Venusaur is an absolute tank in the video games, boasting decent bulk and a variety of ways to heal. It’s no different in Pokemon TCG Pocket, where Venusaur ex boasts excellent HP and some of the best recovery in the game.
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Pokemon Pocket: How To Build A Deck
Follow these steps to get you started on building a viable deck for competitive play against others.
While it takes a little skill (and luck) to set up, Venusaur ex decks are among the strongest you can build in Genetic Apex. Backed by an Exeggutor ex to tank early hits and swing for early KOs, as well as tons of extra HP recovery, it’s certain to leave your opponents frustrated.
Sample Venusaur ex Decklist
Like other meta Pokemon Pocket decks, the Venusaur ex / Exeggutor ex deck relies on two evolution lines to maximize efficiency. The other half of the deck is all Trainer cards to find your ace Pokemon and keep them conscious while you set up and sweep.
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Venusaur ex / Exeggutor ex |
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Bulbasaur x2 |
Ivysaur x2 |
Venusaur ex x2 |
Exeggcute x2 |
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Exeggutor ex x2 |
Professor’s Research x2 |
Erika x2 |
Poke Ball x2 |
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X-Speed x2 |
Potion x2 |
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No deck that relies on rare cards like ex Pokemon is budget-friendly, but there are a couple of substitutes you can make while waiting to open the Venusaur ex and Exeggutor ex you need.
The non-ex versions of Venusaur and Exeggutor are both only minor downgrades, and can replace one or both copies of each for early builds that you can easily upgrade as you open the necessary Pokemon.
You can get a head start on this deck by choosing the Charizard pack during the tutorial. The Charizard pack contains an Exeggutor ex.
Venusaur ex Deck Strategy
Venusaur ex can attack for 100 damage each turn, and heal itself 30 HP in the process with its Giant Bloom attack. With the highest HP in the Genetic Apex set, it’s already tough to take down, but the constant HP recovery makes Venusaur ex into a true monster.
The only downside is that it needs four Energy to use Giant Bloom, and Genetic Apex has no Energy acceleration for Grass-types.
To give yourself time to power up Venusaur ex, always set Exeggcute as your first Active Pokemon and evolve into Exeggutor ex immediately. For one Energy, Exeggutor ex can deal 80 damage on a lucky coin flip, or 40 on a bad flip.
This efficient attack is backed by 160 HP, which makes Exeggutor ex a threat to your opponent’s Active Pokemon while they’re still setting up.
Use Exeggutor ex to block your opponent’s attacks and take opportunistic Knock-Outs while you evolve Bulbasaur into Ivysaur, then Venusaur ex and attach Energy. Your Erika and Potion cards can heal your Exeggutor ex if you need more time to attach Energy to Venusaur ex.
If you have both X-Speeds in your hand, you can use them to retreat your Exeggutor ex to bring out your Venusaur ex and start swinging. Two hits from Giant Bloom is enough to KO any Pokemon in Genetic Apex, barring healing effects. Your remaining Erikas and Potions should be used to keep your Venusaur ex alive long enough to snag all the KOs you need to win.
If your Venusaur ex has at least 160 HP remaining, don’t use your Potions. Venusaur ex will be back to full HP after using Giant Bloom, so your items will be wasted.
If your Exeggutor ex gets Knocked Out early, Venusaur ex can still attack with Razor Leaf while you wait for the last Energy.
Avoid advancing a second Exeggutor ex, as ex Pokemon are worth two Prize Points, so if the softer Exeggutor ex is Knocked Out, you’ll lose the match.
Venusaur ex Deck Matchups
Venusaur ex has a great matchup against Pikachu ex. Pikachu ex decks set up quickly, and can two-hit KO Exeggutor if you don’t have any Potions in your hand. However, they can’t KO Venusaur ex faster than Giant Bloom will tear through Pikachu ex. With Potions and Erika, you should be able to score the two Knock-Outs necessary to win the match without much difficulty.
Pikachu ex has low enough HP that you’ll likely be able to win with just Exeggutor ex. The biggest threat is not finding Exeggutor ex in order to evolve Exeggcute immediately.
Charizard ex is a tough matchup: Both ace Pokemon require some setup, but Moltres ex accelerates Fire-type decks enough that you will be overrun before you can finish setting up your own Venusaur ex.
While you may get lucky and KO your opponent’s Moltres ex before they can finish setting up, chances are that they’ll be able to find enough Energy to at least power Slash before you can take down the legendary bird.
Charizard ex is one of the only Pokemon in Genetic Apex capable of scoring a One-Hit KO on Venusaur ex, and it can do so far more reliably than any other Pokemon.
This makes it vital that you set up quickly and aim for early KOs.
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