Key Strengths of the Pikachu ex Deck
Let’s first identify the main strengths of the Pikachu ex deck during a game:
- Minimal setup
Unlike most decks centered around a Pokémon ex, Pikachu ex is a Basic Pokémon. The only requirement to make it fully functional is attaching 2 L Energy and filling the Bench with as many L Pokémon as possible. Both are inevitable: every turn, an Energy pops up in the Energy Zone for attachment, and since most of the deck’s Pokémon are Basic, Red Card isn’t an effective disruption tool to prevent them from playing their best Pokémon. Additionally, most if not all pieces are searchable with Poké Ball, starting with Pikachu ex itself.
Conclusion: You can hardly prevent Pikachu ex from setting up. You can only plan on managing the deck once it does.
- Tanky Pokémon
No Pokémon in the deck exceeds 130 HP. And yet, both Pikachu ex and Zapdos ex boast enough HP to withstand multiple hits in the early game. If you’re hoping to catch a stray, weakened Pokémon on their Bench with Sabrina for an easy knockout, you’ll likely be facing another 120+ HP Pokémon instead.
Conclusion: Your Pokémon should be able to take at least one hit from theirs, as it’s unlikely you’ll knock them out in a single blow.
- Cheap retreat cost
This seemingly unremarkable trait is one of the deck’s biggest hidden strengths. None of the core Pokémon in the deck have a retreat cost higher than 1 C, which becomes a free retreat with X Speed. After taking a hit, they can safely retreat to avoid getting KO’d, barely losing any tempo in Energy attachment. This also makes them all the more resilient to an opponent’s Sabrina.
Conclusion: You must either knock out their Pokémon in one hit or have ways to force damaged Pokémon back into the Active spot to finish them off.
Marowak ex
One of the first reflexes players can adopt in Pokémon is to check a deck’s main weaknesses when trying to beat it. In Pikachu ex’s case, its primary weaknesses are Lightning (Zapdos ex) and Fighting (everything else, including Pikachu ex itself). A Marowak ex-based deck, as the most efficient F type, is the first counter that comes to mind.
Let’s explore this list from loic15:
4 Marowak Kabuto - loic15
- Fighting
This list maximizes your chances of having any Marowak in play by turn 2. Since Cubone is your only Basic Pokémon, you’re guaranteed to start with it in the Active spot. With 2 copies each of Marowak and Marowak ex, there’s about 80% chance of having one in your hand by turn 2, ready to evolve. If you have both in hand, you can even choose which to evolve into: the regular Marowak if you went first, as it can immediately attack with Bone Breakdown, or Marowak ex, whose Bonemerang attack is operational by turn 2 if you went second.
Regular Marowak is one of the rare Stage 1 Pokémon that isn’t easily knocked out by Pikachu ex’s fully charged Circle Circuit—only a Giovanni-boosted attack secures a one-shot. In return, Marowak can two-shot Pikachu ex with Bone Breakdown, and it can one-shot regular Pikachu and Voltorb.
The Cubone line doesn’t stand alone in this list: the Dome Fossil line is included as well. Fossils come with interesting upsides in TCG Pocket, and the evolved forms hit Pikachu ex’s weakness. Should the situation happen, Kabutops becomes a powerful weapon on its own in the late game.
Since all these Pokémon require very little Energy to attack and retreat, X Speed isn’t necessary. Sabrina is played for easy knockouts on benched Basic Pokémon and to repel Zapdos ex, one of the main threats to Marowak as it doesn’t share the F weakness of the deck.
This deck is fairly easy to build if you started with the Mewtwo pack, as it includes a free Marowak ex. The Cubone line and Giovanni also come from the Mewtwo pack, while the Kabuto line and Sabrina are found in the Charizard pack. The only thing missing is the L resistance from the traditional TCG!
Exeggutor ex
Pikachu ex delivers prodigious damage that can prevent most decks from setting up. But what if a deck can set up just as quickly, with Pokémon bulky enough to withstand Pikachu’s Circle Circuit even on turn 2? That deck would certainly be Exeggutor ex.
This following list was created by Hat:
Exeggutor Victreebel - Hat
- Grass
Exeggutor ex has the remarkable property of being a Stage 1 Pokémon with 160 HP, making it durable enough to survive an attack from Pikachu ex. This resilience extends even to the one-point Exeggutor, which boasts a solid 130 HP. With the help of Erika, their longevity is significantly improved—Exeggutor ex can tank up to three hits from Pikachu ex, giving it plenty of time to retaliate and secure a KO. Exeggutor ex deals an average 60 damage with Tropical Swing, which is enough to two-shot Pikachu ex.
As Exeggutor ex’s damage output may be underwhelming in the late game, Victreebel’s Fragrance Trap ability shines by targeting weaker or already damaged Pokémon on the Bench, finishing them off to secure crucial points. This strategy is particularly effective against Pikachu ex, which often switches between Pikachu ex and Zapdos ex after taking a hit to avoid giving up points. Staying true to the fast-paced approach needed to counter Pikachu ex, all stages of the Bellsprout line can attack on curve, with Victreebel even capable of attacking on curve if you went first.
Just like the Marowak deck, Exeggutor ex is a budget-friendly deck. If you picked the Charizard pack when you started the game, you get a scripted Exeggutor ex. Then, all the cards from the list above can be opened in Charizard packs.
Other Top Tiers Decks
Although they don’t have a particularly advantageous matchup against specifically Pikachu ex, the other top tiers decks have intrinsic qualities that allow them to compete. Starmie ex isn’t the best pick because of the prevalent L weakness and slower setup, but a lucky Misty can give it enough momentum to outspeed Pikachu ex. Mewtwo ex is capable of one-shotting everything once fully set up, and its good bulk allows it to survive at least one Circle Circuit, generally more if the Bench wasn’t fully loaded.
Pikachu ex is an incredibly strong deck and arguably the best in the early days of Pokémon TCG Pocket. If these options didn’t feel compelling, there’s another one: play it yourself!
