Guest: Logan Hunter Talks Stockholm and His Top 5 Decks for NAICGuest: Logan Hunter Talks Stockholm and His Top 5 Decks for NAIC
The Payoff with Pete
Competitive player Logan Hunter ranks his top five Pokémon TCG decks for NAIC after Twilight Masquerade, using recent tournament results and testing to justify each choice. The conversation highlights why Charizard still sits on top while newer options like Dragapult and upgraded Lugia push hard for space in the meta.
44:45•14 May 2024
Logan Hunter Breaks Down His Top 5 Pokémon Decks for NAIC
Episode Overview
- Ancient Box remains a strong one-prize deck choice even without new Twilight Masquerade cards.
- Snorlax stall gains power from new tools that boost deck manipulation and energy disruption.
- Lugia becomes far more threatening with Legacy Energy, Carmine and the option to run Iron Hands.
- Dragapult ex looks set to shake up events in both straight and Lost Box-based builds.
- Charizard stays a top meta threat, especially with Unfair Stamp creating devastating hand disruption turns.
“"You can never count this deck out, man."”
Ever wondered what it takes to sort the strongest Pokémon decks before a major tournament? This chat-heavy instalment brings competitive card play into sharp focus, as guest Logan Hunter joins host Corey to run through his ranked top five decks for the North America International Championships (NAIC) after the Twilight Masquerade set lands. You’ll hear Logan, a seasoned player from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, weigh up tournament results from Stockholm and Sapporo with hands-on local league experience.
Ancient Box kicks things off at number five, praised for being "fully one prize, which you can never go wrong with" and hitting impressive numbers without needing any new cards. Snorlax stall takes the fourth slot, boosted by new tools like Performance Flute and fan-style energy disruption that make control strategies even nastier. Third place belongs to Lugia, which suddenly looks much stronger thanks to Legacy Energy, Carmine for aggressive turn-one draw, and the scary addition of Iron Hands.
Logan explains how Lugia’s awkward prize trade problems start to ease once "sometimes they just have to skip a turn and they can’t do anything" after a knockout with Legacy Energy attached. Second place is split between two Dragapult builds: a straight Zatu-powered version and a spicy Lost Box hybrid using Mirage Gate and Radiant Charizard. Both lean on Dragapult ex’s big HP and spread damage to pressure entire boards, with Drakloak’s pseudo-draw ability keeping hands flowing. Top spot?
Charizard, again. As Logan puts it, "You can never count this deck out, man." With new tricks like Unfair Stamp for brutal hand disruption and potential tech attackers, Charizard remains the deck to beat. For anyone who loves thinking through meta calls, match-ups and risk-reward before a big event, this conversation offers a fast-paced tour of what might be waiting at NAIC. Which deck would you trust to carry you through a long weekend of high-stakes rounds?
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