Through the Fire and Flames — Charizard ex in the Paradox Rift Format
Hello PokeBeach readers! Isaiah here and I am happy to be writing another article for you all. Last time, I discussed some of my favorite decks that feature single-Prize Pokemon, more specifically [card name=”Lunatone” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Regigigas” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Zoroark” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card]. In the time since that article has gone up, these decks have not exactly seen much success, but there also have not been many events since then. Shortly before that article was posted, however, there was a Regional Championship in Gdańsk, Poland, and another in Brisbane, Australia. None of my aforementioned decks did well in those events either, but there were w few unexpected results…
[cardimg name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
One of the biggest standouts was certainly the fact that [card name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] won in Gdańsk. While many players, myself included, expected this deck to do well in this format, especially after its Top 8 finish at the Latin America International Championship, I think a Regional Championship win so soon was certainly unexpected. After that event, I am unsure of what to expect for the future of the format; a lot of people have started talking about [card name=”Minior” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] as a potential answer for an otherwise difficult matchup in decks like [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], and other players have maintained that the deck is not worth teching for, saying that the matchup is fine for most of the top decks (see fellow writer Grant Manley’s recent article on this topic). I currently am more in the camp of being unwilling to commit a card like Minior, but instead, I would consider playing a [card name=”Professor Turo’s Scenario” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] in [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] to make the matchup a little better without sticking myself with a mostly useless card in other matchups. For those who remember it, I feel like Minior is comparable to [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”name”][/card] back in 2018ish as a counter for [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] where the card will be used to counter a deck if it is expected to do well and/or recently did well, but a lot of the time the best players will understand that the deck is such a small percentage of the meta anyway that it probably is not worth including a hard counter to it.
Another deck that did surprisingly well at the Gdańsk and Brisbane Regional Championships despite its mediocre run at the Latin America International Championship was [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]. Charizard ex managed to get second at not one but BOTH of the Regional Championships and put up numerous other high-level finishes at both events, amassing five total Top 8 finishes at those two events, which was more than any other archetype. These results are, for lack of a better way of putting it, quite remarkable, and I think it is a testament to the fact that the deck is still quite good going forward. In fact, I would say that the deck is, without question, one of the best decks in Standard right now, notably falling behind Miraidon ex, but that deck is a good matchup for Charizard ex which is a nice perk. In this article, I am going to explain why I think that Charizard ex is so well positioned right now and then I am also going to dive into my current Charizard ex deck list.
Without further ado, how about we start by taking a look at Charizard ex’s position in the metagame?
Why Do I Think Charizard ex is So Good?
To best understand why I think Charizard ex is a great deck right now, we must first start by examining what makes the deck good individually before further examining its matchups. In my opinion, if you took every single deck in Standard and listed out its pros and cons without acknowledging their matchups, Charizard ex would easily be one of the best decks in Standard, if not the single best deck. This deck has a lot going for it. Infernal Reign is one of the most powerful Energy acceleration Abilities ever printed, Burning Darkness is an extremely powerful attack with a damage ceiling of 330 in the most favorable circumstances for only two Energy, and [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card]’s Quick Search is the perfect Ability to tie together all of the deck’s powerful plays and tech cards. These strengths in addition to getting access to other generically powerful cards such as [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lost City” set=”Lost Origin” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card], and more make this deck’s raw strength nearly unmatched.
[cardimg name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”223″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
These strengths, of course, are not the only thing that is a factor in this deck’s success. After all, a great deck with bad matchups is bound to not do well. Charizard ex, however, also has strong matchups pretty much across the board. As I mentioned previously, one of the deck’s stand-out best matchups is certainly Miraidon ex. Even though the Miraidon ex player will almost always take a lead, they struggle to take a one-hit Knock Out on one Charizard ex, let alone a second if it comes to that. Radiant Charizard is also problematic for Miraidon ex since it can take one-hit Knock Outs on every single Pokemon that Miraidon ex plays (as long as there is not a [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] attached). This coupled with [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] to keep it extremely difficult for the opponent to string together any sort of a series of consecutive Knock Outs is what makes the matchups so good. In fact, their only realistic ways of winning are either them drawing perfectly and never missing an [card name=”Electric Generator” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card] for two, or you not drawing outs to [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] if they put it in play. Charizard ex is also strong against [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card], as one would expect — it’s simply too big for them to deal with and, at best, they can initiate a two-for-three exchange that they should lose anyway because Charizard ex only needs two attacks to win and Mew VMAX needs three. This matchup is so bad for Mew VMAX (or at least the [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card] version) that a lot of them have even started to play [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”168″ c=”name”][/card] to try and make it a little more playable.
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Even the deck’s most mediocre matchups are still fine. Matchups like [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] are hard matchups, but Radiant Charizard can swing it sometimes, and if you can take a Knock Out on a Pokemon ex before the opponent can take two Prize cards, the matchup is still easily winnable as you will still win a two-for-two trade. Even if they do get that massive jump on you, you can offset the Prize card exchange with the aforementioned Radiant Charizard or even a [card name=”Charmander” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card].
Another difficult matchup can be [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. This matchup is certainly one of the hardest matchups for [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], but even then it is doable. You will typically get ahead by a Prize card or even two and if you can Knock Out a Gardevoir ex at some point the matchup starts to come together. If you feel like this matchup is proving to be a bit too difficult, the addition of [card name=”Vengeful Punch” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] can make the matchup feel a little bit better. I am still unsure if I want this card in my deck list or not, but I think that it may end up in my deck list eventually. Another troubling matchup in the past has been Lost Zone decks, especially [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card], but now that [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] exists, this matchup almost feels easy.
I think that my arguments about this deck should have made it abundantly clear that Charizard ex is, at minimum, a Tier 1 deck. With all of its strengths and so few weaknesses, Charizard ex is truly in a position where it feels almost unstoppable in a way in the current format, only being held back by the limitation of 60 cards so you cannot fit techs for every single matchup. With this in mind, how about we take a look at my current deck list?
Charizard ex / Pidgeot ex Deck List
[cardimg name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”225″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
After countless hours of testing different versions of the deck, both with [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] and with [card name=”Bibarel” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], I have found that the Pidgeot ex version is way better. It honestly is not even remotely close. Many players thought that Paradox Rift would change the landscape of Charizard ex decks forever, both with some of the new tech cards and the shift to the [card name=”Technical Machine: Evolution” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] build, but in reality, the Technical Machine: Evolution build was extremely underwhelming. Bibarel could hardly draw any number of cards, let alone any useful ones. The deck’s combos can never string together, turn-two attacks are non-existent, and the deck becomes exceedingly mediocre and barely worth playing.
The Pidgeot ex build is the definition of “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.” Turn-two Pidgeot ex plus a Charizard ex is still one of the most powerful turn-twos that the format. You can present two major threats in the form of either unlimited access to whatever card you want or an extremely potent attacker. My current build is straightforward, opting for minimal techs for any matchups, focusing on consistency, which is generally a deck-building approach that I take more when the format is more unknown and I am not preparing for a specific metagame.
The Deck List
[decklist name=”charizard” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Jirachi” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”126″][pokemon amt=”18″]3x [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Charmeleon” set=”151″ no=”5″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Charmander” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”26″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Charmander” set=”151″ no=”4″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Pidgey” set=”151″ no=”16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pidgeot V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Celebrations” no=”11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”126″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]4x [card name=”Arven” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”186″ 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=”Professor’s Research” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”181″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”160″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”188″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Defiance Band” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Artazon” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]8x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Thought Process Behind the List
Charizard ex Line
The [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] themselves are pretty straightforward; the card is fairly easy to find thanks to [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] and you only need to find one per turn in most cases. Not only that, but you can only have three Charizard ex Knocked Out per game, so it is not like you can use a fourth anyway. The more interesting aspect of the Charizard ex line is the Charmeleon and Charmander. I am currently playing the [card name=”Charmeleon” set=”151″ no=”5″ c=”name”][/card] from 151 because it has 100 HP, but as [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] becomes a less prevalent attacker, I could see a shift to the [card name=”Charmeleon” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”27″ c=”name”][/card] from Obsidian Flames because doing 70 damage is extremely valuable. The 90 HP one also could be more useful if I were to consider playing a [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Battle Styles” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card], but I do not expect to be doing that anytime soon. Charmander are much more complex. I am extremely adamant about playing the [card name=”Charmander” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] from Obsidian Flames because Heat Tackle is such a powerful and efficient attack for when you need to use Charmander to attack. The next one that I like the most is the promo one that was released around the time of 151. I currently do not have it in the list in this article, but I have it in my in-person list (which is the same otherwise). Its Ember attack doing 40 damage is valuable because it can Knock Out a [card name=”Gardevoir” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] with 100 damage on it, which is something that the other non-[card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] attackers cannot do very well. Finally, the [card name=”Charmander” set=”151″ no=”4″ c=”name”][/card] from 151 is one of the more underwhelming Charmander options when it comes to offense, but Blazing Destruction discarding a Stadium card for only one Energy provides a great answer for [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] if the opponent has shut you out of the game with it.
Pidgeot V
[cardimg name=”Pidgeot V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”188″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
There is a bit of conflict about whether or not it is worth playing [card name=”Pidgeot V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck when other useful Pokemon V exist, but I believe that Pidgeot V is essential in this deck. While it is not a formidable attacker like [card name=”Entei V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] is, for example, it does have a usable attack, but that’s also not its main purpose; it is the easiest Pokemon V to remove from your board, as it can do it on its own. This is extremely important as it allows you to better mitigate the number of multi-Prize Pokemon that you have in play at any given point in the game, giving you better control over how the opponent can take their Prize cards. This is significant in matchups like [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] where you need to avoid giving them three two-Prize Pokemon in a row if possible, but you may need to use [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] to set up.
It’s also a zero-cost Pokemon to put on the Bench most of the time since it can remove itself from play at a moment’s notice. This is especially good on the first turn where you can play around a [card name=”Judge” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card] by giving yourself instant access to a combo piece or Supporter card even after the Judge and then you can immediately shuffle it back into the deck once you use it. Additionally, if it’s later in the game and you still have not used your VSTAR Power but you also need to bench a specific non-V Pokemon that turn, you can bench a Pidgeot V, use Star Alchemy, and then free up the Bench space again. The card’s utility is nearly unmatched and I think that it is essential to any good Charizard ex deck list.
On the note of Pokemon V, though, is [card name=”Rotom V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card], which I have not experimented with yet. In theory, though, it seems like a powerful draw card early on to maximize the odds of a great turn two, but it also does not directly help with some of the deck’s problems, so I am hesitant to put it into my deck list.
One Professor’s Research
I honestly wish I played more [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Shining Fates” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], but at the same time, you usually do not need it much more than once per game. More often than not, Professor’s Research is the bail-out Supporter in this deck, offering a way out of weak hands as long as you draw into a way to find it, such as an [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”name”][/card] to find [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s also a way to thin out some of the deck’s weaker cards if you get stuck with a mediocre hand. The card is simply the best draw Supporter in the game, and playing at least one copy of it is never a bad idea unless it absolutely does not work with how your deck functions.
Defiance Band
There has been a long-standing argument about whether it is better to play [card name=”Defiance Band” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Vitality Band” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] in Charizard ex decks. While I have always been adamant that Defiance Band is better, I do think that the argument in favor of Defiance Band is much stronger now. There are plenty of decks in the format with 230 HP Pokemon ex, such as [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card], that can take a Prize card but you cannot respond to them with a Charizard ex with a Vitality Band, however, a Defiance Band pushes you over that edge just enough that it is worth playing. Not only that, but as always, Defiance Band allows [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] to reach 280 damage, a number that is critical in a world full of Pidgeot ex, [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card], and other VSTAR Pokemon.
Boss’s Orders and Counter Catcher
[cardimg name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”120″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I should not have to explain why [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] are good since their effects are clearly the best in the game, but I did want to touch on why I play the split that I do. One of the biggest strengths of the [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] archetype is that it can easily find Boss’s Orders whenever it wants to and play it on several turns in a row, decimating threats or hunting down multiple multi-Prize Pokemon in a row. Naturally, a heavy Boss’s Orders count lends itself to this strategy, opening up the ability to still play two copies of it in a game where you have one in the Prize cards. For the cases where you need even more, there would be an argument for a fourth Boss’s Orders, which is not unheard of, but it also is unnecessary when a card like Counter Catcher exists.
There is a good chance that this deck falls behind, especially in the early game, and Counter Catcher is the perfect card for these situations, especially since a lot of the time when this deck is behind in Prize cards, it is still in a favorable position to win the game. Imagine a position where your opponent has three Prizes remaining and you have four; because you play no Pokemon VMAX, the opponent can’t (typically) take three Prize cards in one attack, so you can play Counter Catcher on that turn, drag up what you want to Knock Out, and you win the game next turn. In the meantime, the opponent is still two attacks away from winning the game, so you are extremely likely to win on the next turn. Counter Catcher can also, importantly, be found with [card name=”Arven” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card], which is great if the opponent puts you to a small hand with [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] after Knocking Out or shutting off your [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card].
Summary
As we move through the Paradox Rift format, the format will start to settle in on the best few decks, which are sure to include both [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]. Both of these decks are so powerful when compared to the rest of the card pool and remarkably consistent too. The reason I have given Charizard ex a sort of edge, though, is because the deck is favored against the other best deck in the format, and I think that this trait alone could even end up being the push necessary to consider this deck the best deck in the format.
With that, this article draws to a close. As always, I hope you enjoyed giving this article a read. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out in the Subscriber’s Hideout, on X/Twitter (@ICheville), or on Facebook (Zaya Lee).
Until next time!
– Isaiah
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