Mega Lucario ex / Hitmontop / Shaymin

Why this deck is in this tier

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.

Strengths (key points)

• Very aggressive deck.
• High draw density with Copycat, Poké Ball and Professor’s Research.
• Shaymin makes Basic Pokémon retreats easier.
• Hitmontop adds useful Bench pressure.
• Protective Poncho protects Mega Lucario ex from Bench damage.

Weaknesses (to watch)

• Only one Lucario and one Mega Lucario ex.
• If Mega Lucario ex is at the bottom of the deck, the main plan slows down heavily.
• The deck requires good retreat management.

Card list

• ×1 Mega Lucario ex (B3-81)
• ×2 Riolu (A2-91)
• ×1 Lucario (A2-92)
• ×2 Hitmontop (A4-102)
• ×1 Shaymin (A2-22)
• ×2 Cyrus (A2-150)
• ×2 Professor's Research (P-A-7)
• ×2 Copycat (B1-225)
• ×2 Poké Ball (P-A-5)
• ×1 Field Blower (B3-147)
• ×2 Rocky Helmet (A2-148)
• ×1 Protective Poncho (B1b-147)
• ×1 Arena of Antiquity (B3-154)

Required expansions

Other A Tier decks

• Weezing EX / Hoopa EX / Mega Absol EX
  I rank this deck in A tier because of its excellent Energy flexibility: Weezing EX generates passive Poison + Burn damage without monopolizing Energy, allowing Hoopa EX or Mega Absol EX to be powered immediately. The deck is very strong and technical, but effects that prevent Special Conditions and certain specific matchups can significantly reduce its effectiveness.
• 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.
• 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.

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