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At the beginning of the Space-Time Smackdown meta,Pokemon TCG Pocketplayers immediately realized that Darkrai ex was a powerhouse in the format. A couple of weeks later, players finally figured out how to counter Darkrai ex, and that they already had most of the tools from previous sets.
Celebi ex was the bane of the Mythical Islands meta thanks to the ability to brute-force through coin flips by stacking up an enormous amount of Energy. And Exeggutor ex, once a backup for Venusaur ex, finally has a chance to shine in this meta-flipping deck.
Exeggutor ex / Celebi ex
Exeggcute (A1) x2
Exeggutor ex (A2) x2
Celebi ex (A1a) x1
Erika x2
Sabrina x2
Cyrus x1
Potion x2
Rocky Helmet x2
Giant Cape x1
Exeggcute is the only card with an alternate print in another set. The Mythical Island version gains Grass Energy through its attack, butExeggutor ex doesn’t need extra Energyexcept to retreat. Stick to the first-turn bonus damage from Seed Bomb.
Some versions of the deck drop Sabrina for Leaf, Shaymin, or both. We found the ability togust out a blocking Pokemon like Druddigonto be more useful in most games.
Exeggutor Ex / Celebi Ex Deck Strategy
The Exeggutor ex / Celebi ex strategy is one of the simplest in Pokemon TCG Pocket:Give Exeggcute an Energy, attack and evolve as soon as possible, and stack the rest of your Energy on Celebi exto run cleanup once Exeggutor ex is down.
Exeggcute can hit for 20 damage immediately if you’re going second, but if you’re going first, you can evolve to Exeggutor ex and attack for 40-80 damage immediately.This averages out to 2-shot Darkrai exeven with a Giant Coat, thanks to its Grass weakness.
Since Exeggutor ex only needs a single Grass Energy,you’re free to put the rest on your Celebi exon the bench. Lacking other uses for Energy, you’ll usually have at least four Grass Energy on Celebi ex before your Exeggutor ex is Knocked Out.
The rest of the deck is a toolbox: Professor’s Research, Poke Ball, and Pokemon Communication help you find your Pokemon; Erika and some Potions keep them kicking; and Sabrina and Cyrus get rid of Druddigon in order to hit the high-value targets in the back.
Both the Giant Cape and the Rocky Helmet are useful, butyou’ll want the Rocky Helmet on Exeggutor exin most situations. This adds to its chip damage and discourages low-damage attacks while your opponent is setting up.
Exeggutor Ex / Celebi Ex Matchups
Darkrai Ex / Magnezone
Darkrai ex decks rely on chip damage while setting up, but Exeggutor ex can start attacking immediately, with type advantage against Darkrai ex. These advantages are so pronounced that Exeggutor ex / Celebi ex decks havean incredible win rate against all versions of the Darkrai ex archetype.
Sabrina is extremely useful here, since she’ll allow you tobypass the Druddigon your opponent wants to hide behind. Even if you only get one attack, they’ll need a Leaf to discard Energy to get back into position, and you’ll have Cyrus ready later.
Charizard Ex / Moltres Ex
Charizard ex decksgot a minor upgrade from Space-Time Smackdown thanks to Pokemon Communication, making it easier to get the Stage 1 and Stage 2 Pokemon you need to start swinging. This makes the deckfaster and more reliable than ever.
Your chances against this deck are slim:All of your Pokemon are weak to Fire, and if your opponent is unlucky enough to start with Charmander in front, it can OHKO your Exeggcute. Plus, healing effects like Erika are useless against a deck that OHKOs all of your Pokemon.
Magnezone / Skarmory
Ever sinceSam Woods talked about this deck, usage has been on the rise. It’s a tough battle for Exeggutor ex, sinceSkarmory can reliably OHKO Exeggcuteon the first turn it can attack.
If you survive past the first turn, you should come out ahead: Skarmory wins by taking early-game Prize Points, but Exeggutor ex and Celebi ex can tank a couple of attacks and hit back even harder.
