When Pokemon Pocket‘s Space-Time Smackdown set dropped, two Pokemon clearly stood out: Magnezone and Darkrai ex. One became a key piece for Lightning decks, while the other revitalized Darkness-type strategies. What no one expected, though, was for these seemingly mismatched Pokemon to join forces in TCG Pocket’s metagame.
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Despite the surprise, the Magnezone-Darkrai ex duo has dominated PvP, becoming the most popular deck shell in tournaments. For players curious about this innovative archetype, this guide will explain how the Magnezone-Darkrai ex meta works and how you can build your own deck to join the action.
Magnezone and Darkrai ex work together seamlessly as damage dealers and snipers. Since Magnezone can evolve from Genetic Apex’s Magneton, it charges its attack from the Bench, allowing Darkrai ex to draw all the Energy from the Energy Zone and gradually chip away at the enemy’s HP.
The issue with Darkrai ex decks was the lack of a reliable damage dealer. While Darkness-type Pokemon are strong, they all need to be charged from the Energy Zone. But Darkrai ex is most effective when it can consume all the Energy each turn. So, this made it essential to find a damage dealer that could knock out enemies without using Energy—and that’s where Magnezone comes in.
Evolving Magnemite into Genetic Apex’s Magneton grants the Ability Volt Charge. Once during your turn, you can take an extra Lightning Energy from your Energy Zone and attach it to Magneton. This allows Magneton to charge itself even if your deck runs only Darkness-type Energy.
In the Magnezone-Darkrai ex meta, you place a tank in the Active Spot and set up Magneton and Darkrai ex on the Bench. Magneton will keep charging itself each turn while you attach Darkness Energy to Darkrai ex, dealing 20 damage per turn. Once Magneton has enough Energy and the enemy’s HP is low enough, you evolve into Magnezone and finish them off.
Magnezone & Darkrai ex Performance Report
- Tournament appearance: +1,400
- Win Rate: ~ 57%
- Metagame Share: ~ 9%
The Magnezone-Darkrai ex shell quickly became the most popular deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket tournaments after its introduction. Currently, the deck—and its variants—boast the highest win rate among other setups and make up nearly 10% of the entire metagame.
The data mentioned above is based on recent Pokemon TCG Pocket tournaments and may change as the metagame evolves.
The Best Magnezone & Darkrai ex Deck Shell
The top deck shell for the Magnezone-Darkrai ex duo is the one supported by Druddigon. When it comes to Supporter Cards, Leaf and Cyrus are essential, while Dawn and Giovanni can also be practical in certain situations. For other Trainer Cards, Giant Cape and Rocky Helmet are solid choices, with the rest of the deck filled with staples like Professor’s Research, Pokemon Ball, and Pokemon Communication.
Here’s an example of a tournament-winning Magnezone & Darkrai ex deck:
|
Magnemite |
2 |
|
Magneton (Genetic Apex) |
2 |
|
Magnezone |
2 |
|
Darkrai ex |
2 |
|
Druddigon |
2 |
|
Cyrus |
1 |
|
Leaf |
1 |
|
Dawn |
1 |
|
Giant Cape |
1 |
|
Pokemon Ball |
2 |
|
Pokemon Communication |
2 |
|
Professor’s Research |
2 |
The biggest mistake against a Magnezone-Darkrai ex deck is stalling. This archetype thrives on the enemy’s slow plays. To counter it effectively, go for fast-paced decks that can be built quickly and put pressure on the Magnezone-Darkrai ex setup early.
The Rise and Fall of Magnezone-Darkrai ex
Despite its rapid rise to the top of the meta, the Magnezone-Darkrai ex duo is currently struggling against some decks, particularly the refined Exeggutor ex and Celebi ex shell. The addition of Pokemon Communication, Dawn, and Giant Cape to Exeggutor ex decks has made them even more dangerous, especially against cards like Darkrai ex, which are weak to Grass-type Pokemon.
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Darkrai ex is also showing strong performance in Greninja decks, which could contribute to Magnezone’s decline in the near future. One of the few remaining advantages for Magnezone is its synergy with Fighting-type Hitmonlee and Marshadow. Otherwise, it could be argued that Magnezone is slowly slipping from the metagame’s top spot.
The Future of Ability-Oriented Decks in Pokemon Pocket
One thing the Magnezone-Darkrai ex phenomenon has highlighted is how most meta Pokemon TCG Pocket decks are vulnerable to Ability damage. This was hinted at by the popularity of Hitmonlee and Greninja and was later triggered by Cyrus’ effect. However, we now have clear evidence that building a deck around chip damage from Abilities can truly disrupt the game.
If Pokemon TCG Pocket wants to maintain balanced PvPs, it must introduce better ways to handle damage coming from the enemy’s Bench. Otherwise, the meta could shift toward decks that use the Active Spot solely to stall, finishing off opponents from the Bench—which isn’t the most enjoyable way to play TCG Pocket.
