Given that the most meta of decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket right now consist of Water-types such as Lapras ex and Starmie ex, it’s in your best interest to try and build an Electric-deck to counter them all. This is where a Pikachu ex deck comes in, a deck built around a fan-favourite Pokemon that can easily compete with Starmie provided you draw enough Pokemon to fill your bench.
In this particular deck guide, we’ve provided a deck list for a powerful Pikachu ex deck that recruits Zapdos ex as back-up, as well as a free-to-play friendly deck that revolves entirely around Pikachu and its evolution, Raichu. So without further ado, here’s how to build the best Pikachu ex deck’s in Pokemon TCG Pocket.
Pokemon TCG Pocket best Pikachu ex deck – card list and guide
The best Pikachu ex deck can go one of two ways in Pokemon TCG Pocket. Below, we’ve outlined a very powerful deck involving Zapdos ex, as well as a more free-to-play friendly deck that revolves around Pikachu, Raichu, and Lt. Surge.
- 2x Pikachu ex
- 2x Zapdos ex
- 2x Voltorb
- 2x Electrode
- 2x Giovanni
- 2x Potion
- 2x Poke Ball
- 2x Professor’s Research
- 2x Sabrina
- 2x X Speed
The above card list is for a hybrid Pikachu ex and Zapdos ex deck. Your goal from the moment the battle starts is to get as many Electric-type Pokemon onto the bench as possible so that Pikachu ex’s attack — Circle Circuit — can dish out 90 damage. This is where the Poke Ball and Professor’s Research Trainer Cards come in, and hopefully, Voltorb and/or Zapdos ex.
With Pikachu ex in the Active Spot and three benched Electric-type Pokemon, the fan-favourite ‘mon can begin dishing out heavy attacks with just two Energy. You can then begin building the likes of either Zapdos ex or Electrode to switch in once Pikachu ex is low on HP. The deck is that simple!
We’ve opted to also add Giovanni to this deck given that Pikachu ex’s Circle Circuit does 90 damage; this rounds things up to 100, which can make all the difference if you then need to swap Pikachu ex out and have yet to fully build Zapdos ex or Electrode.
Pikachu ex free-to-play friendly deck
If you do not have two Zapdos ex, there’s a riskier deck you can try that revolves entirely around Pikachu, and it’s great fun when it works out. For this, you want two Pikachu and two Raichu. Take two Voltorb and two Electrode still, and bring along two Lt. Surge Supporter Cards rather than Fossil Cards.
- 2x Pikachu ex
- 2x Pikachu
- 2x Raichu
- 2x Voltorb
- 2x Electrode
- 2x Lt. Surge
- 2x Poke Ball
- 2x Professor’s Research
- 2x Sabrina
- 2x X Speed
This deck still relies on Pikachu ex first and foremost, but then later uses Lt. Surge and Raichu to finish things off if you find your Pikachu ex is low on HP. Much like the previous deck, you ideally want Pikachu ex in the Active Spot as soon as possible, and to use Poke Balls and Professor’s Research to fill your bench with Electric-type Pokemon.
Your bench should be filled with any and all Electric-type Pokemon you draw, and you ideally want at least one Pikachu on the bench to evolve into Raichu. Once Pikachu ex has their two Energy, they can begin attacking, and you can begin building Raichu or Electrode. It doesn’t matter all too much which you build at this point.
The plan here is to use Pikachu ex to dish out as much damage as possible. If they end up low on HP before the battle is over, you can then switch them out for Raichu using X Speed before using Lt. Surge to transfer the energy on your benched Pokemon over to Raichu.
Provided Raichu has at least one Energy on it, Pikachu ex’s Energy will be transferred over and you can then use Raichu to deal 140 damage. This is capable of knocking out most ex Pokemon. The downfall is that Raichu then discards all of their Energy, so you really only want to use Raichu as a final attack. You can alternatively use Lt. Surge on Electrode for a slightly safer option if you still need more than one Prize Point to win.
Don’t forget to use Sabrina if you have it at this point too. For example, if your opponent has a basic Pokemon in the Active Spot, you can always use Sabrina before switching in Raichu in the hopes they bring out one of their ex Pokemon for you to knock out. Easy Prize Points, but there’s risk involved!
One final note is that I also quite like running Magnemite and Magneton alongside Raichu. Magneton is able to charge themselves with Energy every turn, which means we’ve got a guaranteed Energy source for Raichu, using Lt. Surge, if our Pikachu ex happens to get knocked out and we need to make one last attempt at winning the battle.
For more on Pokemon TCG Pocket, take a look at the best decks you can try to build, as well as how to craft cards, and how to add Flair to your cards.