Pikachu makes a splash in the competition from the very start of TCG Pocket. And it has a very good argument for that: with no need to evolve, Pikachu ex rocks an attack that can deal up to 90 damage with just 2 Energies. Circle Circuit deals 30 damage times the number of L Pokémon on the Bench (the Active Pikachu ex is not included).
The strategy is simple : fill your bench with as much L Pokémon as possible and bring Pikachu ex with 2 L Energy attached to the front line for a rampage. As you want to capitalize on this attack, the rest of the deck contain only L Pokémon to deal the maximum amount of damage possible with Circle Circuit. Zapdos ex and Raichu are also capable of strong hits on their own
One of the earliest revealed Pokémon has set the tones for expectations of what the power level had to be for Pokémon TCG Pocket. So far, it is the one that dictates the pace of the whole metagame.
Pikachu ex - Suggested decklist
Rarity requirements
◊◊◊◊ – Pikachu ex, Zapdos ex
◊◊ – Electrode, Zebstrika, Sabrina, Giovanni
Booster pack requirements
Pikachu ex
Zapdos ex
Electrode
Sabrina
Giovanni
A more commonly seen version with deadly efficiency, this deck plays aggressively to win within the first few turns. Electrode functions as an extra X Speed, a valuable tool to not waste an Energy after being hit by Sabrina and maintain tempo. When Pikachu ex struggles to finish off bulkier Pokémon, Zebstrika’s Thunder Spear serves as the perfect punisher, targeting those that retreated to the Bench for safety.
Pikachu ex - Suggested decklist
Rarity requirements
◊◊◊◊ – Pikachu ex, Zapdos ex
◊◊◊ – Raichu
◊◊ – Lt Surge, Sabrina
Booster requirements
Pikachu ex
Zapdos ex
Pikachu line
Lt. Surge
Sabrina
The Pokémon count is kept low to increase the chances of starting with Pikachu ex in the Active spot. From there, you go through your deck to find L Pokémon and the usual disruptive cards (Sabrina, Potion…). The combination of X Speed and Lt. Surge open up plays such as retreating a damaged Pikachu ex to promote a charged up Raichu or Zapdos ex for a damage push. Raichu in particular shines in the mirror match where it takes down everything in one hit.
Weaknesses
- A big constraint on deckbuilding: there’s little room to play Pokémon that are not L type to fill your bench. You also need a critical number of Pokémon in your deck to make it happen.
- The fragile build of Pikachu ex (120 HP for a 2-point monster)
- The inability to take down the bulkiest Pokémon in one hit (Mewtwo ex, Charizard ex, Venusaur ex…). Only Zapdos ex is capable of doing it, and does so unreliably.
Pikachu EX falls victim to the very strategy it thrives on: while it’s incredibly fast at racking up damage, it becomes helpless once the opponent establishes control of the board. But its unparalleled efficiency to set up in no time makes it one of the biggest threat in the Genetic Apex metagame.
