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There aren’t atonof options yet for imaginative deckbuilding inPokemon TCG Pocket, which - as of this writing, at least - has only recently launched. Players have found the big-leagues decks: Mewtwo ex, Dragonite, Charizard ex, and even a couple of Pikachu ex decks.
This Pikachu ex deck, however, comes with a twist - and in a meta where most of your opponents will expect something else, that twist can be helpful, indeed. Courtesy of an easy-to-obtain and quick-to-power-up Zebstrika, you’re able to launch attacks into your opponent’s bench while charging up Pikachu ex and relying upon Raichu’s Thunderbolt as a backbone.
Pikachu Ex And Zebstrika Decklist
The Pikachu ex and Zebstrika deck isa bit of a twist on more standardized Pikachu ex decks, the most common of which is thePikachu ex and Zapdox ex deck.Rather than relying upon a second set of ex cards, it makes use ofZebstrikainstead.
One of the core advantages behind this shakeup is that,since Zebstrika is not an ex Pokemon, you’ll only lose one point rather than two if/when it’s knocked out.Of course, that’s hardly the only incentive - we’ll get into the weeds in a bit.
Giovannifor extra damage can truly come in clutch sometimes, sincePikachu ex’s max non-weakness damage is a relatively modest 90. Bumping that up to 100 puts you in range to bring down more sizable threats, especially if they’re weak to Electric.
Sabrinawill help your Pokemon, none of whom have a great deal of HP, tosteer clear of heavy-hitting threatsto a degree, whileX Speedaids your team’salready-low retreat costseven further.Poke BallandProfessor’s Researchare standard-issue fare in the launch meta.
Which leaves your pairs ofPIkachuandRaichu. Let me emphasize,you have room for experimentation here. What you want to ensure is thatwhichever you choose to fill in this gap, it’s Electric-type, as Pikach uex relies upon other Electric Pokemon for its attacks.
Since Raichu can deliver a very solid140 damage via Thunderbolt, he’s used in the Pikachu ex/Zebstrika deck asinsurance in case you end up requiring a bigger offensive blowat any given point.
Pikachu ex/Zebstrika
Pikachu ex x2
Pikachu x2
Raichu x2
Blitzle x2
Zebstrika x2
Sabrina x2
Giovanni x2
Professor’s Research x2
How To Play A Pikachu Ex And Zebstrika Deck
Predictably,you want to get a Pikachu ex as soon as possible.But it’s just as good to get aBlitzle- and since this deck has six Basic Pokemon in total,Poke BallsandProfessor’s Researchought to help get you situated.
If you’re running this deck with the PIkachus and Raichus in ours,avoid placing the regular Pikachus in the active spot, as they’re not going to stand up to much heat, and unlike Blitzle, their evolution won’t serve an immediate purpose.
Although this deck lacks the energy-grabbing synergy that Zapdos ex can provide for Pikachu ex, it makes up for it withZebstrika, who will serve as a sniper. Zebstrika, fora mere one Lightning energy, can useThunder Spear to deal 30 damage to any of your foe’s Pokemon.
Crucially,this includes benched Pokemon. The result isa card with a remarkably slim energy cost which can pick off weaker benched Pokemon, or even strategically shred a Pokemon ex’s HP. Say goodbye to your opponents pulling their 10-HP Blastoise ex to the backline!
Be sure tofill your benchquickly, sincePikachu ex’s Circle Circuit relies on a full bench in order to deal its top base damage of 90. That’s not a lot, granted, but the beauty behind Pikachu ex is thatit takes very little time to set up. It’s swift.
Keeping with the swiftness,X Speed will get your PIkachu ex to safetywhen necessary. At 120 HP, that will probably happen at least once. This is when yousend out Raichufor a Thunderboltif needed, or elseuse Zebstrika for further sniping.
Since this deck has fewer ex cards than other Pikachu ex builds, your opponent won’t have as many opportunities to earn two points at a time.
