The best decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket usually have a powerful ex Pokemon at the helm, and this Aerodactyl ex deck guide and card list is no different. That said, Aerodactyl ex is one of the more underrated of ex Pokemon, with its ability not being as hard-hitting as the likes of Mew ex or Articuno ex.
That said, Aerodactyl ex is still a powerful card when accompanied with supporting Pokemon, and is capable of stalling decks that rely on Stage 2 Pokemon – such as Blastoise ex or Venusaur ex. Here’s our guide to the best Aerodactyl ex deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket.
Pokemon TCG Pocket Aerodactyl ex deck and card list
The beautiful thing about the best Aerodactyl ex deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket is the low Energy costs of all the Pokemon involved, and how they can still be incredibly impactful despite that. Not a single Pokemon in this deck requires more than two Energy, so it’s incredibly quick and easy to get this deck going.
Your main attacker is Aerodactyl ex, with Primeape as a back-up attacker if needed. We’ve also added Hitmonlee, who can deal damage to the opponent’s benched Pokemon, to help secure the kill on any low-HP benched ‘mons. Last, but not least, we’ve also added Marshadow who is situational, but can quickly secure a revenge kill for us if needed.
- 2x Aerodactyl ex
- 2x Old Amber
- 2x Mankey
- 2x Primeape
- 1x Marshadow
- 1x Hitmonlee
- 2x Poke Ball
- 2x Professor’s Research
- 2x Sabrina
- 2x Potion
- 2x X Speed
Aerodactyl ex’s attack — Land Crush — deals 80 damage to the opposing Pokemon while its ability — Primeval Law — prevents the opposing Pokemon from being evolved while in the active spot. This means that any opponents with the likes of Froakie, Geodude, Pidgey (and more) in the active spot will be in a little bit of a pinch as they will not be able to evolve them unless they retreat first.
With this deck, you ideally want Mankey or Hitmonlee to be the first Pokemon in the active spot. Make sure to use any Poke Ball or Professor’s Research cards that you have to try and guarantee this. This deck also uses two X Speed’s so that we can swap Old Amber out for them, and vice versa, where needed.
Pop an Energy onto your active Pokemon and use them to begin chipping away at opposing Pokemon while then building Old Amber / Aerodactyl ex on your bench. Hitmonlee is especially good at the beginning of the game, as its 30HP attack to opposing benched Pokemon can quickly knock out basic Pokemon that aren’t evolved.
Once you do have Aerodactyl ex on the bench, you can swap them into the active spot and should definitely do so if your opponent has an evolving Pokemon in their active spot. For example, if they have Snivy, putting Aerodactyl ex into the active spot prevents them from evolving Snivy any further until they retreat it onto their bench. This can stall decks that rely on Stage 2 Pokemon, like the Celebi ex deck.
With Aerodactyl ex in the active spot, attack away. Their 80HP attack can knock out most ex Pokemon in two turns, though you’ll need to be cautious of Pokemon such as Gyarados ex and Charizard ex that can knock Aerodactyl ex out in one sweep.
Ideally, if you have Marshadow, you should build them on the bench after Aerodactyl ex is sorted (you can alternatively build a second Aerodactyl ex and/or Primeape too, depending on what you have available). Marshadow is a great revenge killer. If Aerodactyl ex is knocked out, you can pop Marshadow into the active spot and their Revenge attack — which normally deals just 40HP of damage — will instead deal 100 damage that turn.
You can then retreat Marshadow on your next turn into another Aerodactyl ex or Primeape to continue attacking. Primeape is capable of dealing 40HP of damage, but if they have damage on them, they’ll dish out 80HP of damage instead. This can often put off opposing players from attacking unless they’ve a ‘mon capable of knocking Primeape out, so bear that in mind.
Sometimes, it can be wise to put Mankey out before evolving them, in the hopes that the opposing player isn’t familiar with what Mankey’s evolution does. This way, let’s say Mankey takes 20HP of damage from another basic Pokemon, then you evolve it (with two Energy attached) into Primeape, you can no doubt easily knock the opposing basic ‘mon out as a result.
Failing that, Mankey and Primeape are generally good deck fodder while you work on getting Aerodactyl ex active.
For more on Pokemon TCG Pocket, take a look at the best decks in the game, how to unlock the Immersive Mew card, and how to complete all the Secret Missions available.