Table of Contents
- Crobat
- Dark Weezing
- Eeveelutions
- Forretress
- Kingdra
- Sabrina’s Haunter
- Shapeshift (Brock’s Ninetales/Porygon2)
- Steelix/Alakazam
- Typhlosion/Blaine’s Arcanine
- Venusaur
Crobat
🌠 Iconic Deck
| Pokémon (18) | Trainers (25) | Energy (17) |
| 4x Zubat 4x Golbat 3x Crobat 3x Cleffa 3x Pichu 1x Magby |
3x Chaos Gym 4x Focus Band 4x Professor Elm 4x Double Gust 4x Rocket’s Sneak Attack 3x Pokémon Trader 2x Imposter Oak’s Revenge 1x Nightly Garbage Run |
14x Grass Energy 2x Full Heal Energy 1x Recycle Energy |
The first truly anti-Feraligatr deck, Crobat’s Cross Attack not only hits Feraligatr for Weakness (sometimes scoring a one-hit KO), but also confuses the many high-retreat-cost Evolved Pokémon that make up the format. Composed entirely of free retreaters, Crobat decks easily disrupt the opponent with Double Gust, and with no Pokémon Powers, Pichu is a perfect fit to punish opponents that rely on them.
Tip: Use Zubat’s Poison Spray against Steelix to help overcome its high HP and Grass Resistance.
Dark Weezing
😃 Fun to Play
| Pokémon (15) | Trainers (30) | Energy (15) |
| 4x Koffing 4x Dark Weezing 3x Cleffa 2x Brock’s Vulpix 2x Brock’s Ninetales |
2x Rocket’s Hideout 2x EXP.ALL 1x Gold Berry 4x Professor Elm 4x Good Manners 4x Erika’s Kindness 3x The Boss’s Way 3x Nightly Garbage Run 2x Transparent Walls 2x Double Gust 2x Brock’s Training Method 1x Here Comes Team Rocket! |
9x Grass Energy 4x Metal Energy 2x Darkness Energy |
With Brock’s Ninetales’s Shapeshift, you can bring your total of Koffings & Weezings in play to as many as six, allowing Dark Weezing’s Mass Explosion to land one-hit KOs for only two Energy. With a variety of tricks to negate the damage Dark Weezing deals to your own Pokémon, you’re able to keep these attacks coming until you’ve drawn all six of your prize cards.
Tip: A Metal Energy attached to a Dark Weezing will reduce the damage its Mass Explosion deals to your own benched Koffings and Dark Weezings from 20 to 10, while also reducing damage the it deals to itself to 0!
Eeveelutions
😃 Fun to Play 💰 Expensive to Build
| Pokémon (21) | Trainers (23) | Energy (16) |
| 4x Cleffa 4x Eevee 2x Espeon 2x Umbreon 1x Flareon 3x Porygon 2x Porygon2 2x Dark Porygon2 1x Mew |
2x Chaos Gym 2x Energy Stadium 3x EXP.ALL 1x Gold Berry 1x Focus Band 4x Professor Elm 3x Rocket’s Sneak Attack 2x Pokémon Trader 2x Good Manners 2x Double Gust 1x Nightly Garbage Run |
5x Psychic Energy 3x Fire Energy 4x Darkness Energy 4x Rainbow Energy |
Able to hit a variety of Weaknesses, though not Grass (there was no Leafeon yet), Chaos Gym gives the deck a chance at beating Feraligatr, while Porygon2 ensures each Eeveelution has the right Energy to attack.
Tip: Use Dark Porygon2’s Spatial Distortion to switch from Chaos Gym to Energy Stadium, allowing yourself to freely play Trainers. Then, end your turn after restoring Chaos Gym to play, never giving your opponent the same opportunity.
Forretress
| Pokémon (19) | Trainers (25) | Energy (16) |
| 4x Cleffa 4x Pineco 4x Forretress 2x Psyduck 2x Light Golduck 2x Mew 1x Elekid |
3x Chaos Gym 3x Focus Band 3x Gold Berry 2x Balloon Berry 4x Professor Elm 3x Pokémon Trader 3x Good Manners 2x Warp Point 1x Double Gust 1x Imposter Oak’s Revenge |
5x Psychic Energy 4x Metal Energy 4x Recycle Energy 2x Full Heal Energy 1x Potion Energy |
The great thing about Forretress’s Spikes Pokémon Power is that it stacks, meaning if you’re lucky enough to get three in play, your opponent can’t even promote a Baby Pokémon during their turn without it being immediately knocked out. (Even playing Double Gust would allow you to deal Spikes damage!) Playing around Spikes can be particularly difficult considering that Forretress’s Rapid Spin forces both players to switch their Active Pokémon. This means Forretress can hide on the Bench, with Chaos Gym helping protect it from Double Gust, while your opponent has to deal with trying to knock out Mew or a Focus Band-equipped Baby Pokémon.
Tip: Rely on Light Golduck’s Core Blast to KO otherwise difficult Pokémon, like Steelix.
Kingdra
| Pokémon (19) | Trainers (28) | Energy (13) |
| 4x Horsea 4x Seadra 4x Kingdra 3x Cleffa 3x Pichu 1x Magby |
2x Narrow Gym 4x Focus Band 4x Professor Elm 4x Pokémon Trader 4x Rocket’s Sneak Attack 3x Pokémon Center 3x Double Gust 2x Imposter Oak’s Revenge 2x Nightly Garbage Run |
7x Water Energy 4x Recycle Energy 2x Full Heal Energy |
Needing only a single Colorless Energy to attack, Kingdra forms a great pair with both Pokémon Center & Focus Band, while Pichu & Magby offer a way to deal with Pokémon Powers.
Tip: Use Twister to strip Metal Energy off of your opponent’s Pokémon, allowing the low damage of Mud Splash to overwhelm your opponent.
Consider adding: Muk (Legendary Collection) to replace Pichu & Magby
Sabrina’s Haunter
😃 Fun to Play 🤑 Cheap to Build
| Pokémon (16) | Trainers (30) | Energy (14) |
| 4x Sabrina’s Gastly 4x Sabrina’s Haunter 1x Sabrina’s Gengar 3x Cleffa 2x Brock’s Vulpix 2x Brock’s Ninetales |
1x Resistance Gym 4x Focus Band 4x Professor Elm 4x Good Manners 4x Master Ball 4x Double Gust 3x Sabrina’s ESP 3x Nightly Garbage Run 2x Brock’s Training Method 1x Here Comes Team Rocket! |
14x Psychic Energy |
Using Shapeshift to turn Brock’s Ninetales into a Sabrina’s Haunter (or Gengar), you can give yourself as many as six flips on Haunter’s Night Spirits attack. Factor in Sabrina’s ESP allowing you to re-flip some unlucky coin flips and you’re all but guaranteed to deliver some huge damage.
Tip: Sabrina’s ESP is not considered a Pokémon Tool and can be attached alongside a Focus Band.
Shapeshift (Brock’s Ninetales/Porygon2)
😃 Fun to Play
| Pokémon (23) | Trainers (21) | Energy (16) |
| 4x Cleffa 4x Brock’s Vulpix 4x Brock’s Ninetales 3x Porygon 2x Porygon2 1x Dark Porygon2 2x Crobat 1x Vileplume 1x Dark Gengar 1x Arcanine |
1x Energy Stadium 1x Chaos Gym 3x EXP.ALL 1x Gold Berry 4x Professor Elm 4x Pokémon Trader 3x Rocket’s Sneak Attack 3x Nightly Garbage Run 1x Double Gust |
5x Psychic Energy 4x Grass Energy 3x Fire Energy 4x Rainbow Energy |
With its unique ability to Shapeshift into any Evolution, Brock’s Ninetales can attack the Defending Pokémon’s Weakness, while Porygon2’s Energy Converter ensures you have the right type of Energy to attack.
Tip: Use Dark Gengar’s Pull In to knock out Magby any chance you get or its Sputter will eventually deplete your deck of the Evolved Pokémon you need to attack.
Consider adding: +1 Light Golduck
Steelix/Alakazam
💰 Expensive to Build
| Pokémon (20) | Trainers (27) | Energy (13) |
| 4x Cleffa 3x Onix 3x Steelix 3x Abra 3x Kadabra 3x Alakazam 1x Tentacool |
2x Ecogym 3x Balloon Berry 2x Focus Band 1x Gold Berry 4x Professor Elm 4x Pokémon Trader 3x Energy Charge 2x Pokémon Center 2x Warp Point 2x Recall 2x Good Manners |
4x Rainbow Energy 4x Metal Energy 3x Recycle Energy 2x Full Heal Energy |
Using Alakazam’s Damage Swap to heal Steelix of damage, you can keep using Tail Crush, turn after turn. If your opponent does manage to find a way to one-hit KO Steelix, Focus Band can save the day. Meanwhile, Recall permits Steelix to catch your opponent off-guard with Onix’s Rage attack, hitting for as much as 110 damage.
Tip: Attach a Gold Berry to Steelix the same turn you play Recall to use Onix’s Rage, healing enough damage from Steelix to prevent your opponent from scoring a KO with an attack like Magby’s Sputter.
Typhlosion/Blaine’s Arcanine
🌠 Iconic Deck 😃 Fun to Play 💰 Expensive to Build
| Pokémon (23) | Trainers (20) | Energy (17) |
| 4x Cleffa 4x Cyndaquil 4x Quilava 4x Typhlosion 4x Blaine’s Growlithe 3x Blaine’s Arcanine |
3x Chaos Gym 2x Gold Berry 1x Focus Band 4x Professor Elm 4x Pokémon Trader 3x Misty’s Wrath 2x Nightly Garbage Run 1x Double Gust |
15x Fire Energy 2x Metal Energy |
Seeing more play in the earliest phase of the Rocket–On format, this deck relies on Typhlosion’s Firestarter to fuel Arcanine’s massive Firestorm attack, which can one-hit KO virtually anything in the format. Metal Energy can protect Typhlosion & Arcanine from their self-damaging attacks, while Chaos Gym gives you a chance against the Trainer-heavy Feraligatr deck.
Tip: If you plan to attach Focus Band to Blaine’s Arcanine, also aim to attach a Metal Energy. Without one, your Arcanine may end up knocking itself out with Heat Tackle.
Consider adding: +1 Blaine (Gym Challenge)
Venusaur
😃 Fun to Play
| Pokémon (20) | Trainers (23) | Energy (17) |
| 4x Cleffa 4x Bulbasaur 4x Ivysaur 3x Venusaur 1x Venusaur 1x Scyther 1x Mewtwo 1x Growlithe 1x Arcanine |
3x Energy Stadium 4x Focus Band 4x Professor Elm 4x Pokémon Trader 3x Pokémon Center 3x Double Gust 1x Warp Point 1x Nightly Garbage Run |
13x Grass Energy 4x Rainbow Energy |
Benefitting from being able to one-hit KO Feraligatr, Venusaur and its Energy Trans Pokémon Power allow you to use Pokémon Center to heal without losing any Energy Cards, while Arcanine offers the deck a chance against the Grass-Resistant Steelix.
Tip: Keep your promo Venusaur in hand to save your Pokémon from Dark Gengar’s Deep Sleep.