Long living in the shadow of Charizard ex, Arcanine ex has finally emerged as a strong R Pokémon in its own right. Paired with Moltres ex for Energy acceleration, Arcanine ex’s Inferno Onrush delivers a solid 120 damage: enough, in fact, to one-shot the ubiquitous Pikachu ex without risking a revenge knock out thanks to its chonky 150HP. Throw Giovanni into the mix, and Zapdos ex, the tankiest Pokémon in Pikachu ex decklists, is also gone in a single hit.
Charizard players are certainly familiar with the frustration of waiting for either Charmeleon or Charizard to show up. In contrast, Arcanine ex, needing only a single evolution, gains a big advantage in consistency. With some lucky flips on Moltres ex’s Inferno Dance and an X Speed, it can even attack as early as turn 2, which closes out most games.
In a fast-paced metagame defined by Pikachu ex, Arcanine ex could quickly gain popularity as a strong counter.
Arcanine ex
Rarity requirements
◊◊◊◊ – Arcanine ex, Moltres ex
◊◊◊ – Aerodactyl
◊◊ – Giovanni, Sabrina
Booster requirements
Growlithe line
Moltres ex
Sabrina
Old Amber line
Giovanni
Brilliantly showcased by Tauros (the player’s nickname, not the Pokémon!), this list runs similarly to a standard Charizard ex list. Perhaps the biggest difference is the inclusion of 2 Giovanni, providing the extra damage needed to one-shot Zapdos ex (the bulkiest Pokémon in Pikachu ex lists) and Starmie ex, in an otherwise challenging matchup.
The free slots from not running a Stage 2 Pokémon are used to include Old Amber and Aerodactyl. Fossils often serve as strategic sacrifices against an opponent’s Sabrina to protect the Pokémon you’re preparing on the Bench. In that case, Aerodactyl also offers an alternative by evolving into a Pokémon with a 50% chance to disrupt your opponent’s Active Pokémon.
Weaknesses
- Inferno Onrush inflicts recoil damage on Arcanine ex rather than discarding Energy as with Charizard ex or Centiskorch. This self-damage, combined with opponent attacks, makes Arcanine ex more vulnerable to KOs.
Arcanine ex has strong stats but it falls slightly short against top archetypes. It’s one-shot by Mewtwo ex’s Psydrive and can’t one-shot Mewtwo ex, Moltres ex, Articuno ex, or Marowak ex even with Giovanni.
Growlithe, despite its decent HP, is a terrible attacker, dealing only 20 damage for 2 Energy.
- Like most R decks, the deck relies heavily on an early Moltres ex to get going.
