Rampardos Deck

Rampardos is one of those regular Pokémon whose power level is on par with Pokémon ex. For just 1 Energy, Head Smash deals 130 damage, an unmatched rate in Pokémon TCG Pocket (not even rivaled by any Pokémon ex so far). The attack comes with a drawback: if it knocks out the Defending Pokémon, Rampardos takes 50 recoil damage. Still, the upside of trading a Pokémon ex for a single point makes it well worth the cost. Rampardos can withstand both the self-damage and attacks from opposing Pokémon thanks to its solid 150 HP.

Rampardos evolves from Skull Fossil, meaning you can’t open the game with it or search for it using Poké Ball. That said, this restriction opens the door to running a lineup of efficient Pokémon for the early game, setting up support Pokémon and/or dish out strong damage early on. Rampardos then enters later as a finisher, sweeping even the tankiest threats.