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With massive damage and health, Charizard ex is one of the strongest cards in Pokemon TCG, and in the guide and Deck List, we pair it with Pidgeot ex and Rare Candy.
Charizard ex Deck Guide for Pokemon TCG
In the Pokémon TCG, the Charizard ex Deck revolves around finding, evolving, and then attacking with Charizard ex. This card has a unique ability that allows it to find and attach 3 basic Fire Energy from your deck after being evolved. This means that you can run fewer Energy cards in your deck and still have a guaranteed way to power up your highest-damage dealer.
We will go through a Charizard ex deck list, a guide on how to play it, and the crucial cards. Let’s first show you the deck list so you understand the premise behind the Pokemon TCG: Charizard ex Deck Guide.
Charizard ex Deck List
| Pokémon: 17 | Trainers: 34 | Trainers | Energy: 9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jirachi PAR 126 | 3 Town Store OBF 196 | 1 Penny SVI 183 | 9 Basic {R} Energy SVE 2 |
| 2 Pidgeot ex OBF 164 | 1 Forest Seal Stone SIT 156 | 2 Judge SVI 176 | |
| 2 Charmander PGO 8 | 1 Super Rod PAL 188 | 2 Boss’s Orders PAL 172 | |
| 3 Charizard ex OBF 223 | 1 Escape Rope BST 125 | 4 Arven SVI 166 | |
| 2 Charmander MEW 4 | 2 Nest Ball SUM 123 | ||
| 1 Charmeleon MEW 5 | 2 Lost Vacuum LOR 162 | ||
| 2 Pidgey MEW 16 | 1 Choice Belt PAL 176 | ||
| 1 Radiant Charizard PGO 11 | 4 Ultra Ball SVI 196 | ||
| 1 Entei V BRS 22 | 4 Rare Candy SVI 191 | ||
| 1 Mew CEL 11 | 4 Battle VIP Pass FST 225 | ||
| 1 Lumineon V BRS 40 | 2 Professor’s Research SVI 189 |
Key Cards in Charizard ex
While Charizard’s ex is the centerpiece of the deck, you will use many Pokemon with limited Energy. Your Pokemon, specifically Pidgeot ex will aid in finding important cards and rely on abilities. So, here are the most important cards in the Charizard ex Deck and how to use them.
Below are the most essential key cards in the Charizard ex Deck:
- Charizard ex: damage Pokemon
- Pidgeot ex: card retrieval Pokemon
- Rare Candy: increase evolution speed
- Arven: locates Rare Candy
- Battle VIP Pass: helps first turn
Charizard Ex
Charizard ex Features in Pokemon TCG:
- Pokémon: Ex
- Evolves From: Charmeleon
- Type: Darkness
- HP: 330
- Infernal Reign: When you play this Pokémon from your hand to evolve 1 of your Pokémon during your turn, you may search your deck for up to 3 Basic Fire Energy cards and attach them to your Pokémon in any way you like. Then, shuffle your deck.
- Tera: As long as this Pokémon is on your Bench, prevent all damage done to this Pokémon by attacks (both yours and your opponent’s).
- Burning Darkness: 180 damage + This attack does 30 more damage for each Prize card your opponent has taken.
- Pokémon ex rule: When your Pokémon ex is Knocked Out, your opponent takes 2 Prize cards.
- Weakness ×2 Grass
- Resistance: None
- Retreat Cost: 2 Colorless Energy
- Set: Obsidian Flames 125/227 Double Rare
Your primary damage and knockout dealer is Charizard ex. Your main goal is to find a Charmander basic and then a Rare Candy item card. This deck aims to go first so that you can Rare Candy evolve into Charizard ex on your second turn, bypassing Stage 1. Once in play, you will sit back and attack every turn while building up your bench.
Charizard ex’s strength lies in its ability to power up its energy requirement when evolving. Additionally, you can attach one extra energy to another Pokémon. This is typically done with whatever Pokémon is in the active position, which you can then retreat to have a very powerful Pokémon attacking consistently for 180+ damage each turn starting on turn two.
The thing to watch for with Charizard ex is the Path to the Peak stadium card. This will negate Infernal Reign and make it much harder to quickly evolve and power up Charizard ex. However, this card is ultra-powerful and relatively simple, and easy to play with.
Pidgeot Ex
Pidgeot ex Features in Pokemon TCG:
- Pokémon: Ex
- Evolves From: Pidgeotto
- Type: Basic
- HP: 280
- Quick Search: Once during your turn, you may search your deck for a card and put it into your hand. Then, shuffle your deck. You can’t use more than 1 Quick Search Ability each turn.
- Blustery Wind: 120 damage + You may discard a Stadium in play.
- Pokémon ex rule: When your Pokémon ex is Knocked Out, your opponent takes 2 Prize cards.
- Weakness ×2 Lighting
- Resistance: -30 Fighting
- Retreat Cost: 2 basic energy
- Set: Obsidian Flames 164/227 Double Rare
This deck includes a secondary Stage 2 Pokémon, Pidgeot ex because it can search for any card in your hand. Quick Search lets you pick and choose the specific card you want rather than drawing random cards. This deck, with Pidgeot, focuses on finding the most impactful card in your hand once per turn. However, you need to quickly find and evolve both Charmander and Pidgey by at least turn 3.
The attack, Blustery Wind, is also useful because it discards a stadium card in play. The biggest counter to this deck is Path to the Peak. This card shuts down abilities, including Quick Search and Infernal Reign. Additionally, one of the Charmander cards has a lower-energy-cost way to discard stadiums but be wary, as Path to the Peak is your hard counter and you need to be aware of its power.
Battle VIP Pass
Battle VIP Pass Features in Pokemon TCG:
- You can use this card only during your first turn.
- Search your deck for up to 2 Basic Pokémon and put them onto your Bench. Then, shuffle your deck.
- Set: Fusion Strike 225/264 Uncommon
To forcefully find and bench the two most important basic cards, use the Battle VIP Pass on turn one. This allows you to immediately place two basic Pokémon onto your bench. Your top priorities are Charmander and Pidgey, followed by Entei V and Jirachi. At least one Pokémon V is helpful because Forest Seal Stone requires it.
Later in matches, the Battle VIP Pass becomes ineffective. Typically, you should use it as discard material for Ultra Ball to find other cards. Include at least three in your deck because it dramatically increases your chances of winning if you can quickly bench important Pokémon.
Rare Candy
Rare Candy Features in Pokemon TCG:
- Choose 1 of your Basic Pokémon in play. If you have a Stage 2 card in your hand that evolves from that Pokémon, put that card onto the Basic Pokémon to evolve it, skipping Stage 1. You can’t use this card during your first turn or on a Basic Pokémon that was put into play this turn.
- Set: Scarlet & Violet 191/198 Common
The most powerful item card in the Charizard ex deck is Rare Candy. With Rare Candy, you can skip the Stage 1 evolution straight to Stage 2 fully evolved. With Rare Candy, you can quickly evolve Charizard and/or Pidgeot to their final stages. Once both cards are in play, especially early in the game, your chances of winning increase dramatically.
Mid-game, Rare Candy’s power fades. However, it’s still beneficial to have at least one bench Charizard ex powered up just in case your active Pokémon goes down. After that, consider using Rare Candy as discard material.
Arven
Arven Features in Pokemon TCG:
- Search your deck for an Item card and a Pokémon Tool card, reveal them, and put them into your hand. Then, shuffle your deck.
- Set: Scarlet & Violet 166/198 Uncommon
The most important Supporter Trainer in the Charizard ex deck is Arven. This card helps search for a tool card and item. The best Tool card is Forest Seal Stone. This acts as a VSTAR ability on any V card (Entei V and Lumineon V). You can then search for any card, once per game. This gives you another way to find the most impactful card directly rather than drawing.
Moreover, you can search for an item which is typically Rare Candy on turn 2. Lost Vacuum can be helpful if you have Path to Peak in play or need to remove something. Consider Arven your go-to supporter when you need to locate a powerful item card.
How to Play Charizard ex
Your main goal with the Charizard ex deck is to go first. Then, find and use the Battle VIP Pass on turn one to set up your bench with Charmander and Pidgey. On turn two, use Rare Candy to evolve them. Once your bench is established, use Arven to find Rare Candy, or use a V Pokémon with Forest Seal Stone.
Next, evolve Charizard ex first, then attach two energies to it and one to the active Pokémon if it’s not Charmander. Retreat the active Pokémon and put Charizard ex in the active spot. Your next priority is to power up Pidgeot and build your bench Pokémon, including a secondary Charizard ex. Once Charizard ex is in the active spot, use Arven to find Choice Belt.
From this position, you go into knockout mode by continuously attacking. You have multiple ways to find Boss’s Orders, which forcibly puts one enemy Pokémon in the active position. Target bench Pokémon that are powering up your opponent’s deck, can take out Charizard ex, or enable your opponent to draw more frequently.
Overall, the first and second turns are critical with this deck. With time and experience, you’ll find creative ways to power up Charizard ex by turn two. If you do, this is one of the simplest and most effective decks in the current Pokémon meta.
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