Exploring Stage 2 Decks with Pidgeot ex — Tyranitar ex and Meowscarada ex

Hello everyone! I’m back once again, and like in my last article, I’ll be looking at some of the more exploratory aspects of Obsidian Flames. The first Regional Championship of the year is coming up this weekend in Pittsburgh, though there’s a bit of a break after that until we get to the next major tournaments. That gap means that there should be plenty of time to test some different decks prior to Peoria; while I would expect Pittsburgh’s meta to be somewhat similar to the meta that we’re seeing in League Cups and online, the meta later should be more diverse. As for Pittsburgh, the decks that I would expect to see the most are Lost Zone Box (especially with [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card]), [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Baxcalibur” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”223″ c=”name”][/card], along with a solid mix of all of the other decks in the format.

Giratina VSTAR has thus far seemed to be the most popular deck, which makes sense, as it’s a deck with strong baseline stats that can perform well against pretty much anything. Decks like that tend to be at their strongest at the beginning of new formats, but I would expect things to settle down and become more diverse as time goes on. Be prepared for it, especially in Pittsburgh, but the deck does strike me as not quite a gatekeeper level deck. That is, it’s less [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Arceus and Dialga and Palkia-GX” set=”Cosmic Eclipse” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card], and more of just a solid, safe choice. Of course, you could also forgo all of those boring meta decks, and play one of the off-meta choices that I wrote about in my last article — or one of the decks from this one!

[cardimg name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”225″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg]

In my last article, while the focus was on Charizard ex, one of the other things I talked about was the usefulness of the new [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”225″ c=”name”][/card]. Until recently, we haven’t had many viable Stage 2 decks, and while that’s starting to change with decks like Gardevoir ex and Baxcalibur, it’s been slow going. Pidgeot ex has the potential to change that. In general, Pidgeot ex is the most useful in decks that play another Stage 2 line, since those decks will already be playing [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”256″ c=”name”][/card], so you won’t need to devote as much space to including the Pidgeot ex line. In addition, Pidgeot ex can find those Rare Candy, which makes it much easier to set up multiple Stage 2 Pokemon. This helps to solve one of the major problems that Stage 2 decks typically have, particularly decks that are designed around attacking with a Stage 2 Pokemon.

Since the Sun & Moon era, these decks have been the most difficult to build; having success with one typically requires some sort of bonus on the Stage-1 to make the setup more viable, like Gardevoir has with both of the useful [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card]. Otherwise, the Stage 2 might be an incredible, efficient attacker, but the difficulty of setting them up one after another means that they tend to fade out in the late-game. In addition, finding the Rare Candy to set them up in the first place can be difficult, making them either slow or inconsistent. During the Sword & Shield era, Stage 2 Pokemon were also lacking in HP, which further exacerbated the problem, since you could count on them being Knocked Out every turn due to their squishiness. The newest Pokemon ex have solved that HP issue — with 310+ HP, they’re as tanky as any Pokemon that’s ever been printed — but the Rare Candy issue still remains up until now. With Pidgeot ex, that issue has also abated, to the point that suddenly some of these previously lackluster Stage 2s now seem viable. Charizard ex has started to show how these Stage 2 decks can run, but it isn’t the only option we have. After trying the various Stage 2 Pokemon ex, there are two in particular that I think have potential to be competitive: [card name=”Tyranitar ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Meowscarada ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card].

So, in this article, I’m going to be expanding on the Pidgeot ex core from the Charizard ex / Pidgeot ex deck that I wrote about in my last article, and show how it can work in these two decks as well.

It’s Electric! Tyranitar ex

To start, let’s take a look at another new card from Obsidian Flames: Tyranitar ex. Tyranitar ex is a beast of a Pokemon, as tanky as they come at 340 HP, and has solid damage output for little Energy cost. With a [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card], Lightning Rampage can OHKO a Pokemon VSTAR, including [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG69″ c=”name”][/card]. You can also start attacking with Lightning Rampage as early as turn 2, which allows this deck to truly take advantage of the positive Prize trade from Tyranitar’s combination of damage and bulk. To activate the extra damage from Lightning Rampage, you can use [card name=”Gengar” set=”Lost Origin” no=”TG06″ c=”name”][/card] to easily put a damaged Pokemon onto your Bench; in 151, we’ll also have Dodrio as an option. Here’s the list I’m currently using:

[premium]

[decklist name=”Tyranitar ex” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″][pokemon amt=”17″]3x [card name=”Tyranitar ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Larvitar” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Pidgey” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Gengar” set=”Lost Origin” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Arceus V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Galarian Zapdos” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”82″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]4x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Boss’s Orders (Ghetsis)” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Raihan” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”181″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”194″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”176″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Mesagoza” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]7x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”157″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]2x [card name=”Luminous Energy” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Tyranitar ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”66″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg]

As you can see, the Pokemon core is similar to the Charizard ex deck in my last article. The only changes (aside from the obvious swap of Charizard ex and Tyranitar ex) are the addition of Gengar, which you need to activate Lightning Rampage’s extra damage, and [card name=”Galarian Zapdos” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card]. The Galarian Zapdos + [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] combo is this deck’s way of protecting against a turn of no Energy attachment; it also allows you to easily switch from a damaged Tyranitar ex to a fresh one. The addition of [card name=”Raihan” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] also helps in this regard, by giving you even more Energy acceleration if needed. One nice thing about this combo is that you can play down the Galarian Zapdos in advance to get extra Energy onto the field, then find your Energy Switch later when you need it. As such, it isn’t terribly difficult to utilize, since it isn’t like you need to have Galarian Zapdos + 2x Fighting Energy + Energy Switch already in hand. Galarian Zapdos also functions as a good pivot Pokemon after Knock Outs (since it has zero Retreat Cost). The one thing this deck does not have is a Radiant Pokemon; given how the deck plays, there aren’t any that are necessarily worth the spot.

When it comes to our Trainer cards, we’re able to cut down a touch on counter Stadium cards, since Tyranitar ex doesn’t need to use any Abilities. You still need to have one early so that you can use Arceus VSTAR and Pidgeot ex to set up your initial Tyranitar ex, but after that, while it is annoying, it isn’t as devastating as it is with some of the other Pidgeot ex decks. The Energy count in this deck is a touch light, but the Energy acceleration we have with Galarian Zapdos and Raihan help make up for that, while also giving us more options and consistency. The two [card name=”Luminous Energy” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card] have been included in order to allow us to attack with Gengar if needed; Gengar can be a solid single-Prize attacker against Lost Box and Gardevoir ex, so it’s nice to be able to do so if needed. In theory, you could also include other types of attackers in this deck too, such as the non-ex [card name=”Tyranitar” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ve opted not to in this list, but depending on the meta you expect to face, that could be a potential option for this deck.

Deck Strategy

In the early game, you want to find your [card name=”Larvitar” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], your [card name=”Pidgey” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card], and your [card name=”Arceus V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card]. Ideally, you also want to be able to attach an Energy to one of those Larvitar so that you can attack on turn 2, and get a Gengar in the discard pile if possible. From there, you set up your Pidgeot ex, your Tyranitar ex, and start taking Knock Outs. Tyranitar ex has a relatively straightforward strategy from that point, as you don’t have a wide variety of attacks to use. You simply hit their Active Spot Pokemon hard enough to hopefully get a OHKO, and then start to set up your next Tyranitar ex. Against single-Prize decks and in matchups where you can’t quite get a OHKO, you can also weave in attacks with Gengar to try to force your opponent to use more attacks in order to win. In the late game, you have the [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] + [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] combo to disrupt your opponent if needed.

Tyranitar ex’s Matchups

As I said above, when looking at this format, there are four main decks that I want to keep in mind: [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] Lost Box, [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Baxcalibur” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”223″ c=”name”][/card]. These are far from the only decks you’ll run into, as the format is still quite diverse, but they are currently the most popular, and are arguably the most threatening.

Vs. Giratina VSTAR Lost Box

Against Giratina VSTAR, you have a theoretical advantage in that they will only be able to get one OHKO against you, whereas you can get one every turn against them. With that said, they can 2HKO you with [card name=”Cramorant” set=”Lost Origin” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] after or before attacking with Lost Impact, and they can get a turn 1 KO to take an early lead. In addition, as against Charizard ex, they can always OHKO Pidgeot ex and Arceus VSTAR with Lost Impact. Unlike my Charizard ex list, this Tyranitar ex list is not teched to prevent that play, which makes the matchup tricky. If you can, target their [card name=”Giratina V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] early with [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] to try to get a lead. Their Cramorant and Sableye aren’t particularly threatening given your high HP, so if you can take down their Giratina early and make it a struggle for them to use it, you’ll be at an advantage. If you can avoid using Arceus VSTAR in this matchup, you’ll want to do so, as that will give you a hefty advantage in the late game. If your opponent has to 2HKO a Tyranitar ex, then you’ll have a clear lead in that regard, even if you can’t get an early KO to disrupt their Giratina VSTAR strategy. The other aspect of this matchup that you’ll want to be cautious of is [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card]. In the early game, it will slow down your setup and make it more difficult for you to stop their Giratina V before they get going. In the late game, you should expect it to be used in conjunction with Iono. If you can’t find a way out of the Path lock early, then it’s fine to forgo Pidgeot ex and instead focus on establishing your Tyranitar ex; you can also attack with Gengar during this time if you can find your Luminous Energy. Later on, you’ll want to thin your hand and deck of cards you don’t need whenever you can, such as by using [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”name”][/card] to discard extra copies of [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”name”][/card] and then finding a useless Pokemon with that search that you can then avoid drawing into after the Iono. Anything you can do to help better your odds is a good thing. If you can avoid getting too locked down, then this is a winnable matchup, particularly if you can get established and jump out to an early lead.

Vs. Gardevoir ex

[cardimg name=”Gardevoir” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”61″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Your opponent needs 10 Psychic Energy to OHKO a Tyranitar ex with [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Celebrations” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card]; in many lists, that means they’ll need every Psychic Energy in their deck in order to get that OHKO. For [card name=”Gardevoir” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] to get a OHKO with Brainwave, they’ll need seven Psychic Energy plus a [card name=”Reversal Energy” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card] — but due to Gardevoir’s HP, they can’t actually attach seven Energy with Psychic Embrace. This means that the opponent will have to hit an Energy off of Shining Arcana to get to that point — not impossible, but there is still a good chance that they’ll miss, and thus also miss the OHKO. Your plan in this matchup will be to get a Prize lead early, and then utilize your bulkiness to keep the Prize trade even. Gengar can also be a good attacker in this matchup, since it’s a non-Pokemon ex that can finish off any Pokemon they’ve attacked with. If you can, attack with it early as well; it can be a lot of fun to surprise them with a turn 1 KO against their Ralts. If you fall behind, you can try to use Path to the Peak + Iono to disrupt them, but since they have adequate draw with [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card], this can actually end up backfiring more often than not, especially if you’re in a close game. As such, I tend not to use this combo in this matchup unless I’m behind to the point that I’ll lose if I don’t get a turn of them not attacking. Overall, this matchup is positive.

Vs. Chien-Pao ex / Baxcalibur

This matchup is naturally going to be tricky, as it is for all of these tanky ex decks. Your best bet is to trade OHKOs with them, then disrupt them late with Path to the Peak and Iono and force them to be able to find all six Water Energy they need to OHKO your Tyranitar ex. If they don’t put enough [card name=”Frigibax” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] into play, you can also target their [card name=”Baxcalibur” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and KO it; this effectively gives you an extra turn for each turn they can’t get it back into play. If you are going second, also make sure to get your [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] into play, otherwise you’ll likely get punished by [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card]’s Moonlight Shuriken. If the opponent uses [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] for whatever reason, keep in mind that you can OHKO it with a single Fighting Energy and a [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card], since it is weak to Lightning-type Pokemon. This matchup tends to be a bit of a tossup, with the edge going to the Chien-Pao player.

Vs. Charizard ex

Charizard ex can’t OHKO Tyranitar ex in most cases; the only exception is if you are at one Prize and the Charizard ex has either a [card name=”Defiance Band” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] or a [card name=”Vitality Band” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card]. How I like to approach this matchup is to trade a 2HKO with the first Charizard ex, then target their Arceus VSTAR and Pidgeot ex to take my remaining Prizes. They won’t be able to take a return KO against either of your Pokemon until you are down to two Prizes, so it’s an easy enough route to victory. Be careful about Knocking Out any of their single-Prize Pokemon, as that turns the math against you and gives them an earlier opportunity to KO your Pidgeot ex and Arceus VSTAR, not to mention your Tyranitar ex itself. It can still be a good idea to do so depending on the situation, but you’ll want to make sure taking that KO is worth the extra risk that you’ll be taking on by allowing them to do that extra 30 damage. If they don’t play either Pidgeot ex or Arceus VSTAR, then the match will turn into a straightforward 2HKO battle. Be prepared for them to try to buy a turn by using Radiant Charizard, and keep in mind that you can do the same by finishing off a damaged Charizard ex with Gengar. Another thing to keep in mind during this matchup is that Charizard ex decks don’t tend to play a lot of switching cards, and instead utilize Infernal Reign to get the Energy to move from one Pokemon to another. You can take advantage of this with Galarian Zapdos’s Zapper Kick, though do be aware that this doesn’t actually put Charizard ex into OHKO range — it simply buys you a turn in an emergency. Overall, this is another positive matchup.

More Than a Cute Cat: Meowscarada ex

This deck is quite different from Tyranitar ex in how it attacks; rather than a bunch of direct damage, [card name=”Meowscarada ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] spreads everything out. Of the existing decks in the format, [card name=”Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX” set=”Battle Styles” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Inteleon VMAX” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] is the closest to this one in terms of playstyle. Like that deck, you have tricks in here like [card name=”Medicham V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Radiant Alakazam” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card]. However, if you do want to go the direct damage route, this deck can do that too. Scratching Nails gets Pokemon VSTARs into easy KO range, and can OHKO basic Pokemon Vs. Thanks to its typing, Scratching Nails is also one of the few attacks capable of OHKOing a Charizard ex, which makes that matchup a lot easier. As a former [card name=”Greninja” set=”XY” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] player, Meowscarada was a card that I was naturally drawn to, so I am happy to see it come together well. Here is the list:

[decklist name=”Meowscarada ex” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″][pokemon amt=”18″]4x [card name=”Meowscarada ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”15″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Floragato” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”14″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Sprigatito” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”13″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Pidgey” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Arceus V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Medicham V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”83″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Alakazam” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”59″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]3x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Colress’s Experiment” set=”Lost Origin” no=”155″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Boss’s Orders (Ghetsis)” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lady” set=”Lost Origin” no=”159″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”181″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Superior Energy Retrieval” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”189″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Mesagoza” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Artazon” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]6x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Meowscarada ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”256″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Once again, a similar Pokemon line, with the new additions this time being Radiant Alakazam and Medicham V. Radiant Alakazam is important in that it lets you move damage counters to the Active Spot Pokemon so that you get the bonus damage from Scratching Nails. It also lets you set up Knock Outs easier, as it does in Rapid Strike decks. Medicham V also functions in the same way as when you use it in a Rapid Strike deck, in that it gives you an extra turn to get damage on the field with Bouquet Magic, and can thus be used to facilitate some strong four Prize turns. In this list, I do have four Meowscarada ex, not three; because it is important to get multiple Meowscarada into play as soon as possible, I like the higher count in this deck.

For the Trainer cards, I’ve included a higher count of Supporters in this list, since we have a slightly higher number of cards that we want to have each turn. In addition to the [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] and Iono, I’ve included [card name=”Colress’s Experiment” set=”Lost Origin” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] and a copy of [card name=”Lady” set=”Lost Origin” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card]. The Colress’s Experiment is a nice draw card for when we have something in our hand that we don’t want to get rid of, such as [card name=”Superior Energy Retrieval” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card]. Lady gets us to our Energy faster, and is great in games where you just can’t seem to find those initial Grass Energy to get things going. The rest of the Trainer counts are mostly the same as in the other Stage 2 lists. As for the Energy, this time I’ve included four [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card], since Meowscarada ex and Medicham V have attack costs of two Colorless Energy. The inclusion of DTE also potentially allows you to attack with Arceus VSTAR, which can be useful in some games.

Deck Strategy

When playing this deck, your goal is to get Pidgeot ex, evolve multiple Meowscarada ex, and to start to set up KOs with Bouquet Magic. Like with [card name=”Tyranitar ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], your goal early is to simply find your Basic Pokemon, and get in a position to evolve a bunch of them. The more Meowscarada ex you can get into play, the more damage you can do over time. I like to put my first Energy attachment onto Arceus V, so that I can attack with it later. While this deck doesn’t get any benefit from Trinity Nova’s Energy Acceleration, it still can be nice to attack with. In this case, the reasoning is that if you are attacking with Arceus VSTAR, it means that you’re doing damage without putting your Meowscarada ex at risk.

Once you’re set up, then you’ll want to start planning ahead, and figuring out how you’ll be taking your six Prizes during the match. Depending on what you’re playing against, your path will vary. In some matchups, such as against Pokemon VSTARs, you’ll want to set up your opponent’s Pokemon so that you can effectively OHKO them, and then trade OHKOs for 2HKOs as you would with Tyranitar ex. In matchups where you already OHKO their Pokemon, you’ll want to figure out how you can get extra Prizes through Bouquet Magic; often this is done by damaging their weaker support Pokemon. In every case, you’ll want to consider Medicham V, and how the extra damage from that extra turn will help you get to your goal faster. For instance, instead of getting 60 damage on an Arceus VSTAR and taking a KO, you could move some of that damage off with Radiant Alakazam and leave it at 40 damage, and then leave it 20 damage short of a KO. Then, you could KO it with Medicham V instead, and effectively add 80 damage to your total on that turn. That’s enough to set up another Pokemon VSTAR for an additional Knock Out, or to KO a basic Pokemon if they have one. Practice certainly makes perfect in this regard; the more experience you have in setting up those plays, the easier you’ll be able to figure out that path to victory in future games.

Meowscarada ex’s Matchups

Vs. Giratina VSTAR Lost Box

[cardimg name=”Medicham V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”186″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Of these Stage 2 decks, this one is the strongest into Lost Box thanks to your Bouquet Magic and Medicham V shenanigans. [card name=”Comfey” set=”Lost Origin” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] gives you easy extra Prizes, and you still have the ability to take a OHKO on Giratina VSTAR if you set it up with Bouquet Magic. While Meowscarada ex may not have as much HP as the other Stage 2 Pokemon, it still has enough to where [card name=”Cramorant” set=”Lost Origin” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] can’t effectively threaten it. When you can, put damage on their [card name=”Giratina V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] with Bouquet Magic to bring it into OHKO range. Otherwise, I like to target their Comfey, so that they become easy targets for Yoga Loop. So long as you don’t get locked down by [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card], this is a fairly easy matchup.

Vs. Gardevoir ex

This deck’s playstyle also helps against [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], as you can easily get two KOs in a turn if they damage themselves too much — which they’ll need to do in order to OHKO your Meowscarada ex. If you can get damage on their [card name=”Ralts” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] early, you can get them past the point that they can actually attach enough Energy to get a OHKO, since Gardevoir needs six Psychic Energy + a [card name=”Reversal Energy” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card]. Even if they do get past that and get the KO through, you can still easily get double Knock Outs via Radiant Alakazam or [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] + Bouquet Magic. You can also commonly use Medicham V in those scenarios, which can end up leading to a triple-KO against their attacker, a Kirlia, and a target of your choice. If you can get any semblance of an early lead, those advantages can quickly get you to victory.

Vs. Chien-Pao ex / Baxcalibur

This matchup is again tricky, but beatable. You can trade OHKOs with Scratching Nails, though in this matchup, I prefer to target their [card name=”Baxcalibur” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] instead. With Bouquet Magic, you can make it so that you KO any [card name=”Frigibax” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] in the same turn that you KO the Baxcalibur; you can also try to set that up using Medicham V to eliminate both in one turn. [card name=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] can’t do anything without Baxcalibur in play, so if you can eliminate it from the field, you have an easy path to victory from that point onward. Ideally, you can then use Bouquet Magic to KO any Frigibax that hits the field. It can be a good idea to keep some extra damage on a different Pokemon if possible as well, so that Radiant Alakazam can add the extra 10 damage if the opponent has opted to play the 70-HP Frigibax. This matchup tends to be a positive one, though you do have to watch out for plays like the second turn Moonlight Shuriken from [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card].

Vs. Charizard ex

Against [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], Weakness is a key factor, as it lets you OHKO Charizard ex with Scratching Nails. The danger here is that if they play [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], they can get a OHKO in return; if they don’t, and play Radiant Greninja instead, then Charizard ex is a pretty easy matchup. If they do, then things can be much more difficult. You can still win in that case, but you’ll have to be able to set up repeated attackers so that you can effectively trade KOs with them. You’ll want to approach this matchup as if they do have Radiant Charizard; not much changes if they don’t, but your odds of winning do increase by a lot. As always, you’ll want to set up your field as fast as you can. If you go first, and are able to set up multiple Meowscarada ex on turn 2, then you can get into an interesting situation depending on how well the opponent has been able to set up. If they only have one of either [card name=”Charmander” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Pidgey” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card], then you can KO that Pokemon with Bouquet Magic while also Knocking Out their Active Spot Pokemon, and thus cripple their setup, while taking a big lead at the same time. Alternatively, simply using Boss’s Orders to KO a Pokemon can be effective. Of course, if you can’t pull that play off, it’s still a good idea to take whatever KO you can. Unlike most decks. Meowscarada ex has solid control over how and when it takes Prizes, so you can take any early KOs without too much fear of accidentally giving the Charizard ex player an advantage.

Pidgeot ex in the Future

As more Stage 2 Pokemon ex get released, there will be more decks thay can potentially use this sort of Pidgeot ex engine. In 151, Blastoise ex is one to look out for; that is one of my favorite decks to play at the moment, both because Blastoise is my favorite Pokemon, and because the deck is pretty solid! Puns aside, I’ll be looking forward to continuing to build around the Pidgeot ex engine in the future. Alakazam ex, Garchomp ex, and Skeledirge ex all seem intriguing — and that’s just what we’ve seen so far! As more viable Stage 2 Pokemon come out, we’ll also likely see a shift in the meta as a whole, which may end up favoring decks like Chien-Pao ex which can OHKO those high-HP Pokemon ex. In any case, I’m quite happy with the Stage 2 — Pidgeot ex core that has developed, and I’m excited to continue using it as time goes on.

With that, we have come to the end of this article, but once again, if you have any questions about the decks, or anything else Pokemon, definitely be sure to ask away, either here, or to all of us in the PTCG Subscriber’s Hideout! As always, best of luck to everyone, and stay safe!

Thanks for reading!

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