts your opponent’s tempo and can delay their attacks. It pairs effectively with a2b-072, increasing the chances of removing energy.
  
• Use a3a-069 to load energy onto a3a-043 for tyrannical hole—this often serves as your game finisher.
  
• Managing your four Pokémon on the board is crucial. This setup allows you to deal 30 poison damage per turn while cycling in your finisher. The ideal configuration looks like this:
  
• 2 × a3a-042
  
• 1 × a3a-062
  
• 1 × a3a-043
  
• a3a-062 can also deal 100 damage with three energy, but it requires a successful coin flip. If you lack guzzlord or need backup, you can use a3a-069 to enhance a3a-062 in critical situations, like facing a3-066.
  
• a2-150 serves as your key player for finishing off higher HP threats, particularly since many opponents retreat to evade poison damage.
  
• Additionally, remember that once you use a3a-069, the recovered energy is gone. If you intend to reuse it for another guzzlord, ensure you’ve discarded energy first—typically by retreating. Always check your discard pile and strategize accordingly.This strategy emphasizes an aggressive approach that enhances your chances in tough situations by applying pressure right from the start.
  

Initiating with a3a-045 is advantageous, particularly when you have a3a-042 in play, amplifying your threat level.

While this method is less reliable, it favors an early offensive. The chances of drawing a3a-062 or a3a-043 diminish, making late-game plays more unpredictable.

The deck's potential for damage increases, but this comes with a trade-off in consistency—more early damage is riskier in the long run.

For optimal early damage, starting with a3a-044 is preferable, evolving into a3a-045 for poison effects, and layering poison damage with a3a-042. The focus remains on early aggression, utilizing a3a-069 to power up a3a-043 later in the game.

Key cards essential for the deck’s operation include:

• a3a-042 – Delivers poison and pressure in early turns, often serving as a sacrificial card until a3a-043 is ready.
  
• a3a-045 – Facilitates turn 1 poison, quickly spreading pressure and acting as a backup poison source if a3a-042 is absent.
  
• a3a-043 – Functions as your finisher and a tool for managing threats; use grindcore when in a tight spot to regain control.
  
• a3a-062 – Acts as a free tank to absorb damage while being a solid target for a3-146, helping to buy time for poison setups.
  
• a3a-044 – Important for evolving into a3a-045; while not the best starting card, it integrates well with the poison strategy.
  
• a3a-069 – Enables continuous threat deployment, primarily fueling a3a-043 or a3a-062 when the game becomes complicated.
  
• a2-150 – Provides reach against opponents looking to retreat, particularly effective due to poison.
  
• a3-146 – Crucial for early poison application, especially if you start first or miss a3a-042; also safeguards double a3a-042 for a significant damage tick.
  

The core draw engine consists of Research and Pokeball.

Cards that can be removed without compromising core functionality:

• a2b-070 – Disables snipers like a3a-007 or a1-089, can shift the game by reversing chip damage and preserving vital elements.
  
• a2b-072 – Two copies are included as a universal solution for difficult matchups.
  
• This card works well with grindcore to stall opponents, allowing more opportunities for recovery and stabilization.
  
• promo-006 and a2-155 – Similar to a2b-072, these cards address tough matchups by impeding opponents' setups, especially effective against a3a-061, aligning perfectly with a slower, more grinding strategy.
  

Tech cards relevant in specific matchups include:

• a1-225 – Helps you navigate around opponents using tank strategies, maintaining pressure and avoiding wasted turns.
  
• a2b-070 (second copy) – Adding another offers extra protection against bench hitters, complicating a2-150 strategies.
  
• a2b-071 – A surprise option for one-shotting threats like a3a-006, a2-110, or occasionally a3-122.
  

The Guzzlord x Nihilego combination shines through control, disruption, and persistent pressure. It rewards strategic sequencing and patience, gradually wearing down opponents until they exhaust their resources.

For those who appreciate decks that secure victories through poison, tactical pivots, and inevitable outcomes, this deck is an excellent choice.

Explore our other guides for further information ! With the ranked format available , now is the right moment to refine these strategies , rise through the ranks, and overcome your matchups!

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