The King of Post Rotation – Charizard / Pidgeot
Rotation is right around the corner, so it’s time to start talking about decks for the next format. We are going to start things off with a banger. [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] is the best deck in the format and it stomps just about everything. I’ve been testing this deck for awhile, and it is an absolute monster. The deck works similarly as it did pre-rotation, and the list maintains the same structure. There are very few things in the format that can actually deal with Charizard. [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”213″ c=”name”][/card] rotates out, and there aren’t any good Grass-type Pokemon attackers.
[cardimg name=”Charizard ex ” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”234″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Lots of people are hyping the [card name=”Bibarel” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] version of Charizard ex, but just like before, I think the Pidgeot ex version is superior. The Bibarel build is definitely good, but Pidgeot has several advantages. With no more Path to the Peak, Pidgeot is more powerful than before, as its Ability will always be live. Pidgeot works better with the [card name=”Arven” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] engine, as you have an easier time playing [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”256″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] (along with [card name=”Rotom V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]). This makes the deck more consistent than the Bibarel version. And of course, Pidgeot’s Ability is just better than Bibarel’s. With Quick Search, you will always have those [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”269″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] plays on the turn you want them, and you can easily chain multiple Charizard ex.
The Bibarel version does have some advantages. It does not rely on two-Prize support Pokemon, so it does not have liabilities in play. Because of this, it can better leverage [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] and force the opponent to odd Prizes. Bibarel also recovers better from its engine being KO’d. A Bibarel being KO’d is no big deal because you will usually have a second one in play, and they are easier to set up. Pidgeot being KO’d is usually… pretty bad, but it’s a lot harder for opponents to do. After playing various lists for both the Bibarel and Pidgeot versions, the Pidgeot version is far more consistent, and it can pull off power plays and combos more often. The Bibarel version has more dead opening hands and can’t recover as well from those kinds of starts.
A big reason why Charizard ex in general is so good is because it loses very little from the rotation, while everything else loses a lot. Although [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Poffin” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] can’t find Rotom V, it is still a huge upgrade to [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”name”][/card]. Being able to search out those Basic Pokemon on any turn, and not just turn 1, does wonders for the deck’s consistency throughout the game. It also makes the [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] play so much easier. Charizard got strictly better after the rotation thanks to this card, whereas most other decks got worse. Charizard’s only real loss is [card name=”Mew” set=”Celebrations” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card], which was a helpful consistency piece. However, the deck does just fine without it. Since Mew was often used to help against disruption such as Path to the Peak, its absence isn’t felt too hard because Path is also gone. The loss of [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Battle Styles” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] is a slight annoyance to Charizard, but its impact is not felt. Buddy-Buddy Poffin makes up for this somewhat. Although Poffin doesn’t find [card name=”Charmeleon” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], which was Level Ball’s main benefit, it does find the Basic Pokemon that Level Ball was often used to get anyway.
Here is my current list. If I was playing in a tournament for this format right now, I would send this list with zero hesitation.
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Charizard ex / Pidgeot ex Deck List
[decklist name=”charpidg” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″][pokemon amt=”15″]3x [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Charmeleon ” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”8″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Charmander” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”26″ 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=”151″ no=”16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rotom V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”39″]4x [card name=”Arven” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Boss’s Orders (Ghetsis)” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball ” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rare Candy ” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Poffin” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”181″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”188″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”160″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Maximum Belt” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”176″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”6″]6x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”153″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
There is a lot to discuss about this list. First off, I streamlined everything as much as possible. It probably looks like I went way overkill on the consistency cards. We can’t forget that this deck is actually rather high-maintenance, as it requires two Stage 2 Pokemon on the initial setup as well as extensive upkeep throughout the game. Furthermore, the deck is ridiculously strong. I am confident that I can beat everything when I am able to draw what I need, so my only concern is always drawing well. By maximizing all of the consistency cards, I am setting up quickly nearly every game. This gives [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”223″ c=”name”][/card] a huge advantage because most decks simply cannot go toe-to-toe with it.
That said, there is a lot of space in this deck, which is somewhat of a rarity. There is certainly room to play tech cards like [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Switch” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”194″ c=”name”][/card]. I haven’t found them to be necessary, but depending on how the meta develops, you certainly could add some tech cards in this deck. They aren’t bad, but I am favoring the turbo-consistency build at the moment.
The Paldean Fates Charmeleon is the obvious choice because of its insane Ability. We don’t play [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card], so this extra defense against [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] is actually quite useful. The reason why we don’t play Jirachi is because you already beat Lost Zone decks. Of course, Jirachi would definitely increase your win rate against those decks, but I don’t think this deck actually needs the help. It’s worth noting that the Heat Tackle [card name=”Charmeleon” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”27″ c=”name”][/card] would actually give you a chance to beat [card name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] Stall if you also played a copy of [card name=”Lost City” set=”Lost Origin” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card].
Without [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”213″ c=”name”][/card] in the format, there is basically no reason to play the Steady Firebreathing [card name=”Charmander” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card]. The Heat Tackle [card name=”Charmander” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] is definitely the best one, but there is an argument to be made to include the Promo one simply for some versatility.
The addition of [card name=”Rotom V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] is even better than pre-rotation because of the lack of Path to the Peak and [card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] in the meta. We’ve maximized the count of [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”255″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], we can still find it consistently, even without Battle VIP Pass. Rotom’s draw power and access to [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] are invaluable to the consistency of the deck. [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t always used, but it salvages some starting hands by letting you pop off with just an Ultra Ball and nothing else. Lumineon also gives the deck some stability if your [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”225″ c=”name”][/card] gets KO’d, as you can still use Luminous Sign and Forest Seal Stone to close out games even without Quick Search. [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], as always, protects our Bench against [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] while we are setting up.
I’ve added a fourth copy of [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”269″ c=”name”][/card] for consistency, mostly because I can. Iono spam remains extremely important in the post-rotation format, and it works well with [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] by allowing you to gust and disrupt at the same time. Iono is also a decent option on turn 1 or turn 2 if you don’t happen to have [card name=”Arven” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”249″ c=”name”][/card]. We play three copies of [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] and two copies of Counter Catcher because this deck needs to spam gust in order to efficiently use Charizard’s attack. Because this deck can easily use Boss’s Orders and Counter Catcher, we can then afford to play an ACE SPEC other than [card name=”Prime Catcher” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card]. Although Prime Catcher is the best ACE SPEC, and this deck does like to gust, the other ACE SPEC cards have more unique properties that allow them to fulfill a role that is otherwise unattainable.
I play [card name=”Maximum Belt” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] primarily because it is extremely strong against other Charizard ex decks. It also has great utility against most other Pokemon ex such as [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”248″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Gholdengo ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Hero’s Cape” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] is a very tempting option, but it makes you weaker in mirror matches. Hero’s Cape is nearly useless against Charizard ex because they play [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”217″ c=”name”][/card], and you also have to eat the opportunity cost of not having Maximum Belt. It’s a bitter pill to swallow.
There are four copies of Nest Ball for overall consistency, and because I always want that Rotom V on turn 1. Four copies of [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Poffin” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] and Ultra Ball are auto-includes as they are the main cards that make the deck function.
I’ve reverted back to two copies of [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”188″ c=”name”][/card] and six copies of Fire Energy. The reason for this is the relative lack of Basic Pokemon in the deck combined with the need to use [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Lost Origin” no=”215″ c=”name”][/card]. Buddy-Buddy Poffin ensures that you can easily fill your Bench, but that’s only if you have enough Pokemon in your deck. Collapsed Stadium is highly impactful. I’ve found that most games that Charizard lost were because of snipes on your liability Pokemon, so I added a second Collapsed Stadium to more consistently avoid that situation. Although Super Rod is still recovering mostly Energy, you will occasionally need a Pokemon or two to fill your Bench. You will need the seventh copy of Fire Energy in the deck less often compared to pre-rotation because you aren’t retreating in and out of Mew. There is also no Radiant Charizard in this list, so there’s no burning need for a seventh Fire Energy or a Switch.
Lost Vacuum is a card that has been surprisingly overperforming. I wasn’t so sure if this deck would need Lost Vacuum after Path to the Peak rotated, but it has been way more impactful than expected. Removing opposing ACE SPEC Tools, [card name=”Ancient Booster Energy Capsule” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Future Booster Energy Capsule” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card], HP Tools against [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”245″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Heavy Baton” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card] against Iron Hands ex, the list goes on. I would actually consider playing a second copy of Lost Vacuum due to how impactful it has been. Furthermore, Collapsed Stadium has proven to be a major part of some post-rotation matchups. Lost Vacuum clears an opposing Collapsed Stadium so that you can play yours. You can even use your own Collapsed Stadium twice in case you had one of those awkward games with both Rotom V and Lumineon V on board, but realistically it’s difficult to pull that off.
One quirky inclusion is [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”211″ c=”name”][/card]. It is primarily intended as a [card name=”Alolan Vulpix VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] counter. I don’t think the Vulpix deck is good or will be very popular, but it did get second place at Japan’s Champions League. Choice Belt makes Alolan Vulpix fairly easy to defeat so long as you play around it correctly. Aside from that, Choice Belt makes some funny numbers with [card name=”Charmander” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] and Charmeleon in some spots. If you aren’t respecting Vulpix though, [card name=”Vitality Band” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”197″ c=”name”][/card] is just better. [card name=”Defiance Band” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] is another consideration that I have not tested quite as much, but it bothers me how situational the card is. I prefer the consistency of Choice Belt and Vitality Band. Another thing to note is that Maximum Belt gives you the damage modifier against Pokemon ex, which mitigates Choice Belt’s downside of not working against them.
Finally, there is a [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card]. The reasons for playing it are the same as some of the other cards. I want my Rotom V, and I want to be able to fill my Bench for Collapsed Stadium. You’ll also need it when you Prize [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG06″ c=”name”][/card] against Radiant Greninja decks.
The cards that I did not include, such as Radiant Charizard and Jirachi, definitely aren’t bad. I don’t feel that they are needed, but they may end up coming back in depending on the meta. For example, if people start playing [card name=”Technical Machine: Devolution” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”177″ c=”name”][/card] again, I would probably add Radiant Charizard. Again, I just prefer the consistency for now. This deck is absurd.
However, the one card that I am most interested in is [card name=”Lost City” set=”Lost Origin” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card]. At first glance, Lost City is just a tech for Lost Box, which I have gone on record saying is already favored for Charizard. That said, with no techs for the matchup, you can theoretically lose, and Lost City makes it a slam-dunk. But if you’re going to tech for Lost Box, Jirachi would just be better. In comes Snorlax Stall. Not only is Jirachi useless against Snorlax, but it is a game-losing liability. With fewer Basic Pokemon than before, Charizard can avoid a trap situation against Snorlax. The biggest issue is [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”37″ c=”name”][/card], but if you take it out with Lost City, you can safely evolve into Charizard and easily sweep the rest of the game. I would have to test this matchup some more to see if this line is actually playable. It’s also worth noting that [card name=”Echoing Horn” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] no longer exists, so your Pokemon are safe in the discard pile unless the Stall player plays [card name=”Mantine” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card].
Matchups
Mirror – Even
Take the two-Prize snipes whenever you can. Use [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Lost Origin” no=”215″ c=”name”][/card] to avoid giving your opponent those opportunities, and you can also use Collapsed Stadium to block them from using their copy of the same Stadium, as well as [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”217″ c=”name”][/card] to play a second Collapsed Stadium if you need to. [card name=”Maximum Belt” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] is usually used to KO a [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”223″ c=”name”][/card] for your final two Prizes, but if you have a golden opportunity to KO [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”225″ c=”name”][/card] early with it, then that could be correct as well. You don’t have a consistent way to force your opponent to one Prize, so keep in mind that you may never be able to one-shot an opposing Charizard without access to your Maximum Belt.
Against the [card name=”Bibarel” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG25″ c=”name”][/card] version, try to take a fast single-Prize KO. If you get stuck two-shotting Charizard ex, they will stick you onto one Prize with their [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] later (which can then lead to their Charizard hitting for 330 damage). Attacking into Charizard is better than not attacking at all though, and you usually will have to two-shot one Charizard at some point anyway. Sniping Bibarel is often a good play as well. Without Bibarel, they sometimes just can’t do anything (such as find crucial gusts). Against Bibarel, you are more at risk of their damaged Charizard getting removed via Collapsed Stadium. This isn’t as much of a concern against the Pidgeot ex version because there are usually other two-Prize targets on the board anyway. At the end of the day, both versions are 50-50 matchups.
Lost Box – Favorable
This is one of the few matchups where you don’t use Collapsed Stadium as much. It can be useful, but you don’t want to fill your Bench with liabilities that can be sniped off by [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card]. You should almost always be able to play around any potential two-Prize plays from Sableye, such as not playing down two [card name=”Charmander” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] at a time in the mid- or late-game. The name of the game for this matchup is [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”269″ c=”name”][/card] spam, as they will eventually whiff a combo off hand disruption, and then you win. Lost Vacuum is good against [card name=”Rescue Board” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card] to make your Iono even more effective.
Lugia – Slightly Favorable
[cardimg name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”211″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
KO [card name=”Archeops” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] as soon as possible. If they get a huge [card name=”Cinccino” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] before you get a chance to KO Archeops, you usually have to KO that first. But if they only have a [card name=”Minccino” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] or Cinccino on the Bench with a few Energy, KO Archeops first and let them get that Cinccino KO. If they commit to that big KO, KO that Cinccino back and then they only have one Archeops and you win. Try to avoid two-shotting a [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”211″ c=”name”][/card]. You can come back to it later with a one-shot. Of course, swinging into a Lugia is better than not attacking at all. Sometimes you have to punch a Lugia as your first attack, which is fine.
Sniping [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] is great, but the first Archeops is a bigger priority. Collapsed Stadium is strong, as they want that KO on your [card name=”Rotom V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”177″ c=”name”][/card]. If you deny that, they will have trouble picking up all six Prizes. If they ever play a second two-Prize Pokemon, look for the 1-1-2-2 line; usually one-shot Archeops, one-shot Cinccino, snipe a two-Prize Pokemon, and one-shot the Lugia. Collapsed Stadium can be useful for blocking their copy of Collapsed Stadium, but don’t forget that Lugia VSTAR can remove it at-will with its attack, so it is very situational.
Turbo Iron Hands – Favorable
Starting with Rotom V is actually fine, as you want to deny that easy [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”244″ c=”name”][/card] KO. It is hard for them to get an immediate Amp KO on Rotom. If they go straight to four or even three Prize cards, you can one shot their [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”248″ c=”name”][/card] right away. Lost Vacuum is of the utmost importance in this matchup, as it removes the crucial [card name=”Heavy Baton” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card]. They will usually take the first Prize on a single-Prize Pokemon, so you want to respond with an immediate gust KO on [card name=”Iron Crown ex” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”216″ c=”name”][/card]. If they attack your Charizard ex while at five Prizes, you want to gust another Iron Crown for essentially checkmate. Also, if they ever punch your Charizard, retreat into a new one if you can. Try not to attack Iron Hands for less than a KO, going with the same logic as against Lugia.
Maximum Belt can allow you to get a surprise KO on Iron Hands, which is great if you can pull it off, alleviating the need for a gust right away. Maximum Belt may also be needed if they do not play down many Iron Crown ex at the beginning. KO’ing their Miraidon is mostly pointless, and it makes the [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] situation awkward for the rest of the game. They will appreciate being able to use their own Counter Catcher in more situations. It is often better to not attack at all rather than KO the Miraidon, but it really just depends on the situation.
The matchup in a nutshell is to go 2-2-2 as fast as possible, and try to make it difficult for them to take convenient Prize maps.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading! I encourage you to try out this broken deck as a starting point for the post-rotation format, and feel free to try out some of the possible tech cards.
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