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The Pikachu ex and Zapdos ex is one of the most popular decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket, and for good reason. This deck is highly consistent, has good damage output, and is strong against the Starmie and Articuno ex deck that is also in the top tier.
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This deck relies on Pikachu ex’s Circle Circuit, which deals increased damage according to how many Pokemon you have on the bench. Below, we’ll take a look at all the cards you need to build this deck, how to play it, and some of its matchups.
Pikachu And Zapdos ex Decklist
The stars of this deck are Pikachu ex and Zapdos ex, which are both very strong Basic Electric-type attackers. Pikachu’s Circle Circuit is capable of dealing 90 damage for just two Energy, but it requires three Pokemon to be on the bench. This is why we include two copies of Voltorb and Electrode, so that we can fill the bench early and take full advantage of Circle Circuit.
Zapdos offers an alternative method for offense, but relies on coin flips to deal high damage. This can be risky, especially with three Energy cost, so Pikachu is often better for consistency.
The remaining cards in the deck are to support these Pokemon, with Giovanni, Sabrina, Poke Ball, and Professor’s Research being staples in most strong decks. Here are all the cards you need.
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Pikachu ex/Zapdos ex |
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Pikachu ex x2 |
Zapdos ex x2 |
Voltorb x2 |
Electrode x2 |
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Giovanni x2 |
Sabrina x2 |
Potion x2 |
X Speed x2 |
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Poke Ball x2 |
Professor’s Research x2 |
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This deck requires you to open cards from all three Genetic Apex packs, so it can take a bit of luck to fully put it together. To make things a bit easier, you can swap out Zapdos ex for normal Zapdos, or use one copy of Zapdos and swap in a Pincurchin for Paralyze support.
Deck Strategy
The main strategy of this deck is to get Pikachu up as soon as possible, then fill your bench with your remaining Pokemon. Since this deck mainly includes Basic Pokemon, you can take advantage of Poke Ball to draw the rest of your Pokemon and then set them up on the bench.
Zapdos and Voltorb/Electrode are also good starting cards, especially against decks that play Energy acceleration cards like Misty, Gardevoir, or Moltres ex. Electrode has no retreat cost, making it a great choice for setting up Energy on Pikachu, and with only one retreat cost, Zapdos ex can be retreated for free using X Speed.
Zapdos also has Peck, which costs only one Energy, making it a great option to get out some damage early on, especially against Water-type decks where Peck would be super effective.
Overall, the strategy of this deck is fairly straightforward and easy to get the hang of, which is one of the reasons it’s so strong.
Deck Matchups
As mentioned above, this deck is very favorable against Water-type deck matchups, especially the Starmie and Articuno ex deck. If they set up Staryu in the active spot, a Zapdos ex using Peck with Giovanni can instantly take it down, giving you time to set up energy on Zapdos or Pikachu on the bench.
In general, this deck does well in most type-neutral matchups thanks to Pikachu’s efficient energy-to-damage ratio. That said, this deck is at a big disadvantage against Fighting-type decks like Marowak ex or Machamp ex. Luckily, these decks aren’t as prevalent as other options, so the number of decks Pikachu ex is weak to is fairly limited.
