Fighting Toolbox deck

The Fighting type had some utility in Genetic Apex but fell short in several areas. Pokémon ex were generally lacking and they never reached the top, despite their potential in a metagame dominated by Pikachu ex. The Machop line into Machamp ex suffers from a high retreat cost and has a hard time recovering when playing from behind. Marowak ex, though quicker to get onto the battlefield, is completely unreliable due to its coin-flip-based attack. Additionally, no Fighting Pokémon has an attack consistently dealing over 120 damage. But what if the key to making thrive wasn’t Pokémon ex?

Mythical Island introduced Marshadow, a Mythical Pokémon whose Revenge attack made it the highest-damage-dealing Basic Pokémon without relying on a coin flip, provided the opponent knocked out one of your Pokémon with an attack. Marshadow creates an intense pressure on the opponent, especially when they're fishing for an early KO against the Active Pokémon: you can revenge knock-out them if you attached an Energy on Marshadow during the first turn, and you'll be up ahead from the get-go. It trades only for a single point and, notably, can one-shot Pikachu ex.

Hitmonlee from Genetic Apex has seen a resurgence in response to Gyarados ex’s prominence in the metagame: it’s the only Pokémon that can one-shot Magikarp on the Bench without requiring evolution or a second turn to charge an Energy. Hitmonlee also helps soften up Benched Pokémon that might otherwise become too tough for Pokémon to handle, as the type lacks heavy hitters. It gained even more prominence in Space-Time Smackdown as it makes Cyrus able to pull any Pokémon from the Bench to the Active spot. Additionally, it punishes stall strategies involving Druddigon and decks that rely on Moltres ex in the Active spot, among other examples.

The result is a versatile and easily splashable engine that pairs well with many cards. Whether included as a one- or two-of in various deck builds, this inexpensive and efficient no-ex core is making waves in the metagame!

Magnezone - Fighting variant

Magnezone is an amazing addition thanks to Magneton's Volt Charge (Genetic Apex). This ability eliminates the need to run Energy in the Energy Zone, and Magnezone can attack for 110 damage with no further commitment than just playing Magneton first. Fighting Toolbox gains a high-HP, low-commitment beatstick that complements its overall strategy.

Not only does it maintain the one-point nature of the deck, Magnezone significantly improves its late game. Most Pokémon in the toolbox struggle to deal more than 40 damage consistently, and even a fully powered Revenge—a conditional move—maxes out at 100 damage.

On top of that, since Magnezone requires no Energy commitment, it also avoids interfering with the deck’s retreat strategies that are used to adapt the Active Pokémon to each situation. Ultimately, this deck is one of the best in the Space-Time Smackdown: part of why is also its impressive efficiency for a no-ex deck.

Fighting toolbox deck

The strategy revolves around combining Pokémon with very low Energy requirements, capable of pressuring the opponent from the start, with Pokémon that can handle late-game threats at the cost of more Energy.

Greninja - Fighting variant

Check out our Greninja deck page for more information on this variant!

Other tech cards

This deck is by definition a toolbox, which means it can include a bunch of generic Pokémon with universally good features. Here are some examples:

Sudowoodo

The latest addition from Triumphant Light is a perfect fit in the Fighting toolbox, where its Fighting Heabutt deals 50 damage for just against Pokémon ex puts a huge pressure to decks relying on starting with a Pokémon ex (think Dialga ex, Moltres ex...). Notably, it's a strict two-shot against the popular Arceus ex thanks to the Weakness boost.

Farfetch’d

This bird doesn’t need to evolve to deliver a solid 40 damage for just a single Energy, offering the best damage-to-Energy ratio of any Basic Pokémon!

Hitmonchan

Although Hitmonchan is a Pokémon, Farfetch'd is usually prefered thanks to its stronger attack, despite its lower HP. Hitmonchan is however a good option if you need more bulk and expect to face a lot of decks weak to Fighting, such as and some Pokémon.

Mew ex

Genome Hacking is the weapon of choice against heavy hitters. With this attack, Mew ex is capable of dealing the same amount of damage back at them without requiring a specific type of Energy. Against Pokémon with high HP hitting for more than 80 damage, Mew ex is the perfect answer: think of cards like Charizard ex, Palkia ex, Mewtwo ex...

Tauros (Mythical Island)

Since Fighting Toolbox often struggles against bulky Pokémon ex, Tauros is an excellent option for bridging the gap with its Fighting Tackle. As a single-point Pokémon, it trades very favorably against these high-value targets and creates an extra opportunity to use Revenge.

Weaknesses

• The Pokémon in these toolboxes excel in the early game thanks to their decent HP and inexpensive attacks. But as the game progresses and opponents establish stronger boards, their bulk become frail and vulnerable to most one-shot attacks. They also struggle against high-HP threats like evolved Pokémon ex.
• To make the most of Marshadow, Revenge’s effect needs to activate. This not only requires relinquishing a point but also allows opponents to play around it by preparing attacks with bulkier Pokémon that won't get revenge-killed.
• Revenge only triggers in response to direct attacks, which a range of popular strategies in the metagame—such as Poison effects, Greninja’s Water Shuriken, and Druddigon’s Rough Skin—effectively bypass.