Summary
- Tauros paired with Farfetch’d can deal 120 damage to Pikachu ex, offering a budget-friendly counter option.
- Primeape and Mankey give Pikachu ex trouble with a synergy that activates powerful attacks, dealing up to 120 damage.
- Marshadow and Hitmonlee combo not only disrupt Gyarados ex setups but also counter Pikachu ex with increased damage output.
A quick look at the current metagame of Pokemon Pocket confirms that Pikachu ex decks are struggling against Mewtwo ex and Gyarados ex setups. But what about other, more budget-friendly counters to the Pikachu meta? Here’s a list of three key counter duos in Pokemon Pocket that can help you take down Pikachu ex without needing to rely on Mewtwo or Gyarados decks.
Related
Pokemon Pocket: Best Golem Counters
Golem’s rise to popularity in Pokemon Pocket’s metagame raises one big question: What are the most effective Golem counters? Here’s a list.
Since the Space-Time Smackdown set just launched, we haven’t had enough time to test potential counters for Pikachu ex from this release. However, we’ll update this guide if the metagame shifts significantly due to the new cards.
3
Tauros & Farfetch’d
Versatile (Yet Deadly) Pals
The new Tauros from the Mythical Island expansion is one of the best anti-meta cards around. When played against an ex Pokemon, it deals an extra 80 damage, bringing its total to 120! This is enough to take down Pikachu ex in one hit, as long as you’ve had enough time to build up Tauros. (It requires three Colorless Energy to get Tauros going.)
You can offset Tauros’ slow build-up with a budget card like Farfetch’d. While it’s weak to Lightning-type and will likely be knocked out quickly, its ability to deal 40 damage with just one Colorless Energy makes it an excellent early-game play.
2
Primeape & Mankey (P-A)
The Anti-Pikachu SWAT Team
When P-A Mankey was released, Pikachu ex decks faced a rough patch for a short time. This was due to P-A Mankey’s synergy with Genetic Apex’s Primeape. The new Mankey had a self-damaging ability that triggered Primeape’s 100-damage revenge move.
Primeape is a vengeful Pokemon. If it’s been damaged, it deals 100 damage instead of its usual 40. Your opponent could usually avoid this by waiting until they could one-shot Mankey or Primeape. But with the release of P-A Mankey, that counter-strategy became less effective. You’d hit the enemy with the new Mankey, which would be enough to activate Primeape’s revenge move, making it hard for the opponent to stop it.
Additionally, Pikachu ex is weak to Fighting-type Pokemon. So, if you can trigger Primeape’s ultimate attack, it will deal 120 damage, taking Pikachu ex out in a single hit!
1
Marshadow & Hitmonlee
The Most Meta Tech Duo
After the rise of Druddigon and Golem, Pokemon Pocket players quickly realized the disruptive power of the Marshadow and Hitmonlee duo. This pairing is one of the few tech options against the Gyarados ex meta due to its ability to snipe the opponent’s Bench before they can Evolve. But the Marshadow-Hitmonlee combo is also a strong counter to Pikachu ex decks. Here’s why.
Since Pikachu ex is weak to Fighting-type Pokemon, both Marshadow and Hitmonlee gain +20 damage, boosting their output to 120 and 50, respectively. While you’re sniping Pikachu ex’s Bench with Hitmonlee, you’re also building up Marshadow on your own Bench. Once your opponent takes out Hitmonlee, you can switch to Marshadow and one-shot their Pikachu ex. Then, you can retreat into another Basic Pokemon and set up for another Marshadow Revenge.
