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I wrote a rather dejected article awhile back covering Leafeon ex’s short stint as a semi-relevant deck before it was subsumed by the many incredibly powerful cards that have emerged since Triumphant Light’s release around five months ago. However, I have now returned with a new deck, far better than the one I suggested back when I wrote that original article. I am proud to report that this deck can hold its own in ranked and is sure to scratch any itch you may have for a Leafeon ex or Leafeon deck, and it doesn’t need to ride off either Sylveon ex’s or Flareon ex’s coattails either.
How Does the Deck Work?
The highlight of this list is the Buzzwole ex and Lyra combo. It’s similar to using Lyra with Dragonite ex or Celesteela in Grass Ultra Beast decks; switching via Lyra removes Buzzwole ex from the active spot, resetting Buzzwole ex’s status, and after retreating back to Buzzwole ex, can allow back to back Big Beat attacks. Leafeon ex accelerates Buzzwole’s entrance, while Leafeon of Space-Time Smackdown has an attack identical to Buzzwole’s, meaning the Lyra combo is also applicable. Furthermore, Leafeon STS is capable of knocking out most Basics and many Stage 1s and is a significant early game threat if left unchecked. Leafeon of Eevee Grove is too slow of an attacker early game and demands too great of an energy investment to really be worth using, so I would recommend avoiding it if possible.
Besides two Lyra for aforementioned reasons, and a single mandatory Lusamine to threaten a full powered Buzzwole ex at any point in the late game, I chose one sustaining option, Erika, to offset the overall lack of bulk in the deck, and Rocky Helmet to get the last little bit needed to hit 140 damage, a relevant number for many decks such as Espeon ex Sylveon ex. Silver and Cyrus are my two personal choices for the utility role, but Sabrina and other trainers like Red or Giovanni are also suitable options.
Playing Your Cards Right
A very common board state is beginning with Eevee in the active and evolving to Leafeon ex to quickly power up either Buzzwole ex or baby Leafeon (Leafeon STS). If Buzzwole or baby Leafeon aren’t around, or if it’s more pressing to attack sooner, Leafeon ex can easily handle the role of an early game attacker. After Buzzwole ex or baby Leafeon have enough energy, Leafeon ex should then retreat to save it from dying and allow the stronger attackers to take over.
When using Lyra, retreat to Leafeon ex if possible, as Leafeon ex frequently has leftover energy which can be used to retreat, and Leafeon ex’s ability can be used to power up a separate attacker, potentially allowing as many as two energy to be attached (counting the one energy from the Energy Zone), to other attackers which can later be pivoted to. Lyra also allows for Buzzwole ex to retreat in the early game if charging it up to attack manually proves too slow.
Keep Eevee ex on the back line as much as possible, as it is the most vulnerable Pokemon in this deck. While not always an option, Leafeon STS can achieve a 1-1-2 point mapping and is a good option if an Eevee dies or is going to die in the early game. However, be careful of Leafeon’s low HP when backed into a corner, as it can typically absorb one hit at most.
The Ranked Experience
I began playing this deck after a disastrous 4-7 run with Dragonite ex which sent me from where I started this season in Great Ball 3 to the depths of Great Ball 2. I stormed through Ultra Ball 1 with an eleven game win streak, and am sitting at the bottom of Ultra Ball 2 with around fifty total games with the deck. My record with Leafeon ex Buzzwole ex is 34-19, meaning a win rate of 63%. I began with a different iteration which favored a more Leafeon centric approach—it included two Eevee Bags—but found the cards to be unplayable far too often. I dropped both and added a second Buzzwole ex and one Lusamine, which I have confirmed to be a much stronger deck through further play. Additionally, I played the first thirty-five games with Leaf Cape instead of Rocky Helmet and believe it’s also a viable option, though it comes up less often as a direct game winning factor.
It could be said that only Master Ball has the truly strong decks paired with the most competent pilots, and this deck has yet to be put to the test, but a combination of tried and true Pokémon with synergistic partners gives me faith in a fair chance at winning any matchup. Notably, the speed with which this deck can operate means that fire type decks such as Charizard ex can struggle if not evolving almost immediately. Starting with Leafeon ex and Buzzwole ex is a power position that many strong decks may struggle to deal with. However, be aware that if you brick, this deck’s only get out jail free card is a one of Lusamine, and even Leafeon ex is unlikely to help you regain tempo.
Experimenting with Buzzwole ex Leafeon ex
There are several variations you could attempt with this deck, including dropping one baby Leafeon for Sylveon ex, or a more passive play style by swapping Rocky Helmet for Leaf Cape; you could even ditch either tool card and Erika for a variety of different trainer cards. This is not a top tier deck, so feel free to make it your own as the list is by no means settled.
Matchups and the Realistic Ceiling of Leafeon ex Buzzwole ex
Being adequate for ranked and being a top deck are not really the same thing, and variables like the skill of opponents or the general quality of decks played against can make two people’s experience in ranked very different. I believe that Leafeon ex Buzzwole ex is equipped to handle the majority of decks you will face, but a bad hand, or your opponent lucking out will lose you games this deck should win, while other decks will beat you the majority of times you play against them.
Darkrai Giratina is likely a fair matchup for this deck, and I would estimate it to be at 50% ±5%, as I haven’t played the matchup enough to know for sure. Darkrai ex can be flat out one shot by Buzzwole ex due to its grass weakness, while the healing options can sufficiently buffer the chip damage from Darkrai ex’s ability. I’ve won several games by starting on Eevee ex, hitting for 30, then evolving my next turn to baby Leafeon and attacking for 110, swiftly killing a Darkrai ex trapped in the Active Spot.
Similarly, Silvally Oricorio is a nebulous matchup, but Silvally’s vulnerability to Buzzwole ex is a boon, as is baby Leafeon’s swift handling of Oricorio, so I think it’ll vary game to game. Ensure that Leafeon STS is around to kill Oricorio though, or you will experience a painful death by a thousand cuts.
Espeon ex Sylveon ex is likely the worst of the top decks to face, as handling Espeon ex can require as many as three turns of attacking, time you may not have. Baby Espeon also threatens significant damage in light of the heap of energy Leafeon ex can produce, potentially restricting your options to respond. I threw a very winnable game by showing off my Full Art Lusamine, allowing baby Espeon to hit for the perfect amount of damage to one shot Buzzwole ex, so be vigilant. Outside of these top decks, the main factors are likely your and your opponent’s skill, and the luck of the draw.
However, I don’t think Leafeon ex Buzzwole ex is just a good deck to play in ranked. I think it’s a very fun deck to play that functions differently to nearly all others in the meta, and also allows you to play Buzzwole without committing to the very played out Grass Ultra Beast deck. Lyra is a combo starter which feels great to play, and the wealth of options to gather energy—both Leafeon ex and Lusamine—mean you will rarely feel starved of energy. The deck also has good consistency thanks to Eevee, Eevee ex, and the four Leafeons, while the other primary attacker, Buzzwole ex, is a basic. The most devastating brick I’ve had was being stuck on Buzzwole ex with nothing else, which is exceedingly unlikely. If you don’t have nightmarish luck like I occasionally do, you’ll more likely than not enjoy this deck.