Eeveelutions have consistently shaped the Pokemon TCG Pocket metagame, and Leafeon ex is no exception. Its rise reaffirms that every new ex Eeveelution introduction brings significant shifts—just like the one unfolding with Leafeon ex’s arrival.
If you follow Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s competitive scene, you’ve likely noticed Leafeon ex steadily climbing the ranks, currently holding a 7.5% meta share, with projections reaching 8.5% to 9% soon.
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For those looking to understand the Leafeon ex meta and discover the decks where it excels, this guide offers a detailed analysis of its competitive performance and the blueprint for building the ultimate Leafeon ex deck.
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Leafeon ex Card Overview
- Rarity: Four-diamond, two-star
- HP: 140
- ATK: 70
- Ability: Once during your turn, if this Pokemon is in the Active Spot, you may take a Grass Energy from your Energy Zone and attach it to 1 of your Grass Pokemon.
- ATK Energy: Three (one Grass, two Colorless)
- Retreat Cost: One
- Weakness: Fire
The Best Deck for Leafeon ex
In the current metagame, the best deck for Leafeon ex revolves around a basic Celebi ex setup, but with Water as the primary Energy instead of Grass. This allows for the inclusion of Irida as a secondary healer alongside Erika. Other essential cards in this lineup include Cyrus, Sabrina, and Giant Cape, which complement the overall strategy.
Here’s the complete decklist:
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Must-Have Trainer Cards |
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Leafeon ex & Celebi ex follow a classic TCG Pocket strategy: energize, stall, and attack. A similar approach was used in Magnezone & Darkrai ex decks, where Magnezone built itself up with self-energizing Magneton. However, Leafeon ex & Celebi ex put a unique spin on this by utilizing non-Grass Energy.
Leafeon ex’s meta decks rely on Water-type Energy, allowing them to include Irida as an additional healer Supporter, making these setups highly durable. Here’s how the strategy unfolds:
Step One: Energizing Primary Attackers
Ideally, you open with Leafeon ex, giving you the option to build up either the Active Spot (Leafeon ex itself) or a Bench-sitter—preferably Celebi ex.
Both Leafeon ex and Celebi ex require only one Grass-type Energy. Once each has its initial Grass Energy, you can choose to ramp them with Water Energy from the Zone or Grass Energy generated by Leafeon ex. (Each turn provides two Energy attachments, so allocate them wisely.)
Step Two: Dealing Damage and Stalling
With at least three Energy on Leafeon ex, you can start dealing 70 (up to 90) damage. Meanwhile, the goal is to stall and stack Energy on Celebi ex. To do this, you have two options:
- Buff Leafeon ex with Giant Cape.
- Sustain it with Erika, Irida, or both.
Step Three: Finishing Off with a Ramped Celebi ex
Once Celebi ex has enough Energy, you can switch attackers and go for high burst damage. Celebi ex flips a coin for each Energy attached to it, dealing 50 damage per heads. Landing three heads results in 150 DMG, making it highly effective against all meta threats.
Since Celebi ex will likely have a few Water-type Energies attached, you can take advantage of both Irida and Erika to keep it healed and sustain its presence on the field.
- Matches: ~ 2,000
- Meta Share: ~ 7.5%
- Win Rate: ~ 51%
The unique twist of using Water-type Energy and Irida as a healer has allowed Leafeon ex decks to rise through TCG Pocket’s metagame with ease. While its impact hasn’t been as significant as Arceus ex, the other emerging Triumphant Light star, Leafeon ex, has still secured a spot among the top five decks in the game in a short time.
A key factor behind Leafeon ex’s success is its strong performance against several meta-dominating decks from the previous expansion. On average, Leafeon ex decks have a 65% win rate against Magnezone & Skarmory, Pachirisu ex (18-Trainer), and Darkrai ex & Greninja—decks that were among the most formidable setups before the A2a set.
How to Counter Leafeon ex
The best counter to Leafeon ex is a standard Palkia ex & Vaporeon setup. Recent TCG Pocket tournament data shows that this Water-type duo has won approximately 76% of matches against Leafeon ex decks. This is mainly because of Palkia ex, which, with Vaporeon and Manaphy’s support, can accelerate quickly and secure early knockouts.
Another strong counter to the Leafeon ex meta is the new Arceus ex & Dialga ex lineup. Similar to Palkia ex decks, Arceus ex setups accelerate Energy quickly thanks to Dialga ex’s Energy-generating ability. This allows them to deal heavy damage to Leafeon ex while frequently one-shotting its supporting attacker, Celebi ex.
The Future of Leafeon ex in Pokemon TCG Pocket
Energy-generating cards like Leafeon ex have a strong presence in Pocket’s meta. There’s no doubt we’ll continue seeing Leafeon ex decks, even after major expansions. It’s here to stay. The main reason is its perfect synergy with Grass-type Pokemon; whenever a Grass-type deck gains traction, Leafeon ex is likely to be its core Energy-acceleration card.
That said, Leafeon ex isn’t without flaws. Its ability requires it to be in the Active Spot, which can be risky, especially against fast-paced decks with strong early-game damage. For example, Palkia ex and Vaporeon have been dominating Leafeon ex decks for this very reason: they quickly take out its key cards before they can ramp up.
