I’ve teamed up with the game’s greatest players and experts from the XY era to design 40 XY decks, each with tips for playing. 20 of my favorites are below, followed by a link to 20 more. Everything else you need to know to play, like the format’s rules and erratas, is posted below the decks.

Table of Contents

Bronzong

🌠 Iconic Deck

Pokémon (18)Trainers (33)Energy (9)
4x Bronzor
4x Bronzong
1x Bronzong BREAK
2x Genesect-EX
2x Aegislash-EX
2x Shaymin-EX
2x Cobalion
1x Magearna-EX
4x Professor Sycamore
3x N
2x Lysandre
1x Xerosic
1x AZ
1x Hex Maniac
4x VS Seeker
4x Ultra Ball
4x Max Elixir
3x Float Stone
2x Fighting Fury Belt
2x Level Ball
2x Battle Compressor
9x Metal Energy
List by James Arnold
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Professor Sycamore, Ultra Ball and Battle Compressor provide ways to discard Metal Energy, allowing Bronzong to power up a variety of Metal-type Pokémon with its Metal Links Ability. Max Elixir helps you get your first attack off more quickly, an important part of the lightning-fast XY format.

Darkrai-EX/Giratina-EX

🌠 Iconic Deck

Pokémon (11)Trainers (36)Energy (13)
3x Darkrai-EX
2x Giratina-EX
2x Shaymin-EX
2x Yveltal
1x Salamence-EX
1x Hoopa-EX
2x Parallel City
4x Professor Sycamore
4x N
2x Lysandre
1x Lysandre’s Trump Card
4x VS Seeker
4x Ultra Ball
4x Max Elixir
3x Trainers’ Mail
3x Fighting Fury Belt
2x Float Stone
1x Escape Rope
1x Super Rod
1x Startling Megaphone
9x Darkness Energy
4x Double Dragon Energy
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Both Yveltal’s Oblivion Wing and Max Elixir allow you to accumulate Darkness Energy in play, preparing Darkrai-EX to deliver big damage with Dark Pulse. While Darkrai-EX is attacking, you can ready Giratina-EX with Double Dragon Energy, further boosting Dark Pulse’s damage. This sets the stage for an eventual Chaos Wheel, an attack that devastates many decks.

Dual-Type M Gardevoir-EX

🤡 Fun to Play

Pokémon (17)Trainers (37)Energy (6)
4x Shaymin-EX
2x Gardevoir-EX
1x Gardevoir-EX
3x M Gardevoir-EX
2x Hoopa-EX
2x Dragonite-EX
1x Rattata
1x Hawlucha
1x Absol
4x Dimension Valley
1x Sky Field
3x Professor Sycamore
2x Lysandre
1x Skyla
1x N
1x Hex Maniac
1x Lysandre’s Trump Card
4x Gardevoir Spirit Link
4x Ultra Ball
4x VS Seeker
3x Mega Turbo
2x Trainers’ Mail
2x Max Potion
1x Super Rod
1x Professor’s Letter
1x Escape Rope
1x Fairy Drop
6x Fairy Energy
List by James Arnold
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With four Shaymin-EX (and two Hoopa-EX to locate them), you’ll easily find the cards you need to quickly evolve into M Gardevoir-EX. From there, your bench full of Pokémon will serve as fuel to boost M Gardevoir-EX’s Despair Ray. With Dragonite-EX’s Pull in, as well as Super Rod & Lysandre’s Trump Card, you have plenty of ways to recover these discarded Pokémon, allowing you to re-use Shaymin-EX’s Set Up and keep the big attacks coming.

Greninja

🏆 Top Deck  🌠 Iconic Deck  🤡 Fun to Play

Pokémon (18)Trainers (33)Energy (9)
4x Talonflame
3x Froakie
4x Frogadier
3x Greninja
1x Greninja
3x Greninja BREAK
3x Rough Seas
4x Professor Sycamore
4x N
1x Fisherman
1x Ace Trainer
4x VS Seeker
4x Dive Ball
4x Trainers’ Mail
3x Bursting Balloon
2x Ultra Ball
2x Super Rod
1x Startling Megaphone
7x Water Energy
2x Splash Energy
List by Jando Luna
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After you evolve a single Froakie, things will quickly fall into place through Frogadier’s Water Duplicates attack, setting the stage for multiple Greninja to enter the battlefield. From there, Greninja’s Shadow Stitching hampers the opponent while you spend each turn delivering Water Shurikens and Giant Water Shurikens to overwhelm your opponent with damage.

M Audino-EX

🌠 Iconic Deck

Pokémon (13)Trainers (37)Energy (10)
4x Audino-EX
3x M Audino-EX
2x Shaymin-EX
1x Magearna-EX
1x Hoopa-EX
1x Cobalion
1x Absol
2x Parallel City
4x Professor Sycamore
4x N
2x Lysandre
2x AZ
2x Hex Maniac
4x VS Seeker
4x Ultra Ball
4x Trainers’ Mail
4x Audino Spirit Link
2x Float Stone
2x Mega Turbo
1x Startling Megaphone
6x Metal Energy
4x Double Colorless Energy
List by Shintaro Ito (2016 World Champion, 2019 Worlds Finalist)
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Shintaro Ito’s XY take on Mega Audino changes only two cards from his World Championship-winning list, replacing his single copies of Pokémon Center Lady and Super Rod with a second copy of Hex Maniac and Mega Turbo. Just as it did at the 2016 World Championships, Mega Audino relies on its arsenal of 15 Supporters and 4 VS Seekers to ensure Magical Symphony always delivers 50 damage to the Bench. This damage quickly adds up, setting up subsequent attacks for game-winning double KOs.

M Gardevoir-EX/Aromatisse

🐣 Suitable for Beginners

Pokémon (15)Trainers (33)Energy (12)
3x Gardevoir-EX
3x M Gardevoir-EX
3x Xerneas
2x Spritzee
2x Aromatisse
1x Malamar-EX
1x Shaymin-EX
3x Fairy Garden
3x N
3x Professor Sycamore
2x Lysandre
1x Teammates
1x Skyla
1x Lysandre’s Trump Card
4x Ultra Ball
3x VS Seeker
3x Gardevoir Spirit Link
3x Max Potion
2x Level Ball
2x Mega Turbo
1x Startling Megaphone
1x Professor’s Letter
12x Fairy Energy
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Xerneas’s Geomancy allows you to begin accumulating Fairy Energy in play, preparing M Gardevoir-EX’s Brilliant Arrow attack. Once M Gardevoir-EX enters battle, you can keep it clear of damage with Max Potion, relying on Aromatisse’s Fairy Transfer to preserve your Energy cards in the process. Malamar-EX is perfect with Fairy Transfer, allowing each Energy drop you make to inflict sleep on your opponent’s Active Pokémon.

M Manectric-EX

🐣 Suitable for Beginners

Pokémon (13)Trainers (35)Energy (12)
3x Manectric-EX
3x M Manectric-EX
2x Ho-oh-EX
2x Shaymin-EX
1x Hoopa-EX
1x Regice
1x Smeargle
2x Rough Seas
4x Professor Sycamore
2x Lysandre
1x N
1x AZ
1x Karen
1x Pokémon Center Lady
1x Hex Maniac
4x VS Seeker
4x Ultra Ball
4x Max Elixir
3x Trainers’ Mail
3x Manectric Spirit Link
2x Fighting Fury Belt
1x Escape Rope
1x Battle Compressor
5x Lightning Energy
3x Grass Energy
3x Water Energy
1x Fire Energy
List by Nino Brodar (2012, 2013, 2014, 2018 Croatia National Champion)
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Using M Manectric-EX’s Turbo Bolt and Max Elixir, you’ll easily build multiple attackers, including Ho-oh-EX. With a variety of disruptive Supporters and a Regice, this otherwise straight-forward deck has plenty of ways to disrupt your opponent’s plans.

M Rayquaza-EX

🏆 Top Deck  🌠 Iconic Deck  🤡 Fun to Play

Pokémon (16)Trainers (37)Energy (7)
4x Shaymin-EX
3x Rayquaza-EX
3x M Rayquaza-EX
2x Hoopa-EX
2x Dragonite-EX
1x Magearna-EX
4x Sky Field
2x Professor Sycamore
2x N
1x Lysandre
1x Hex Maniac
1x Lysandre’s Trump Card
4x Ultra Ball
4x Acro Bike
4x Trainers’ Mail
4x VS Seeker
3x Mega Turbo
3x Battle Compressor
3x Rayquaza Spirit Link
2x Float Stone
3x Metal Energy
4x Double Colorless Energy
List by Chris Fulop (2007 US National Champion, 2004 Worlds Finalist)
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With plenty of draw, this deck has everything it needs to pull off incredible first turns. Sky Field expands your Bench to eight Pokémon, enabling Emerald Break attacks from M Rayquaza-EX that can reach as much as 240 damage.

M Sceptile-EX

🐣 Suitable for Beginners

Pokémon (8)Trainers (42)Energy (10)
4x Sceptile-EX
4x M Sceptile-EX
4x Professor Sycamore
3x Pokémon Center Lady
2x N
2x Skyla
2x Steven
1x Shauna
1x Giovanni’s Scheme
1x Pokémon Ranger
1x Xerosic
1x Lysandre
1x Fisherman
1x Hex Maniac
1x Lysandre’s Trump Card
4x Ultra Ball
4x Sceptile Spirit Link
4x VS Seeker
4x Trainers’ Mail
2x Mega Turbo
1x Repeat Ball
1x Energy Retrieval
1x Professor’s Letter
10x Grass Energy
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Built entirely around one Pokémon, this deck aims to win by delivering an endless stream of Jagged Sabre attacks that keep M Sceptile-EX free of damage. To accomplish this, you’ll first need to get two M Sceptile-EX in play. Then, once one has been damaged, you’ll retreat to the second, using Jagged Sabre to heal the now benched M Sceptile-EX. Repeat this process and if your opponent cannot achieve a one-hit KO against you they are sure to succumb to the wrath of Mega Sceptile.

Night March

🏆 Top Deck  🌠 Iconic Deck

Pokémon (18)Trainers (38)Energy (4)
4x Joltik
4x Pumpkaboo
4x Lampent
3x Shaymin-EX
2x Mew
1x Jirachi
2x Dimension Valley
4x Professor Sycamore
2x Lysandre
1x N
1x Teammates
1x AZ
1x Hex Maniac
1x Pokémon Ranger
4x VS Seeker
4x Ultra Ball
4x Puzzle of Time
4x Battle Compressor
4x Trainers’ Mail
1x Escape Rope
1x Fighting Fury Belt
1x Startling Megaphone
1x Special Charge
1x Target Whistle
4x Double Colorless Energy
List by Mike Fouchet (2008 US Nationals Semifinalist, 2004 US Nationals Quarterfinalist)
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With four Battle Compressors, you’ll easily fill your discard pile with enough Night Marchers to deliver huge attacks. Utilizing three Shaymin-EX for draw, you’ll be able to reserve your Supporter for disruptive effects like Lysandre and Hex Maniac, while four Puzzle of Time and a Special Charge allow you to get away with playing only four Energy cards.

Primal Groudon-EX

🌠 Iconic Deck

Pokémon (10)Trainers (38)Energy (12)
4x Wobbuffet
3x Groudon-EX
3x Primal Groudon-EX
3x Silent Lab
1x Fighting Stadium
4x Professor Sycamore
4x Korrina
2x N
2x Lysandre
2x Pokémon Center Lady
1x Teammates
4x VS Seeker
4x Robo Substitute
2x Mega Turbo
2x Switch
2x Hard Charm
1x Focus Sash
1x Escape Rope
1x Ultra Ball
1x Professor’s Letter
1x Startling Megaphone
8x Fighting Energy
4x Strong Energy
List by Xander Pero (2011 US Nationals Champion, 2017 Worlds Semifinalist, 2014 Worlds Quarterfinalist)
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Hiding behind Wobbuffet’s Bide Barricade, you’ll evolve your Groudon-EX into Primal Groudon-EX, giving it Ω Barrier to keep it safe from Lysandre. From there, Wobbuffet and Robo Substitute will buy the turns needed to prepare Primal Groudon-EX’s devastating Gaia Volcano attack. Hard Charm and Pokémon Center Lady keep this 240 HP Pokémon healthy, allowing it to clean up whatever remains on your opponent’s board.

Rainbow Road (Xerneas+Dual Type Pokémon)

🐣 Suitable for Beginners  🤡 Fun to Play

Pokémon (16)Trainers (35)Energy (12)
4x Xerneas
2x Joltik
2x Galvantula
2x Pawniard
2x Bisharp
2x Shaymin-EX
1x Hoopa-EX
1x Volcanion-EX
3x Sky Field
4x Professor Sycamore
2x N
2x Lysandre
1x Teammates
1x Pokémon Ranger
4x VS Seeker
4x Ultra Ball
4x Max Elixir
3x Trainers’ Mail
2x Super Rod
2x Float Stone
8x Fairy Energy
4x Double Colorless Energy
List by Joshua K.
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With dual-type Pokémon to give a +60 boost to Xerneas’s Rainbow Force, your colorful Bench can deliver as much as 280 damage. Sky Field helps make room for this beautiful assortment of Pokémon, while Max Elixir & Double Colorless Energy help you build multiple Xerneas.

Seismitoad-EX/Crobat

🌠 Iconic Deck  🐣 Suitable for Beginners  🤡 Fun to Play

Pokémon (17)Trainers (36)Energy (7)
4x Seismitoad-EX
4x Zubat
4x Golbat
3x Crobat
2x Shaymin-EX
2x Silent Lab
4x N
3x Professor Sycamore
2x Lysandre
1x AZ
1x Hex Maniac
1x Team Flare Grunt
1x Xerosic
1x Lysandre’s Trump Card
4x VS Seeker
4x Super Scoop Up
4x Ultra Ball
4x Level Ball
2x Fighting Fury Belt
2x Float Stone
3x Water Energy
4x Double Colorless Energy
List by Michael Pramawat (2016 European International Champion, 2010 Worlds Finalist, 2014 US Nationals Finalist)
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Sneaky Bite & Surprise Bites soften up your opponent’s Pokémon, allowing Seismitoad-EX’s Quaking Punch to more easily achieve knockouts. With Lysandre’s Trump Card to recover Super Scoop Ups (and everything else!), you’ll get additional chances at these Abilities, further piling the damage against your Item-locked opponent.

Seismitoad-EX/Giratina-EX

🌠 Iconic Deck

Pokémon (9)Trainers (40)Energy (8)
3x Giratina-EX
2x Seismitoad-EX
2x Shaymin-EX
1x Hoopa-EX
1x Giratina
2x Silent Lab
1x Team Aqua’s Secret Base
4x Professor Sycamore
4x N
2x Lysandre
1x Team Flare Grunt
1x Xerosic
1x AZ
1x Delinquent
1x Karen
4x VS Seeker
4x Ultra Ball
4x Crushing Hammer
4x Super Scoop Up
3x Trainers’ Mail
3x Fighting Fury Belt
3x Float Stone
4x Double Colorless Energy
4x Double Dragon Energy
List by Robin Schulz (2018 World Champion, 2019 Latin America International Champion)
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While Quaking Punch can hamper opponents early in the game, its low-damage output isn’t always enough to finish the job when they eventually set up. That’s where Giratina-EX comes in, delivering late-game Chaos Wheel attacks to retake control.

Trevenant

🏆 Top Deck  🌠 Iconic Deck  🐣 Suitable for Beginners

Pokémon (15)Trainers (37)Energy (8)
4x Phantump
4x Trevenant
3x Trevenant BREAK
2x Shaymin-EX
2x Wobbuffet
4x Dimension Valley
4x Professor Sycamore
3x N
3x Wally
1x Delinquent
1x Lysandre
4x VS Seeker
4x Ultra Ball
4x Trainers’ Mail
4x Bursting Balloon
2x Level Ball
2x Float Stone
1x Super Rod
4x Psychic Energy
4x Mystery Energy
List by Vjeran Brodar (2016 Croatia National Champion)
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With four Trainers’ Mail and two Shaymin-EX, this deck has the cards needed to find Wally on the first turn, producing the dreaded Turn 1 Trevenant. From there, you’ll aim to evolve one more time into Trevenant BREAK, spreading damage across your opponent’s board with its Silent Fear attack. Bursting Balloon gives you a way to pile more damage on your opponent’s attacking Pokémon, while 4 Dimension Valley ensure you can keep your attacks coming until you’ve erased your opponent’s board.

Vespiquen/Vileplume

🌠 Iconic Deck  🤡 Fun to Play

Pokémon (25)Trainers (31)Energy (4)
4x Combee
4x Vespiquen
4x Unown
4x Shaymin-EX
3x Oddish
3x Gloom
2x Vileplume
1x Bunnelby
4x Forest of Giant Plants
4x Professor Sycamore
4x Ultra Ball
4x Trainers’ Mail
4x Level Ball
3x Acro Bike
3x Battle Compressor
2x Float Stone
1x Muscle Band
1x Revitalizer
1x Special Charge
4x Double Colorless Energy
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Full of Items and Pokémon that draw cards, this deck is capable of digging through your entire deck as soon as the game starts. Along the way, you’ll aim to pitch enough Pokémon into your discard pile so that Vespiquen’s Bee Revenge can one-hit KO whatever you’re up against. You won’t end your turn until you’ve evolved to Vileplume, though, ideally with a Float Stone attached to protect it from Lysandre. Under Item lock and staring down a Vespiquen capable of huge damage, your opponents typically won’t survive many turns.

Vileplume Box (Vileplume/Jolteon-EX/Aegislash-EX/Glaceon-EX)

Pokémon (21)Trainers (30)Energy (9)
3x Oddish
3x Gloom
3x Vileplume
3x Shaymin-EX
2x Jolteon-EX
2x Aegislash-EX
1x Glaceon-EX
1x Yveltal-EX
1x Magearna-EX
1x Trevenant-EX
1x Regice
4x Forest of Giant Plants
1x Parallel City
4x N
4x AZ
3x Professor Sycamore
2x Lysandre
2x Ninja Boy
4x Ultra Ball
4x Trainers’ Mail
2x Level Ball
1x Lightning Energy
4x Rainbow Energy
4x Double Colorless Energy
List by Sam Hough (2016 Worlds Semifinalist)
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With a variety of pesky Pokémon, you’ll only make things harder on your opponent with an immediate Vileplume produced by Forest of Giant Plants. Four copies of AZ allow you to not only heal your Pokémon, but also return Vileplume to your hand, giving yourself a turn of Items before re-evolving to ensure your opponent isn’t afforded the same luxury.

Volcanion

🌠 Iconic Deck  🐣 Suitable for Beginners

Pokémon (10)Trainers (38)Energy (12)
4x Volcanion-EX
3x Volcanion
2x Shaymin-EX
1x Hoopa-EX
1x Parallel City
4x Professor Sycamore
3x N
3x Blacksmith
2x Lysandre
1x Fisherman
1x Pokémon Ranger
4x Ultra Ball
4x VS Seeker
3x Trainers’ Mail
3x Energy Retrieval
3x Fighting Fury Belt
3x Float Stone
2x Escape Rope
1x Startling Megaphone
12x Fire Energy
List by Jando Luna
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Using Volcanion-EX’s Steam Up, you can boost its Volcanic Heat attack to reach one-hit KOs against opposing Pokémon-EX. This deck has a variety of ways to recover these spent Fire Energy cards, including Blacksmith, which helps you quickly power up multiple Volcanion-EX.

Watertoad (Seismitoad-EX/Manaphy-EX)

Pokémon (12)Trainers (36)Energy (12)
3x Seismitoad-EX
3x Shaymin-EX
2x Manaphy-EX
1x Glaceon-EX
1x Hoopa-EX
1x Aurorus-EX
1x Shaymin-EX
3x Rough Seas
1x Parallel City
4x Professor Sycamore
3x N
2x Delinquent
1x Lysandre
1x AZ
1x Xerosic
1x Hex Maniac
1x Lysandre’s Trump Card
4x VS Seeker
4x Ultra Ball
4x Max Elixir
3x Energy Switch
3x Fighting Fury Belt
12x Water Energy
List by Brit Pybas
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Boosting Seismitoad-EX to 220 HP with Fighting Fury Belt, your opponent will struggle to achieve knockouts as you use Manaphy-EX’s Aqua Tube to easily switch between attackers, all while healing your Pokémon with Rough Seas. After enough Quaking Punch attacks have been delivered, you can shift to your more powerful attacks, like Grenade Hammer, or reach into your bag of tricks with attacks like Articuno’s Tri Edge and Glaceon-EX’s Crystal Ray.

Yveltal-EX/Zoroark

Pokémon (14)Trainers (36)Energy (10)
2x Zorua
2x Zoroark
1x Zoroark BREAK
2x Yveltal-EX
2x Seismitoad-EX
2x Shaymin-EX
1x Yveltal
1x Yveltal
1x Gallade
2x Parallel City
4x Professor Sycamore
2x N
2x Lysandre
1x Teammates
1x Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick
1x AZ
1x Delinquent
1x Lysandre’s Trump Card
4x Ultra Ball
4x Battle Compressor
4x VS Seeker
4x Trainers’ Mail
2x Muscle Band
2x Float Stone
1x Professor’s Letter
6x Darkness Energy
4x Double Colorless Energy
List by Tord Reklev (3x International Champion 2017–2018, 2018 North America International Finalist, 2019 Worlds Semifinalist)
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Battle Compressor sets this deck on a perfect start, not only pitching Darkness Energy for Yveltal’s Oblivion Wing, but also discarding Gallade for a potential Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick. Oblivion Wing helps set up Yveltal-EX to deliver hard-hitting Evil Ball attacks, or you can even lead with Seismitoad-EX’s Quaking Punch to slow your opponent down, buying turns to build the big Evil Ball.

More Decks

If you’re looking for more decks, you’re in luck! I’ve got 20 lists that further showcase the format’s nearly endless possibilities for deck building. Click here for Page 2.

Fun Match-ups

Looking for some fun XY match-ups that give both sides a roughly equal chance of winning? Try any of these:

Rules

Here’s the rules unique to the XY Format that you’ll need to know to play:

  • Setting Up: Players flip a coin before starting their match. The winner chooses to either go first or second.
  • Playing First: The player who goes first cannot attack on their first turn. They may, however, play any type of cards as they normally would.

Erratas

XY Intro | Decks Page 1 | Decks Page 2