Mega Charizard Y ex / Araquanid

Why this deck is in this tier

The deck combines a strong draw engine with a powerful control option via Tarembulle + Néphie, while Mega Charizard EX provides a decisive finisher. Setup dependency slightly reduces overall consistency.

Strengths (key points)

• Extremely strong control with Araquanid + Néphie, allowing you to force any opponent’s Pokémon into the Active Spot without prior damage.
• Excellent draw engine with Poké Ball and Professor’s Research, enabling very fast deck thinning.
• Very powerful win condition thanks to Mega Charizard Y ex, which can single-handedly close games.
• Strong synergy with Serena, helping secure Mega Charizard Y ex while increasing draw potential.
• Blazing Patch-style energy recovery is very strong, accelerating Energy attachment from the discard pile.
• Dynamic and enjoyable gameplay, with a clear sense of progression and power scaling.

Weaknesses (to watch)

• Heavy reliance on Araquanid: without it in play, Néphie loses its entire value.
• Demanding setup, requiring multiple specific cards to fully function.
• Reduced consistency if key cards are missing, especially when cutting down on Néphie.
• Weak against very fast or aggressive decks, which can prevent setup.
• High sequencing difficulty: misplays in card order can easily lose games.
• Sometimes less efficient than simpler options (such as Heliolisk-style effects) in similar situations.

Card list

• ×1 Mega Charizard Y ex (B1a-14)
• ×1 Araquanid (A3-53)
• ×2 Charmeleon (B1a-12)
• ×1 Charizard (B1a-13)
• ×2 Entei ex (A4a-10)
• ×2 Charmander (A1-33)
• ×1 Dewpider (A3-52)
• ×2 Poké Ball (P-A-5)
• ×2 Flame Patch (B1-217)
• ×2 Professor's Research (P-A-7)
• ×2 Lana (A3-152)
• ×1 May (B1-223)
• ×1 Serena (B1a-69)

Other A Tier decks

• Zoroark ex / Darkrai ex / Mega Absol ex
  Very good deck, with Roaring Moon acting like an extra “Sabrina” effect on top of a Supporter, but its anti-Oricorio plan can require a lot of energy.
• Mega Manectric ex / Zeraora / Oricorio
  Deck very aggressive, with Zeraora to start quickly and Elemental Switch to accelerate Mega Manectric ex. Its main limit is that it becomes less comfortable if it cannot take an early point.
• Mega Lucario ex / Hitmontop / Shaymin
  Deck very aggressive, with a lot of draw and Shaymin to ease Riolu or Hitmontop retreats. Its main weakness is draw dependency, since there is only one Lucario and one Mega Lucario ex.
• Magnezone / Oricorio / Ogerpon
  Very strong against the meta thanks to Oricorio + Ogerpon blocking status conditions, with fast pressure from Magnezone. However, it relies on evolution setup.
• Charizard EX / Entei / Ogerpon
  Very fast offensive deck with strong pressure from Charizard EX and Entei, but setup-dependent and vulnerable to bad openings.
• Mega Gengar / Darkrai
  Extremely strong once set up thanks to trainer lock, but relies on a slow and fragile setup.

Go further