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-EX give up 2 Prize cards when knocked out
- •BREAK Evolution evolves on top of the Stage it breaks from
- •All BW-era cards rotated out — no more Computer Search ACE SPEC, Tropical Beach
- •Lysandre's Trump Card banned
- •2016 World Championship in San Francisco — Ito's M Audino-EX upset
Format Overview
XY Standard 2016 was the Night March era. The combination of Joltik, Pumpkaboo, and Lampent — whose Night March attack dealt 20 damage per Night Marcher in the discard pile — created the most efficient aggressive deck in TCG history. A 30 HP Joltik could deal 220 damage for a single Double Colorless Energy. Every deck in the format was either Night March or built to counter it.
The format introduced the BREAK Evolution mechanic. Trevenant BREAK spread 30 damage to all opponents under permanent Item lock. Greninja BREAK placed 60 damage with Giant Water Shuriken without attacking. These non-EX strategies challenged the dominance of Pokémon-EX by trading prizes efficiently. Vileplume from Ancient Origins brought back the Item lock archetype, spawning creative toolbox builds.
At the 2016 World Championship, Shintaro Ito shocked the field by winning with M Audino-EX — a 'secret deck' from Japan that most players had never seen. Magical Symphony dealt 110 + 50 snipe, perfectly picking off Shaymin-EX on the bench. Cody Walinski finished 2nd with Greninja BREAK, and Ross Cawthon (the 'Truth' legend from 2011) made his fourth Top 4 with Vespiquen/Yveltal.
Key Cards
Top Decks (10)
Magical Symphony (M Audino-EX)
1st Place — 2016 World Championship (Masters)
The biggest upset of 2016. M Audino-EX's Magical Symphony deals 110 + 50 snipe when a Supporter was played, perfectly picking off Shaymin-EX. A 'secret deck' from Japan that stunned the field. Ito exploited the Night March-heavy meta.
Ninja Blitz (Greninja BREAK)
2nd Place — 2016 World Championship (Masters)
Non-EX deck with Greninja BREAK's Giant Water Shuriken placing 60 damage via Ability. Greninja's Shadow Stitching shuts off opponent Abilities. Talonflame's Gale Wings starts in Active for free search. Bursting Balloon punishes attackers during setup.
Vileplume Toolbox
Top 4 — 2016 World Championship (Masters)
Vileplume's Irritating Pollen locks Items. Forest of Giant Plants enables Turn 1 Vileplume. Jolteon-EX, Glaceon-EX, and Aegislash-EX each wall different deck types. Ninja Boy switches between attackers to adapt to any matchup.
Vespiquen / Yveltal
Top 4 — 2016 World Championship (Masters)
Cawthon's fourth Top 4 at Worlds. Vespiquen's Bee Revenge scales with Pokémon in discard. Yveltal's Oblivion Wing accelerates Dark Energy. Octillery provides draw. Battle Compressor fills the discard for massive Vespiquen damage.
Night March / Vespiquen
Top 8 — 2016 World Championship (Masters)
The format's defining aggressive deck. Night March deals 20× Night Marchers in discard — up to 220 from a single-prize Joltik. Vespiquen provides backup damage. Battle Compressor fills the discard. Puzzle of Time recovers resources.
Night March / Mew
Top 8 — 2016 World Championship (Masters)
Streamlined Night March dropping Vespiquen for Mew, which copies Joltik's Night March as a single-prize attacker with more HP. Fighting Fury Belt boosts survivability. Double Hex Maniac for extra Ability lock.
Metal Toolbox (Bronzong)
Top 8 — 2016 World Championship (Masters)
Bronzong's Metal Links accelerates Metal Energy from discard each turn. Aegislash-EX walls Special Energy decks like Night March. Genesect-EX attacks efficiently. Magearna-EX protects from status and Trainer effects. Max Elixir adds further acceleration.
Trevenant BREAK (Item Lock)
7th Place — 2016 US National Championship
Turn-1 Item lock via Wally evolving Phantump into Trevenant. Trevenant BREAK's Silent Fear spreads 30 to all opponents. Crushing Hammer and Team Flare Grunt strip energy. Head Ringer slows EX attackers. The premier dedicated Item lock deck.
Vespiquen / Vileplume
Hybrid aggro-lock. Vespiquen's Bee Revenge scales with Pokémon in discard. Vileplume locks Items via Forest of Giant Plants for Turn 1 lock. 28 Pokémon fuel Vespiquen's damage while Unown and Shaymin-EX provide draw. Bunnelby recovers resources.
Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX / Garbodor
1st Place — 2016 World Championship (Juniors)
Darkrai-EX's Dark Pulse scales damage with total Dark Energy. Giratina-EX's Chaos Wheel locks Special Energy, Tools, and Stadiums. Garbodor shuts off all Abilities. Max Elixir provides explosive energy acceleration. Dominated all divisions at Worlds.
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