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With a surge of new enhanced card decks flooding in, the meta-diversity has skyrocketed, making it challenging to pinpoint the truly strongest decks. This article reveals the answer by showcasing three top-tier deck archetypes.
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(Analysis below will focus on core cards and briefly highlight the current strengths of these top decks.)
Deck 1: Darkrai ex & Giratina Variant
Many claim the "Darkrai ex & Giratina" deck is fading, yet it remains active in tournaments and ranked play. This deck leverages the newly introduced Darkrai ex, showcasing unexpected potential—140 HP, a moderately powerful Dark Prism attack, and especially its Nightmare Aura Ability, allowing it to dominate as a non-evolved battlefield anchor. It adapts well even against cards like Oricorio and can synergize with techs like Komala.
However, in the new expansion meta, its slower tempo leaves it vulnerable against fast-paced decks relying on Rare Candy combos.
Deck 2: Garchomp ex & Rampardos Variant
As the third Stage 2 Fighting-type EX Pokémon following Gallade ex and Machamp ex, Garchomp ex introduces a groundbreaking dual-attack framework:
- Linear Impact (1 Fighting Energy): Deals 50 damage to any opposing Pokémon.
- Dragon Claw (2 Fighting Energy): Unleashes 100 damage.
This deck synergizes with Rampardos, another Stage 2 Pokémon requiring just 1 Energy to attack. With Rare Candy acceleration, both can launch assaults by Turn 3:
- Dual Stage-2 setup boasts an 82.3% first-turn success rate in field deployment.
- Lillie’s card-draw engine ensures mid-to-late game resource consistency.
The current meta’s 147% Rare Candy utilization rate (vs. previous formats) enables explosive 100+ damage bursts (Rampardos: 130 / Garchomp ex: 100) by Turn 3, further amplified by Aurora Energy for cross-type acceleration. Garchomp ex’s Rare Candy-enabled sniping has cemented it as a top-tier threat.
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Deck 3: Rampardos & Lycanroc Variant
This deck features Rampardos, the only non-EX Pokémon in the current meta capable of rivaling EX Pokémon. Its signature move, Double-Edge Hammer, delivers:
- 130 damage for just 1 Energy (highest energy-to-damage efficiency in the game, surpassing all EX Pokémon).
- 150 HP durability, tanking 50 recoil damage + two hits from most EX Pokémon.
- Tactical 1-for-1 trades against EX Pokémon (cost-efficient exchanges).
A true dark horse of this expansion—no other Stage 2 non-EX Pokémon can consistently deal 130 damage with such reliability.
The variant pairs Rampardos with Rockruff as the base Pokémon. Rockruff’s Evolutionary Sign move guarantees a search for Lycanroc (Midnight/Daybreak form). In practice, Midnight Lycanroc dominates due to:
- Tempo Advantage: Attacks immediately when going second.
- Damage Threshold:
- Blood Fang deals 50 base damage.
- Doubles to 100 damage if the opponent’s Pokémon has higher remaining HP than Lycanroc.
Note: This mechanic hard-counters EX Pokémon with ≤180 HP.
The deck forces opponents into precise HP management:
- Avoiding buff items like Giant’s Cape.
- Carefully controlling damage dealt to Rockruff/Lycanroc (low-HP states may trigger lethal counterattacks).
Deck 4: Giratina ex & Snorlax & Greninja
The Giratina ex in this deck is the last Legendary Pokémon from the fourth generation to receive an ex version. It is also the first Basic Pokémon with a self-sufficient energy acceleration ability—thanks to its "Distortion Roar" Ability: Attach a basic Energy card from your discard pile to Giratina ex... at the cost of ending your turn immediately.
This deck revolves around an unconventional tactical framework built upon three core components:
• [Primary Attacker] Giratina ex
As the core damage dealer, the deck runs only Special Energy in the discard pile, enabling attacks as early as Turn 5. Its "Chaotic Impact" attack locks opposing Pokémon into a 150-damage KO threshold per turn.
• [Secondary Attacker] Greninja
Applies sustained pressure through chip damage, setting up Giratina ex’s KO conditions while triggering the "Aqua Patch" Trainer card’s effect. Most builds equip it with Water Energy, allowing it to threaten from the bench or engage directly when needed.
• [Defensive Anchor] Snorlax
Acts as a frontline staller, buying time for Greninja’s evolution and Giratina ex’s energy buildup. As a non-EX attacker, it counters specific threats like Oricorio while also possessing field-clearing potential.
In the "Celestial Guardians" format, this unorthodox trio—comprising a top-tier Basic attacker, elite sniper, and premium tank—has already demonstrated strong early-game performance.
Deck 5: Charizard ex & Incineroar Variant
The Charizard ex (referred to as Shiny Charizard ex in the Radiant Collection) from the "Shining Celebrations" set is the second Charizard ex card introduced in Pokémon TCG Pocket. It retains the original base stats, type, and weaknesses while featuring two attacks:
• [Energy Breath] (1 Fire Energy)
Attach 3 Fire Energy to Charizard ex. This self-accelerating move enables a fast setup with minimal investment—only 1 additional Energy of any type is needed next turn to unleash its second attack.
• [Steam Blast] (5 Energy)
Deals 150 damage, enough to OHKO most Basic Pokémon ex, including Dialga ex equipped with "Giant Cape." Only some Stage 1/2 Pokémon ex can survive. With no Energy-discarding drawback, it can be spammed repeatedly once set up.
This deck leverages "Rare Candy" to skip evolution stages, accelerating high-tier Pokémon deployment. Incineroar ex serves as an ideal partner for Charizard ex due to:
- Synergy in Tempo
- Can attack as early as Turn 3 with "Fire Fang."
- Late-game "Scar Charge" delivers up to 140 damage.
- Optimized Build
- Often includes "Pokémon Switch" to ensure Stage 2 consistency.
- Typically excludes Litten entirely.
- Runs only 1 Charmeleon as a transitional piece (to preserve Charizard ex’s dominance).
These are the five top-tier deck recommendations for May! A heartfelt thank you to all readers—especially newcomers, as this guide is a must-read for you:
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