During the initial months of Pokémon TCG Pocket, ex monsters dominated the competitive landscape. These monsters are (usually) stronger than their non-ex counterparts, and they can come with game-changing abilities that determine how your entire deck plays. In the past, players could create frustratingly fearsome decks consisting of two ex Pokémon supported by trainer and item cards. However, unless you pair together very specific ex Pokémon, you’ll now find yourself losing nearly every game you play.
Truthfully, this shift has been occurring since the Triumphant Light expansion. And to be abundantly clear, ex Pokémon are still prevalent in the game’s strongest decks. The difference now is how you incorporate them into your deck, as many launch-day strategies are virtually obsolete now. Let’s break it down.
The ex-killer cards are on the loose
In the current meta, ex Pokémon have to contend with several cards that exist specifically to defeat them. In past expansions, Sudowoodo and Red were common staples in competitive decks. They’ve gone down in usage as of writing, but they’re still threats you need to watch out for. The 20 extra damage Red grants against ex Pokémon can turn otherwise survivable attacks into lethal damage, so you’ll always have to consider the possibility that your opponent could play that card during their next turn.
Meanwhile, Meowscarada is still seeing use in the competitive landscape. 60 damage for two Grass Energy on a Stage-2 monster wouldn’t normally be impressive, but its attack gets a massive bump up to 130 damage when facing ex opponents. Its Grass-typing is also dangerous, as it can make use of type-specific healing cards such as Erika and Leaf Cape to keep it on the field longer. This card was already dangerous when it debuted during the Shining Revelry expansion, and now it can get on the field faster thanks to the Rare Candy item that debuted with the Celestial Guardians set.
This brings us to the bird of the hour: Electric Oricorio. The safeguard ability nullifies damage from ex Pokémon, which can potentially trap you into an unwinnable state if you aren’t careful. It’s not invincible against ex Pokémon, as Oricorio can still take indirect damage. For example, Darkrai can still inflict chip damage via Nightmare Aura, and Incineroar ex can damage Oricorio by using Fire Fang to inflict burn. Still, considering ex Pokemon can inflict up to 200 damage in a single turn, cutting their maximum potential damage down to 20 is a serious nerf. Even if Oricorio isn’t meta at any point, its sheer presence in the game means you have to plan a counter for it in the event it shows up.
Combine all the above factors with the fact that ex Pokémon award two points upon defeat, and you get an environment where these monsters are way riskier to use than before. Decks consisting solely of ex Pokemon can still work, but they now need to be built with the above threats in mind to avoid completely unwinnable matchups.
How to incorporate ex Pokémon into your deck
In previous expansions, the most prevalent non-ex Pokémon played supporting roles. For example, Shaymin would stay on the bench to heal, and Druddigon would take the lead on the front line while you stacked Energy on your heavy hitter. Now, it’s much wiser to pair a strong ex-Pokémon with a capable non-ex attacker. For example, players using Solgaleo ex will typically bring Skarmory or Shiinotic to inflict damage in the early game and take out any ex killers that could stop them later. You will find yourself praying for a good starting hand that doesn’t force you to deploy your late-game cards off the bat, but that’s practically unavoidable no matter which deck you run.
Alternatively, you can run a pure ex-deck as long as you have contingency plans in mind against your toughest matchups. For example, Darkrai ex and Giratina ex are still very strong together despite the shifting meta. Darkrai’s Nightmare Aura ability paired with tools like Poison Barb and Rocky Helmet can counter Oricorio, and Giratina’s huge burst damage potential can bring down Meowscarada. It’s not a consistently successful strategy, but no deck ever is. You just need a strategy that works at least as often as it doesn’t.
In the end, you need luck and skill to win
While ex Pokémon have huge obstacles they need to watch out for, many previously reliable Pokémon are also struggling because of how aggressive the game has become. Rare Candy is a huge culprit here: a player can now get a powerful Stage 2 monster on the field as early as turn three or four and begin a sweep that only a perfect hand can counter. Meanwhile, you could face the same deck and get the easiest win of your life just because your opponent’s candies are at the bottom of their deck. Cards like Red Card and Mars have spiked in popularity strictly to keep strong monsters off the field as much as possible.
The competitive landscape of Pokémon TCG Pocket has seen huge changes with every expansion introduced so far, so all the strategies listed here could become obsolete in a month’s time. However, given the escalation of cards that specifically target ex Pokémon, it’s unlikely we’ll see these otherwise powerful cards become less risky to use in the future. Just do your best with the cards in your collection, make sure you say thanks even if you lose, and if all else fails, maybe you can play the regular tabletop game instead.
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