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Arceus ex has redefined the metagame inPokemon TCG Pocket, forcing players to adapt either by building decks to counter it or adopting it into their own stable of decks. But one of the best ways to use the newest cards is to combine it with one of the oldest.
Exeggutor has been around for a while and has been a staple in Pokemon TCG decks since the very beginning. With Arceus ex, it returns to its old role, tanking hits and scoring KOs while you set up your ultimate weapon on the Bench.
Exeggutor ex / Arceus ex
Exeggcute (A1) x2
Exeggutor ex (A1) x2
Arceus ex (A2a) x2
Carnivine (A2a) x2
Erika x2
Leaf x2
Cyrus x1
Sabrina x1
Poke Ball x2
Giant Cape x2
While most Exeggutor ex / Arceus ex decks are a close match to this decklist,some players have found success swapping one Erika for a copy of Giovanni.
This can be useful in a pinch, allowing Carnivine to OHKO 60-HP Basic Pokemon and Arceus ex to get an OHKO in a mirror match, but the healing from Erika usually comes in more handy.
Exeggutor ex / Arceus ex Deck Strategy
The Exeggutor ex / Arceus ex deck plays similarly to early Pikachu ex decks: You want tofill your Bench with Pokemonin order to power up your main- or late-game attacker,then sweep your opponent’s Pokemon.
The main difference is thatArceus ex is a little slower than Pikachu ex, since it requires three Energy instead of two. The tradeoff is that with a full Bench, Arceus ex deals 130 damage per attack.
In order to give yourself time to set up Arceus,Exeggutor ex and Carnivine act as wallsthat can soften your opponent’s Pokemon while you take a few turns to attach Energy to Arceus ex.
If your starting hand contains Arceus ex, and you’re going second,Carnivine is your ideal first Attacking Pokemon. It’s a Basic Pokemon with 80 HP which is able to deal 50 damage consistently on one Grass Energy, as long as you have Arceus ex on your Bench. Carnivine can two-shot most non-ex Basic and Stage 1 Pokemon and can score OHKOs on most Basic Pokemon with Giovanni’s effect.
Alternatively, Exeggutor ex deals 40 to 80 damage on the same one Energy but requires a turn to evolve. This makesExeggcute the best first Pokemon if you’re going first and have Exeggutor exin your hand, and you’re likely to score a KO or two before you get Arceus ex online.
With either Carnivine or Exeggutor ex in the Active position,start attaching Energy to your Arceus ex and looking for more Basic Pokemonto put on the Bench. Use Erika and your Giant Cape to keep your Grass-type Pokemon up to buy time, then switch up Arceus ex when it has three Energy and you have a full Bench.
Exeggutor ex / Arceus ex Matchups
Arceus ex / Dialga ex
While this deck is faster to get running,it struggles against theArceus ex / Dialga ex combobecause it can’t consistently interfere with its setup. It takes a minimum of two turns for Exeggutor ex to KO Dialga ex without Giant Cape, by which point Arceus ex can already start swinging.
One of the best plays here is touse Sabrina to make Dialga ex switch out, forcing your opponent to use Energy or X-Speed to get their strategy back online. But even that’s problematic if they managed to get both Shaymin into play, allowing them to retreat for free.
Lucario / Rampardos
The Lucario / Rampardos combo is a nightmare for Arceus ex, since Rampardos can OHKO Arceus ex without a boost. But both Rampardos and Sudowoodo are weak to Grass, making thisoverall one of your most favorable matchups.
Rampardos can still be a problem, so it’s important to either knock it out before it evolvesor to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t get a revenge kill. It’s often a good idea to use Carnivine, which is only worth one Prize Point, to soften your opponent’s Pokemon and score a couple of points before bringing in Arceus ex.
Darkrai ex / Magnezone
TheDarkrai ex / Magnezone deckthat dominated the Space-Time Smackdown meta is still around and is still a solid threat. This deck tries to soften your Active Pokemon while using Magneton’s ability to generate Lightning Energy,setting up two powerful attackers at once.
This is generally a favorable matchup, since Erika allows you to heal through a couple turns worth of chip damage and set up your own attacker more easily.You’ll wish you included Giovanni in this matchup, since it allows you to OHKO either of the major threats.
