The Infernal Reign of Charizard ex

Hello everyone! While [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] recently gained a big boost in power by including the [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] line from Shrouded Fable, it has still been struggling to make a big impact in the metagame thanks to the presence of [card name=”Regidrago VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card]. Even with the poor Regidrago VSTAR matchup, I have enjoyed playing Charizard ex in this format and have taken it to several League Cups where I have only lost to Regidrago VSTAR players. When playing these tournaments, I based my list initially off the one that Tord Reklev played at the World Championships — I included [card name=”Technical Machine: Evolution” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Thorton” set=”Lost Origin” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card] and the [card name=”Bibarel” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] line.

[cardimg name=”Charizard ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”234″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

I really like the inclusion of the Bibarel line in Charizard ex decks right now, even though it is currently very uncommon to include it. Being able to utilize single-Prize Pokemon is very important for this deck, so having a way to draw cards that happens to also be a single-Prize Pokemon allows you to remove your [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] from play, not give up the two Prize cards, and still retain some draw power for if you get hit with an [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card]. I did play Technical Machine: Evolution at my first few League Cups, but later removed it in favor of the [card name=”Rotom V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] engine. Technical Machine: Evolution was nice, however it was hard to pull off as you had no way of searching out your Energy to fulfill the Tool’s attack cost. Additionally, you would need to open a very specific combination of cards to use Technical Machine: Evolution, as you often needed [card name=”Arven” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”249″ c=”name”][/card] and an Energy, as well as having something for a future turn so that you didn’t need to use [card name=”Cleffa” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card]’s Grasping Draw. The Rotom V engine also gives you a reason to play [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”255″ c=”name”][/card], making it easier to find [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card]. However, I still like including Bibarel even when you have the Nest Ball and Rotom V engine, as it is still very strong even without Technical Machine: Evolution making it easier to get into play.

One of the most interesting cards that Tord Reklev decided to include in his deck for the World Championships is [card name=”Thorton” set=”Lost Origin” no=”195″ c=”name”][/card]. This Supporter card gives you so much freedom with your board, as you don’t need to have [card name=”Charmander” set=”151″ no=”4″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Pidgey” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] in play in order to evolve into their Stage 2 that turn. It also lets you significantly cut down on your Charizard ex line, before including Thorton you had to play a very thick Charizard ex line, but with Thorton you can cut down on your Charmander as you don’t need two in play at all times. Thorton also acts as a way to control your board, as you can turn your Rotom V, [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] or Fezandipiti ex into a Radiant Charizard.

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Charizard ex Deck List

After playing my League Cups and thinking over the decklist a bit, this is where I have ended up with Charizard ex currently.

[decklist name=”Charizard” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Cleffa” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”80″][pokemon amt=”22″]2x [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Charmeleon” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”8″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Charmander” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”7″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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=”Bibarel” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Bidoof” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dusclops” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Duskull” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”60″ 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=”Fezandipiti” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cleffa” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”80″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Arven” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”166″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Thorton” set=”Lost Origin” no=”167″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Turo’s Scenario” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Poffin” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”223″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”181″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”EX Sandstorm” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Unfair Stamp” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Defiance Band” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”169″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”6″]5x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”5″][/card]1x [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]When I initially played [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”234″ c=”name”][/card] leading up to the World Championships, I was set on playing a thick 2-1-1 [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] line and playing a [card name=”Night Stretcher” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card]. However, when I first added [card name=”Bibarel” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG25″ c=”name”][/card] to the deck list I switched to a thinner line, only playing the [card name=”Duskull” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Dusclops” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card]. While the thinner Dusknoir line gave me a ton of space in the deck, it’s really hard to utilise Cursed Blast to its full effect with such a thin line. While Dusclops itself is often enough in the mirror match, having Dusknoir is very important against both [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”211″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”233″ c=”name”][/card], as you can use Cursed Blast to KO [card name=”Minccino ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card]or [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] respectively. The thicker line also helps you in the mirror match, as using a Cursed Blast to set up a KO on a [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”221″ c=”name”][/card] is very important. You can also use Dusknoir to accelerate the Prize trade against decks that try and win in the late game such as Ancient Box, as you can KO their [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] and push both of you further along in Prizes, often favouring you as the aggressive deck. The second Duskull is also very helpful for chaining Cursed Blast against slower decks, especially Gardevoir ex. Having both Duskull lets you use multiple Cursed Blast during your turn and also play an [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”269″ c=”name”][/card], significantly disrupting your opponent’s hand.

The addition of [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”216″ c=”name”][/card] initially seems out of place in this deck, however it is very useful in a ton of situations. You often have a lot of difficulty moving your Bibarel, and so having an easy attachment to retreat it becomes very useful if your opponent attempts to trap it in the Active Spot. I’ve often found myself pre-attaching my Double Turbo Energy to Bibarel if I naturally draw it towards the end of the game, preventing my opponent from trying to trap or drag it to the Active Spot with a [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”189″ c=”name”][/card] play. Another use of Double Turbo Energy is to attack with Pidgeot ex, which happens frequently against single-Prize decks. Having Blustery Wind as an option is very important to bridge between Charizard ex’s, as you run a much thinner line than you did previously. Additionally, you can use Double Turbo Energy to attack with [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] ahead of schedule. Against decks that use [card name=”Teal Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”211″ c=”name”][/card], it is really important to chain attacks with Radiant Charizard, as they can easily KO your Charizard ex with Myriad Leaf Shower.

Choosing the Perfect ACE SPEC

[cardimg name=”Hero’s Cape ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”152″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The ACE SPEC choice in this deck is very interesting. You have three main options, which are [card name=”Prime Catcher ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Unfair Stamp” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Hero’s Cape ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card]. Hero’s Cape became very popular towards the end of the Shrouded Fable format as a way to win the Prize trade against some of the more aggressive decks. However, I’m not as much of a fan of Hero’s Cape currently, as [card name=”Regidrago VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] decks have started including [card name=”Jamming Tower” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”153″ c=”name”][/card], giving them an easy way to KO your Charizard ex through a Hero’s Cape. Additionally, [card name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”208″ c=”name”][/card] decks are easily able to hit the 430 damage needed to KO a Charizard ex, they only need seven Energy cards in play and this can be set up earlier. [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”251″ c=”name”][/card] decks can also just attack with Frenzied Gouging through a Hero’s Cape, which means this ACE SPEC Tool offers much less protection for your Pokemon than it previously did.

Playing Prime Catcher lets you save a deck space as you get to cut one of your Boss’s Orders, as they essentially fill the same role. Prime Catcher is great at letting you push an early advantage, especially as it also acts as a switching card, making it easier to move your Bibarel and potentially allowing you to cut the Double Turbo Energy from the deck.

However, I chose to go with Unfair Stamp in this deck list because it also saves a deck space, letting you go down to two copies of Iono instead of playing three, plus it acts as a huge consistency card. Many decks are able to easily draw out of Unfair Stamp now, as they have [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Mew ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”232″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”PokéStop” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] to gives themselves more cards throughout the game. However, Unfair Stamp really shines as just being an Item card that lets you shuffle your hand into your deck and draw five cards. Charizard ex is currently a very combo heavy deck, and having that burst of draw from an Item card is really important for the late game. Additionally, Unfair Stamp increases the effectiveness of future [card name=”Arven” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”249″ c=”name”][/card] plays, as when your opponent starts taking Knock Outs, it turns your Arven into a pseudo [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”188″ c=”name”][/card]. While I do think that Prime Catcher is the most powerful ACE SPEC you could play in this deck, it doesn’t match the consistency boost provided by Unfair Stamp, especially when considering that they both save a deck space.

Support Pokemon

Many players have chosen to cut [card name=”Cleffa” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”202″ c=”name”][/card], however I still am a fan of it. Being able to find a draw card from [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Poffin” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”223″ c=”name”][/card] is still very useful, and Cleffa fills a similar role to what [card name=”Rotom V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card] usually does. Its free Retreat Cost is also very useful, especially when chaining Combustion Blast attacks in the late game, as you can promote the Cleffa, use [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”276″ c=”name”][/card] to shuffle your Radiant Charizard from the discard pile back into the deck, then put the Radiant Charizard onto the Bench and attack with it. Being a single-Prize Pokemon is also very important, as you can’t give up too many easy Prizes for your opponent, especially with how easy it is for the aggressive decks to bring up opposing Pokemon.

One card that does seem on the fence currently is [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], there aren’t too many decks that aim to snipe the Bench anymore with Radiant Greninja. However, I am still playing it, as [card name=”Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] has been picking up in popularity recently paired with either Dusknoir or [card name=”Terapagos ex” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card], so having that Bench protection has been useful. Manaphy is also useful in the Gardevoir ex matchup as you prevent your opponent from sniping your bench with [card name=”Scream Tail” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], letting you put Bibarel in play with much less risk. Related to this, I decided to switch to the 60 HP [card name=”Bidoof” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] due to its lower Retreat Cost, making it much easier to move out of the Active Spot early in the game. You can also play [card name=”Rabsca ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]in the space you play Manaphy which is tougher to set up, but it protects your Bench from Dragapult ex’s Phantom Dive. This gives you a significant boost in the Regidrago VSTAR matchup, as you have significantly more protection from your opponent’s aggression. I think you do need to include Technical Machine: Evolution if you want to play Rabsca, as it is likely to get hit by [card name=”Dragapult ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”200″ c=”name”][/card]’s Phantom Dive down while it is still a [card name=”Rellor ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card].

I had considered playing [card name=”Magma Basin” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] over [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Lost Origin” no=”215″ c=”name”][/card] to let you power up Radiant Charizard faster, however I am sticking with the Collapsed Stadium now as a “board fixing” option. I find that you frequently need to put Rotom V, [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Fezandipiti ex” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] onto the Bench to play the game. Having Collapsed Stadium, [card name=”Professor Turo’s Scenario” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”257″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Thorton” set=”Lost Origin” no=”195″ c=”name”][/card] to remove those liabilities quickly is very important. Being able to remove multiple Pokemon in one turn has also come up a couple of times for me, making Collapsed Stadium a card I would like to keep in the future.

Possible Card Additions

[cardimg name=”Briar” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”171″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Two cards which I haven’t included in this deck but I am on the fence about are [card name=”Briar” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”217″ c=”name”][/card]. Lost Vacuum is very strong against defensive tools such as [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”175″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Ancient Booster Energy Capsule” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”159″ c=”name”][/card], and your opponent’s Hero’s Cape. Additionally, Dragapult ex decks are gaining in popularity in this format with the introduction of [card name=”Sparkling Crystal” set=”Stellar Crown” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card], turning Lost Vacuum into essentially the Base Set Energy Removal, because you force your opponent to commit an additional Energy to use Phantom Dive with their Dragapult ex.

Lost Vacuum also has value in the Gardevoir ex matchup, as if they go for the big [card name=”Drifloon” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] or Scream Tail play with Bravery Charm, you don’t have to give up a Prize card to KO it during your turn. I prefer playing Lost Vacuum over Jamming Tower in this spot, as you can search out the Lost Vacuum with Arven, making it much easier to find. Lost Vacuum also gives you value against Miraidon ex and Raging Bolt ex that play Bravery Charm, allowing you to push for a faster KO against the boards with more defensive tools. Lost Vacuum can sometimes be the difference between getting rid of a powered up Iron Hands ex and letting it live for a potential turn, or getting healed by a [card name=”Switch Cart” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card]. While you can use Dusclops or Dusknoir to clean up this KO, there are a lot of board states where you cannot afford to give up the Prize card and having Lost Vacuum can fix this issue. Additionally it lets you remove an unused [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] from your opponent’s board, giving you additional disruption.

One card that I have wanted to include in my deck is [card name=”Night Stretcher” set=”Shrouded Fable” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card]. While you can’t really cut a Super Rod for it as you need the value Super Rod brings, having the opportunity to bring back Pokemon or Basic Energy straight to your hand can be useful. I haven’t found Night Stretcher to be worth it yet over a different inclusion, but it’s still a strong card and worth considering.

Briar from Stellar Crown has been a hyped-up addition in Charizard ex, however I haven’t found too much use for it yet. Charizard ex as a deck is so good at taking two Prize cards each attacking turn, and you already have Dusknoir to break stalemates at two Prize cards each. However, I can see Briar being very helpful if single-Prize decks such as Ancient Box become more popular. As it currently stands, I don’t believe you need Briar in the current metagame. If you were to add either Lost Vacuum or Briar to the decklist, I would look at cutting Thorton, the second copy of Duskull, the Manaphy or the second [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] as Lost Vacuum fills a similar role to Duskull in certain situations, plus you can’t play too many Supporter cards that don’t increase your consistency. Additionally, you can cut the third [card name=”Charmander” set=”151″ no=”4″ c=”name”][/card], however I would prioritize cutting one of the above cards before that. Only playing two Charmander can create some problems if you don’t also play [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card]. Prizing one of your two Charmander would make the game very difficult to play, so I would stick with three copies of Charmander currently. It also helps you to get the turn 2 Charizard ex against the aggressive decks.

I’m going to keep playing with Briar and see where it is helpful, but it currently hasn’t made enough of an impact for me to have it in my decklist if a tournament was tomorrow.

Setting Up a Single-Prize Pokemon Board

One situation that comes up frequently when you play against [card name=”Raging Bolt ex ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”208″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”251″ c=”name”][/card] is having to create a fully single-Prize Pokemon board. This can happen if you fall behind two Prize cards in the early game, as your opponent can reliably KO whatever they want on your side to take the victory.

This is where [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Bibarel” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG25″ c=”name”][/card] become very important. When they are at four Prize cards, you can set up your [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”234″ c=”name”][/card] to attack and set up your Bibarel to draw, but try to avoid putting any other two Prize Pokemon into play. Then take two Prize cards with your Charizard, your opponent will likely KO it in return with one of their attackers and go down to two Prize cards. At this point, you can use Radiant Charizard to take two Prize cards, and have a fully single-Prize Pokemon board to avoid a return two Prize KO from your opponent to win the game.

This is why Bibarel is so important, if you don’t have Bibarel down here your opponent can just play an [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”269″ c=”name”][/card] or a [card name=”Judge” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”228″ c=”name”][/card], and you are unlikely to either find the return Radiant Charizard or [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”256″ c=”name”][/card] and Charizard ex to take your final two Prize cards and close out the game. Having a form of on board draw support while you have a fully single-Prize Pokemon board is very important against Raging Bolt and Roaring Moon, which is why I think Bibarel is worth playing currently. Raging Bolt decks can use a Briar of their own to break the stalemate in this situation, you can also target down your opponent’s [card name=”Teal Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”211″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”264″ c=”name”][/card] to prevent them from doing this. It is very tough for the Raging Bolt deck to put together a Teal Mask Ogerpon ex with enough Energy in play to KO a Radiant Charizard as they don’t play [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card], however it is still important to disrupt their hand to prevent them from finding the Briar in combination with a Pokemon Catcher or a Prime Catcher.

Conclusion

Charizard ex has been one of my favorite decks to play for a long time now and while it has to overcome a ton of adversary in the current Standard format, it still has a lot of tricks up its sleeve. There are a ton of lines you can take with Charizard ex, and I’m excited to see what happens to the deck come Surging Sparks.

Good luck if you decide to play Charizard at any of your future tournaments, it is always a deck I have in the back of my mind![/premium]