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The Fighting type had some utility in Genetic Apex but fell short in several areas. Pokémon ex were generally lacking and they never reached the top, despite their potential in a metagame dominated by Pikachu ex. The Machop line into Machamp ex suffers from a high retreat cost and has a hard time recovering when playing from behind. Marowak ex, though quicker to get onto the battlefield, is completely unreliable due to its coin-flip-based attack. Additionally, no Fighting Pokémon has an attack consistently dealing over 120 damage. But what if the key to making thrive wasn’t Pokémon ex?
Mythical Island introduced Marshadow, a Mythical Pokémon whose Revenge attack made it the highest-damage-dealing Basic Pokémon without relying on a coin flip, provided the opponent knocked out one of your Pokémon with an attack. Marshadow creates an intense pressure on the opponent, especially when they're fishing for an early KO against the Active Pokémon: you can revenge knock-out them if you attached an Energy on Marshadow during the first turn, and you'll be up ahead from the get-go. It trades only for a single point and, notably, can one-shot Pikachu ex.
Hitmonlee from Genetic Apex has seen a resurgence in response to Gyarados ex’s prominence in the metagame: it’s the only Pokémon that can one-shot Magikarp on the Bench without requiring evolution or a second turn to charge an Energy. Hitmonlee also helps soften up Benched Pokémon that might otherwise become too tough for Pokémon to handle, as the type lacks heavy hitters. Additionally, it punishes stall strategies involving Druddigon and decks that rely on Moltres ex in the Active spot, among other examples.
The result is a versatile and easily splashable engine that pairs well with many cards. Whether included as a one- or two-of in various deck builds, this inexpensive and efficient no-ex core is making waves in the metagame!
Fighting toolbox deck
The stragegy revolves around combining Pokémon with very low Energy requirements, capable of pressuring the opponent from the start, with Pokémon that can handle late-game threats at the cost of more Energy. Popular choices for a Fighting Toolbox include:
- Farfetch’d: This bird doesn’t need to evolve to deliver a solid 40 damage for just a single Energy, offering the best damage-to-Energy ratio of any Basic Pokémon. And it can be played in any deck!
- Mew ex: Genome Hacking is the weapon of choice against heavy hitters. Mew ex is capable of dealing the same amount of absurd damage back at them, without requiring a specific type of Energy.
- Tauros from Mythical Island: Since the deck often struggles against bulky Pokémon ex, Tauros is an excellent option for bridging the gap with its Fighting Tackle. As a single-point Pokémon, it trades very favorably against these high-value targets and creates an extra opportunity to use Revenge.
Aerodactyl ex - Primeape variant
Check out our Aerodactyl ex deck page for more information on this variant!
Weaknesses
- The Pokémon in these toolboxes excel in the early game thanks to their decent HP and inexpensive attacks. But as the game progresses and opponents establish stronger boards, their bulk become frail and vulnerable to most one-shot attacks. They also struggle against high-HP threats like evolved Pokémon ex.
- To make the most of Marshadow, Revenge’s effect needs to activate. This not only requires relinquishing a point but also allows opponents to play around it by preparing attacks with bulkier Pokémon that won't get revenge-killed.
- Revenge only triggers in response to direct attacks, which a range of popular strategies in the metagame—such as Poison effects, Greninja’s Water Shuriken, and Druddigon’s Rough Skin—effectively bypass.
