It’s official: ex Pokémon no longer rule unchallenged Pokémon TCG Pocket. While these powerful cards are still prevalent in the competitive landscape, the rise of ex-specific counters have made many of these monsters risky to bring. It’s never been more vital to find strong Pokémon that are unburdened by the ex label, but who should you use?
Truthfully, no “most powerful Pokémon” list will stay true for long. Every expansion in Pokémon TCG Pocket has changed how the game plays so much that very few cards from the base Genetic Apex set see use today. Still, some cards have held their ground despite the power creep, and you’ll undoubtedly sow fear into the eyes of your foes by bringing them into battle. Here are five monsters that are well worth bringing into your deck.
Rampardos
Set: Space-Time Smackdown: Dialga
Pros: Rampardos is so strong that you could be tricked into thinking it’s an ex card. Its damage potential is on par with Giratina, and you only need a single energy for it to attack. Additionally, it packs respectable survivability at 150 HP. 50 damage recoil does admittedly sting, but since this only triggers on a KO, Rampardos can still headbutt way above its weight class against bulky opponents.
This monster was already good when it debuted in the Space-Time Smackdown expansion, and the introduction of Rare Candy has only made it better. Nearly every Fighting-type deck is built around this monster as of writing, and it’s easy to see why.
Cons: Cards that evolve from fossils are always risky, and Rampardos is no exception. You can’t use a Pokéball to get a fossil in your hand, and it’s vulnerable to a quick KO via Sabrina if you have nothing else on your bench. Bench attackers like Garchomp ex can also snipe it before you have a chance to evolve it.
Silvally
Set: Extradimensional Crisis
Pros: Silvally is the newest card on this list, but it’s already made an enormous splash that I’m comfortable listing it here. Given the overwhelming prevalence of Supporter cards in the average Pokémon TCG Pocket deck, boosting that 50 damage to 100 damage is remarkably easy. And since it only needs two colorless energy to attack, it can slot into any deck that needs a secondary attacker. Want to pair the overwhelming power of Rampardos with Sivally? You can, and many players do!
On top of all these perks, Silvally is only a Stage-1 evolution too. That is to say, it can get on the field relatively fast and won’t compete with any Rare Candy users. Even its pre-evolutionary form Type: Null packs respectable bulk while outputting acceptable damage in the early game. Combine all of this with the direct synergy it shares with the Gladion Trainer Card, and you get a monster that is as fast as it is powerful.
Cons: While it’s easy to pack your deck with Supporter cards to trigger Silvally’s stronger attack, you may find yourself either lacking one at critical moments or forced to use a Supporter you’d really want to save later (such as Cyrus). Its colorless typing also means it won’t ever hit any enemy weaknesses.
Magnezone
Set: Space-Time Smackdown (both sets)
Pros: Magnezone was a meta-shifting force upon release, and it’s still incredibly strong now. It pairs best with Magneton from the launch Genetic Apex set, as it can charge Lightning Energy on the bench while you simultaneously apply Energy to an attacker on the front line. 110 damage is also a lot of damage, putting it more in line with a monster like Solgaleo ex than most of its non-ex contemporaries.
Magnezone is one of the best pairings with Oricorio, whose Safeguard ability has single-handedly changed the way everyone must build their deck. These two monsters are far from invincible together, especially if your opponent gets their strongest attackers on the front lines early on. But just putting Oricorio on the field will force your opponent to change their playstyle, which can net you wins if they don’t have an established gameplan for dealing with the bird.
Cons: Magnezone is the rare Stage-2 monster that does not want to use Rare Candy, so it’s slower to get up and running than other meta-dominant evolutions. Spending an extra turn to evolve might not seem like a big deal, but Pokémon TCG Pocket is so fast-paced now that you want to build momentum in your favor as soon as you can. Further, just placing Magneton on the field may compel your opponent to use cards that make you shuffle your deck, potentially tossing Magnezone out of your hand right as you were counting on playing it.
Meowscarada
Set: Shining Revelry
Pros: One of the best ex-counters in the game so far. While 60 damage for two Grass Energy is fairly weak, that value gets boosted to a whopping 130 against ex foes. Even better, its Grass typing lets it potentially one-shot Darkrai ex, one of the only Basic ex Pokémon powerful enough to thrive in the current competitive landscape. 140 HP gives it great bulk too, especially since cards like Erika and Leaf Cape make this cat hard to get off the field.
Cons: If Meowscarada isn’t fighting an ex Pokémon, it’s stuck dishing out a mediocre 60 damage. This is fine for picking off basic Pokémon before they can evolve into Stage-2 forms, and two-shotting Pokémon like Oricorio isn’t bad. However, this still leaves room for your opponent to chip away at Meowscarada before finally bringing in an ex Pokémon to blast it away.
Mewoscarada typically pairs with other grass-type attackers like Decidueye ex who can cover the cat’s weaknesses and greatly benefit from its strengths. Unfortunately, since many powerful grass-types are locked behind Stage 2 evolutions, you’ll have to think carefully about who you’ll use your Rare Candies on during a game.
Greninja
Set: Genetic Apex: Charizard
- Previously available as a Promo card
- Also available as a shiny Pokémon in Extradimensional Crisis
Pros: Greninja looks similar to Meowscarada at first glance: a Stage-2 Pokémon that inflicts a mediocre 60 damage for two energy. Of course, what you’re really bringing the ninja frog along for is its Water Shuriken ability. This lets Greninja attack any of your opponent’s Pokémon, even as it sits safely on the bench. For a truly rage-inducing combo, use Water Shuriken on one of your opponent’s benched Pokémon, and then use Cyrus to draw it out so your active Pokémon can inflict a finishing blow.
Cons: As is fitting of a ninja, Greninja suffers when it’s not lurking in the shadows. Its base form Froakie is mostly a liability until it evolves, and 120 HP after evolution is low enough for most leading damage dealers to one-shot it. Greninja can pick off foes in a pinch in the active slot, but otherwise you’ll want this frog’s big tongue parked on a stacked bench where it’s safe from a surprise Sabrina switch-in.