It’s the BDIF For a Reason — Advanced Tips For Playing Charizard ex

As the Temporal Forces format began in the west, [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] was completely dominating. The deck was projected to be good, but it exceeded all expectations by winning at EUIC, Orlando, Perth, and São Paulo with several other strong finishes in addition to the victories. Charizard requires a bit of setup and doesn’t hit too hard in the early game, but the card is just too broken. Charizard has tons of HP, deals plenty of damage (especially in the late game), and is very difficult to counter. Grass-type decks are uncommon due to a lack of good attackers, and most Grass-type Pokemon trade evenly into Charizard at best. Ability lock is left high and dry after the rotation of [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card], so there is very little standing in Charizard’s way. Charizard is generally very powerful, and as a result it is able to stomp most random decks.

Since Charizard decks rely on Charizard ex to attack and only rarely attack with other Pokemon, it would lead one to think that the deck is simple and linear. However, the reality is that Charizard is a very intricate deck that can take various lines of play and run circles around opponents with its bag of tricks. It’s very difficult to out-trade Charizard is an evenly matched contest of firepower, and the few decks that can contend with it can be outmaneuvered with optimal play. However, it’s important to be able to see those maneuvers. I see just about everyone make frequent mistakes while playing this deck, and after countless hours of playing it, I wanted to share some things I picked up.

Attacking turn two is good, but not always needed. I’ve seen countless players forego their turn-two [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”221″ c=”name”][/card] either because they didn’t see it or because they chose to go with Charizard instead. This can sometimes be fine. For example, if you’re reasonably confident you can set up Pidgeot on the next turn anyway, you may as well take that Prize card this turn and not fall behind unnecessarily. However, Pidgeot ex is a ridiculously broken card that should usually be priority number one. Pidgeot enables you to do whatever you want — chain Charizard, disrupt at key moments, and set up big combos.

Stabilizing your board is the main goal, and you will naturally win once you’ve done this. A lone Charizard ex might be able to take a Prize card or two, but without Pidgeot or [card name=”Bibarel” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], you’re left with a fragile theme deck that can’t do what it’s supposed to. Charizard is a deck that excels at making comebacks. The deck gets stronger when it’s behind on Prize cards, so this should come as no surprise. In addition to Charizard’s damage, the deck gets help from [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”269″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Defiance Band” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card] when it’s “losing.” Going behind one or two Prize cards is no big deal if you’re able to fully set up your board.

[cardimg name=”Bibarel” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG25″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Bibarel is insane. Bibarel should always be at least a somewhat high priority. For a while, I didn’t realize just how strong this card was because it was always overshadowed by Pidgeot. However, the combination of the two is incredible. In the event something happens to Pidgeot, the deck can still somewhat function as a Charizard / Bibarel deck. It’s particularly important in the mirror match, where both players typically aim to take out each other’s Pidgeot. If one player has Bibarel and the other doesn’t, they just win.

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Attack efficiently. There are many instances where gusting around a two-Prize Pokemon to take one Prize is better than simply swinging for a two-shot. This is because Charizard’s damage ramps later in the game, so you might be able to one-shot that big guy later. If you hit for non-KO damage instead of taking a snipe KO, you’re often wasting that turn. This is, of course, highly dependent on the matchup and situation. Sometimes hitting for damage is fine, as you need to apply pressure and can’t always find a gust effect. Of course, gust-sniping a two-Prize Pokemon is the ideal scenario, but that play is fairly obvious most of the time. Basically, keep Charizard’s damage increments in mind and plan accordingly. If your opponent is likely to take a two-Prize KO, plan for an extra 60 damage next turn. If they have to take a one-Prize KO, you know you’ll be 30 damage stronger, and so on. This is a very important aspect of your Prize map. Early Heat Tackles may seem meaningless, but if you’re hitting something with high HP when you have nothing better to do, that 30 damage may become very relevant.

Utilize the single-Prize board. Thanks to [card name=”Professor Turo’s Scenario” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], it is very feasible to create a single-Prize board. For example, swinging with Radiant Charizard when your opponent is at two Prize cards is usually extremely effective. At worst, this gives you an extra turn and 250 damage. At best, you’re forcing your opponent down to one Prize, activating Iono-to-one, late-game Counter Catcher, and Burning Darkness for 330, which is great in the mirror. Bibarel makes this play even more appealing because you still have some sort of consistency engine even without Pidgeot in play.

Can you convert to a two-Prize board? In a similar way that Professor Turo’s Scenario allows you to flip to a single-Prize board, you can also go back to a two-Prize board. This play isn’t the most common, but it is absolutely devastating and game-winning when you can pull it off. Forcing opponents to one Prize makes them use more resources for essentially nothing, as they have to deal with the Radiant Charizard blowing things up. Once they’re down to one Prize, you can evolve two [card name=”Charmander” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Charmeleon” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”8″ c=”name”][/card], and often [card name=”Pidgey” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] as well, to create a two-Prize board. This requires quite a bit of planning and forethought, but oftentimes opponents won’t be able to deal with a Charizard ex quickly enough when they were planning on taking a single-Prize KO to close things out. On top of that, Charizard ex is now dealing 330 damage and putting them on a brutal timer. This play is most common against [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card], as their resources (mostly Energy cards) are directly tied to how they take KOs.

Collapsed Stadium has more uses than you think. Removing your own two-Prize Pokemon with Collapsed Stadium is common sense, and this is the most frequent play you’ll go for. In addition to that, Collapsed Stadium can be used offensively. If your opponent’s Bench isn’t full, it can be good to preemptively play Collapsed Stadium, since it softlocks their two-prize Pokemon into play by preventing them from playing their own Collapsed Stadium. This is can be utilized against any deck that plays Collapsed Stadium, increasing the chances that those two-Prize liabilities will be around for you to snipe later. You can also use this to stop other Pokemon from coming into play if they have four Pokemon on their Bench, which punishes opponents in some fringe scenarios. Collapsed Stadium is also very useful against [card name=”Baxcalibur” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] by bumping [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] and disrupting their Bench — Baxcalibur likes having all five spots. See if you can find other fun and interesting use cases for this tricky Stadium card!

Disruption wins games. Charizard is very linear in how it takes KOs. It basically no way to take multiple KOs at once (besides [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card]), so when it falls behind, it has to disrupt opponents in some way to come back. As a general rule of thumb, using Iono or Roxanne when your opponent has a large hand is never a bad idea. However, it’s also important to keep in mind that gusting is often the best form of disruption. For example, a common way to make comebacks against [card name=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] is to aggressively target Bibarel and then stick them with an Iono afterward. One of Charizard’s best traits is how consistently and aggressively it can use gust effects, so be sure you’re KOing the best target each turn! You have your pick of the litter almost all the time.

You’re allowed to use Radiant Charizard when they’re at four! Although Radiant Charizard takes three Energy to attack when your opponent is at four Prize cards, it is often the best option in that scenario. It forces your opponent to deal with it as fast as possible, as it’s currently your most powerful attacker. It’s particularly strong against Pokemon VSTAR, as it can one-shot them when Charizard ex cannot. Either way, your opponent KOs it and goes to three Prize cards, which is terrible for them. They could gust around it, but it’s exceedingly difficult for most decks to take two consecutive gust-KOs on your high-HP Pokemon in the back. Furthermore, you can usually convert to a one-Prize board if they attempt to do so.

[card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] are not insta-plays. Even in matchups where they’re typically useful, you want to evaluate the board to see if they’re necessary. For example, you might be able to set up Pidgeot and Charizard before your opponent is able to attack with [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card]’s Moonlight Shuriken. [card name=”Bidoof” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] is immune to Bench damage, and Charmeleon is immune to [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card]. As a rule of thumb, I prioritize grabbing Manaphy or Jirachi in spots where they would prevent a two-prize KO. If you don’t need them for this purpose, you can forego them. This requires precise knowledge of what your opponent’s deck is capable of. If you mindlessly slam Manaphy or Jirachi in a matchup they typically are strong in without situational awareness, you might be burning resources. At worst, they can become liabilities on the Bench.

[card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] is also insane. Lumineon effectively gives you your full setup if you only have one combo piece already in hand (Pidgeot, Charizard, [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card]). It does this by getting Arven, which gets [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] and either Rare Candy or Ultra Ball, which gets Pidgeot, which Quick Searches for your last piece. This is the most common way I get my turn-two setup, and I often see players look at their Iono and just play it when they could do this instead. The other main use for Lumineon is the late game. If I used Lumineon early, I will often [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”188″ c=”name”][/card] it back once it gets KO’d or Collapsed’d away. Lumineon gives you a very easy win condition, and it basically makes sure your deck is still good after your Pidgeot is KO’d. You may think Lumineon is too big of a liability, but since it’s singlehandedly turbocharging your start, giving your opponent those two Prizes is well worth it. It’s extremely powerful and often underutilized, so never forget about it!

Now, let’s talk about some specific matchups.

Vs. Charizard Mirror

[cardimg name=”Maximum Belt” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”154″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This matchup is a doozy and can go many different ways. Some major factors that influence your play are whether your opponent plays [card name=”Technical Machine: Devolution” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”177″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Maximum Belt” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card], as well as your current knowledge of their list. Most lists seem to trend towards the Tord / Liam build, playing neither of the aforementioned cards in favor of power and consistency. I personally think Devolution is not very good, but it’s still somewhat common. Against lists that play Devolution, you’re mostly trying to avoid losing to that card, and so you’re playing around it more carefully. Charmeleon and Bibarel are more important against those builds. Against Maximum Belt, you want to keep your Lost Vacuum around because you will commonly gust around the Belted Charizard while simultaneously removing the Maximum Belt as a threat. Going to three is less of an issue against that build because they will KO your Pidgeot when you go to four anyway.

However, in general, being the first to go to three Prize cards is bad. They will simply use Defiance Band and remove your Pidgeot if you do. Conversely, if your opponent goes to three, you can do the same to them. And, if you’re the one playing Maximum Belt, you can KO their Pidgeot when they’re at four. Taking out Bidoof or Bibarel as your first or second KO is a good idea, setting you up for later when you KO their Pidgeot. Heat Tackle is situationally good in this matchup. It KOs [card name=”Cleffa” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”202″ c=”name”][/card], and putting 30 on opposing Charmander is also quite good as it sets you up for later. Late-game Heat Tackle is also a good way to apply pressure and damage Charizard when you both end up at a two-to-two Prize stalemate, which can happen when the only two-Prize Pokemon on the board is Charizard. Going to one is generally bad because you’re letting their Charizard hit for 330, but it can be fine if you have only single-Prize Pokemon on the board.

Vs. Baxcalibur

If you take the first two Prizes, focus on maintaining an even Prize trade and you’ll win. Their only way to take the lead back is by taking two Prizes with one Radiant Greninja attack, so you’ll try to limit your single-Prize Pokemon on the board when possible. Otherwise, you can use Manaphy and hope they don’t hit the [card name=”Canceling Cologne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] play. If you start out behind, your only way to win will be via disruption. Usually you prioritize taking out Bibarel, as that will lead to a late-game Iono or Roxanne sticking. After all, Bibarel can get Baxcalibur, but Baxcalibur can’t get Bibarel. Depending on the resources they have left, such as whether they’ve discarded a Rare Candy, taking out Baxcalibur might be better. Taking out Baxcalibur is increasingly rarer with most lists playing [card name=”Cyllene” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] and some even having a fourth Rare Candy, though. Taking out their Chien-Pao for two Prizes might seem tempting, but if you’re down two Prizes at the start, that play won’t get you back ahead.

Lost Vacuum is actually very important, as you can stunt their start by removing PokeStop, and the same goes for Collapsed Stadium. Using Radiant Charizard when they’re at four is quite effective, as it forces an immediate [card name=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] play as well as a [card name=”Prime Catcher” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card] play back to back. Using Radiant Charizard at two is also great, forcing an Iron Bundle / Iron Hands play if you don’t have a two-Prize Pokemon or if they’ve already used Prime Catcher.

Vs. Giratina VSTAR

Try to get a second Pidgeot ready as well as Bibarel. [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] will try to take out your Pidgeot as soon as possible, and you want to spam Iono at them after that, as well as retain access to Radiant Charizard and Professor Turo’s Scenario. Try to hit their first Giratina for 180 as soon as possible. If they have another Giratina, hit that for 180 instead of KOing the first one. What happens when you immediately KO the first one is that their clean Giratina VSTAR takes four Prize cards completely unimpeded. Spreading the damage forces them to get two Giratina VSTAR and twice as many Energy for the same result, which is quite demanding. Using Heat Tackle at the beginning of the game to hit Giratina is useful as well, and is often the best option. Taking a one-Prize KO on turn two is completely fine as well, as it applies meaningful pressure and makes your Prize map easy to figure out. Evaluate when and if Manaphy and Jirachi are necessary based on what they do. Cleffa is sometimes necessary if they have [card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card], but it becomes a huge liability against Sableye later, especially if you don’t play Jirachi. Only use Cleffa if you have to. [card name=”Iron Leaves ex” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] is annoying, but there’s not much you can do about it. If they are setting up to close the game out with Iron Leaves, you can try to attack with Radiant Charizard when they’re at two.

Vs. Dragapult ex?

The new Dragapult ex in the upcoming Twilight Masquerade expansion is a concern for Charizard. Dragapult deals tons of spread damage and also packs Technical Machine: Devolution, making it a supremely annoying threat to Charizard. I’ve found that [card name=”Rabsca” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] is a sufficient counter, blocking both the spread damage and Devolution. This forces an instant Boss-KO. If they don’t have it, you just win. If they do, recovering [card name=”Rellor” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] forces them to target it with the spread damage. This does give them a Prize card, but it prevents meaningful disruption. Of course, this matchup is still contentious, but it’s far from the end of Charizard. This build of Charizard can also pack [card name=”Technical Machine: Evolution” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card], allowing for instant evolution into Rabsca. This is useful against any and all decks that snipe damage, and also gives you an additional turn-one option that has good synergy with Arven. At worst, TM: Evolution gives you a convenient way to set up Charmeleon and Bibarel at once!

That’s all for now! Thanks for reading!

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