Legal Sets
Official Rules
- •60-card decks exactly
- •Maximum 4 copies of any card with the same name (Basic Energy exempt)
- •Must include at least 1 Basic Pokémon
- •First player cannot attack on Turn 1
- •Pokémon V give up 2 prizes; VMAX give up 3
- •VSTAR Power usable once per game (introduced in Brilliant Stars)
- •Regulation mark D+ cards legal
- •FIRST IN-PERSON WORLDS SINCE 2019 — held in London (first outside North America)
- •All SM-era and early SWSH cards (SSH through Champion's Path) rotated via D-mark cutoff
- •2022 World Championship in London — Skubal wins with Arceus VSTAR
Format Overview
Standard 2022 was the VSTAR era and the triumphant return of in-person competitive play after three years of COVID cancellations. The 2022 World Championship in London was the first since 2019 and the first ever held outside North America. 210 Masters players competed, and the metagame centered around three pillars: Arceus VSTAR (energy acceleration + flexibility), Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR (scaling Water damage with bench size), and Mew VMAX (explosive Fusion Strike draw engine).
Ondrej Skubal won with a creative Arceus VSTAR / Flying Pikachu VMAX / Hisuian Decidueye VSTAR build. Flying Pikachu VMAX was immune to damage from Basic Pokémon, Hisuian Decidueye VSTAR was immune to damage from V Pokémon, and 4 Path to the Peak shut down Abilities on Rule Box Pokémon. This three-pronged defensive strategy countered both Palkia (which relied on Abilities) and Mew (which needed its Fusion Strike System).
Four of the top 8 played Palkia VSTAR / Inteleon — the consensus best deck entering Worlds. The Inteleon engine (Drizzile for Shady Dealings search, Inteleon for Quick Shooting snipe damage) provided unmatched consistency. But Path to the Peak from the Arceus builds proved to be the decisive counter, shutting down both Inteleon's Abilities and Palkia's Star Portal VSTAR Power.
Key Cards
Top Decks (10)
Arceus VSTAR / Flying Pikachu VMAX / Hisuian Decidueye VSTAR
1st Place — 2022 World Championship (Masters)
Flying Pikachu VMAX blocks Basic damage. Hisuian Decidueye VSTAR blocks V damage. 4 Path to the Peak shuts off Rule Box Abilities. Arceus VSTAR's Trinity Nova accelerates energy. Three-pronged immunity strategy that countered the entire field.
Arceus VSTAR / Flying Pikachu VMAX (Jolteon Variant)
2nd Place — 2022 World Championship (Masters)
Jolteon with Memory Capsule gives access to Eevee's old attacks. Galarian Moltres V provides Dark-type aggro from discard energy. More offensive than Skubal's build with Professor's Research over Marnie-heavy draw.
Palkia VSTAR / Inteleon
4th Place — 2022 World Championship (Masters)
Palkia VSTAR's Subspace Swell scales with bench size (60 + 20 per benched Pokémon). Irida searches Water Pokémon + Item. Inteleon engine provides search and snipe. Cross Switcher gives Item-based gust. The consensus BDIF entering Worlds.
Mew VMAX / Genesect V
6th Place — 2022 World Championship (Masters)
Genesect V's Fusion Strike System draws cards for each Fusion Strike Pokémon in play — 4-6 cards per turn without a Supporter. Mew VMAX copies any Fusion Strike attack via Cross Fusion Strike. Power Tablet boosts damage by 30 each. Fastest, most explosive deck but folds to Path to the Peak.
Arceus VSTAR / Inteleon (Control)
Arceus VSTAR paired with the Inteleon engine for grinding games. Cheren's Care heals Arceus fully. Big Charm pushes it to 310 HP. Melony provides additional energy. A durability-focused build that outlasts opponents.
Palkia VSTAR / Inteleon (Estrada Variant)
5th Place — 2022 World Championship (Masters)
2014 World Champion's Palkia build with more Supporter variety (Marnie, Leon, Pal Pad). Path to the Peak for mirror disruption. Single Battle VIP Pass for leaner setup. Ordinary Rod for recovery. The veteran's approach to Palkia.
Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX / Inteleon
1st Place — Special Event Milan (June 2022)
G-Max Rapid Flow hits 120 to 2 targets. Quick Shooting Inteleon adds snipe damage. Octillery's Rapid Strike Search finds any RS card. Medicham V's Yoga Loop grants an extra turn on KO. A high-skill combo deck that takes multiple prizes per turn.
Arceus VSTAR / Flying Pikachu VMAX (Ishiyama variant)
3rd Place — 2022 World Championship (Masters)
Third Arceus/Flying Pikachu in Top 3. Eevee/Jolteon package with 2 Memory Capsule. Galarian Moltres V provides Dark-type coverage. Evolution Incense squeezed in for extra search. All three finalists played this archetype.
Palkia VSTAR / Inteleon (Gouveia variant)
8th Place — 2022 World Championship (Masters)
4th Palkia/Inteleon in Top 8. Runs Canceling Cologne to bypass Decidueye VSTAR's immunity — a targeted meta call against the Arceus builds. 3 Level Ball + 3 Evolution Incense for heavy search.
Palkia VSTAR / Inteleon (Cabbabe variant)
7th Place — 2022 World Championship (Masters)
Near-identical to Cox's 4th place list — confirming the 'stock' Palkia/Inteleon build. 4 Battle VIP Pass, 2 Melony, Crabominable V, both Inteleon variants. 4 of Top 8 played this archetype but all fell to Arceus/Path.
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