Pokémon
Metal Gods: Arceus ex and Dialga ex dominate the new Pokémon TCG Pocket meta with this powerful deck
We take a look at one of the best competitive decks currently available in Pokémon TCG Pocket, focusing on Arceus ex and Dialga ex. All the cards, how to get them, and what the strategy is.
The introduction of the Triumphant Light miniset to Pokémon TCG Pocket on February 28th changed the metagame of this popular free-to-play mobile game with the introduction of new cards. As a result, new decks and strategies have emerged that have solidified as the new meta has taken shape, and one of the most powerful at the moment is the Arceus ex and Dialga ex, which focus on the Metal type. In this text we will review all the details, including what cards are needed and what the general strategy is:
This Arceus ex and Dialga ex deck is one of the best in the current Pokémon TCG Pocket meta
The Pokémon TCG Pocket is different from other card games like Yu-Gi-Oh! in that there is a larger probability-altering factor, given the importance of coin flips. Therefore, one of the great virtues of this deck of Arceus ex and Dialga ex is that it is optimized to not have a single coin flip, which makes for a very consistent strategy. As you can see in the Pokémon Meta, this deck recipe is currently considered Tier 1, which puts it at the top of the current meta. It does not guarantee a 100% win rate due to the random nature of card draw, but it does guarantee a significantly higher percentage of wins than losses.
Remember that this is an all-Metal deck, so remember to remove other types of Energy that the game will automatically add with cards like Mew Ex and Shaymin. Below are all the cards you need for the deck, along with what role they play and in which set you get each of them:
- 2x Dialga ex (Space-Time Smackdown - Dialga Booster): One of the central parts of the strategy. The idea is to get it in the active spot as soon as possible and use its Metallic Turbo move to add two Metallic Energy to Arceus Ex, Mew Ex, or the other copy of Dialga Ex. Its high Health, boosted by Giant Cape, allows it to withstand initial attacks while “charging” the Pokémon in the Bank. It is also a reliable attacker with its 100 damage thanks to Heavy Impact.
- 2x Arceus ex (Triumphant Light): Its role is to be a reliable and consistent attacker that hits hard (130 damage) when we have three Pokémon in Bench. The idea is to keep it in Bench while Dialga ex “charges” it with Energy until we have four Pokémon in play, so we can take full advantage of its potential in the Active Spot.
- 1x Mew ex (Mythic Island): Mew ex and its ability to copy the opponent’s move and use it against them adds a lot of versatility to this deck. This replication power can give us the key to victory in situations that would otherwise be insurmountable. In addition, its mere presence can disrupt the opponent, making them think twice before putting their most powerful Pokémon in the Active Spot.
- 1x Shaymin (Space-Time Smackdown - Dialga’s Booster): The small Earth Forme Shaymin is useful to use its ability to heal 10 HP to all Pokémon each turn. Although it may not seem very useful, it can heal Pokémon’s Health until they leave the weakening area of the opponent’s Active Pokémon, which increases the consistency of the strategy and can give us the victory in very close games.
- 2x Giant Cape (Space-Time Smackdown - Dialga Booster): This equipment card is very useful for Arceus ex and Dialga ex, as the 20 HP of extra Health added to their total can keep them from being weakened by a single powerful move from the opponent’s Active Pokémon. This extended survivability gives them a chance to counterattack or be replaced by a bench partner that comes in with full health and is ready to sweep the opponent.
- 1x Giovanni (Genetic Apex, Mewtwo Booster): The ten points of extra damage it allows us to inflict can catch an opponent off guard, especially if they are playing at the limit and thought their Pokémon could survive an attack with only 10 HP. The surprise factor is maximized if we combine it with the “power-up” of a former Arceus in the Active Spot, filling the empty spots on the Bench.
- 1x Cyrus (Space-Time Smackdown, Palkia Booster): Cyrus allows us to bring back a wounded Pokémon that the opponent has removed. It’s impossible to avoid, and the window of opportunity it opens can be the difference between victory and defeat in many situations.
- 2x Professor’s Research - Professor Oak (Promo-A, Shop): needed to draw two cards to speed up the strategy.
- 2x Leaf (Mythic Island): Leaf is essential due to the relatively high Retreat Cost of both Arceus ex and Dialga ex. Reducing the Retreat Cost of the Active Pokémon by 2 allows them to rotate for a partner in Bench without wasting valuable Energy, helping to optimize strategy.
- 1x Sabrina (Genetic Apex - Charizard Booster): Extremely useful for forcing the opponent to make an unfavorable change, potentially making us win the game that turn. Combined with the Cyrus copy already in the deck, we have more flexibility to cause a change in the opponent’s Active Pokémon.
- 1x Mars (Space-Time Smackdown - Palkia Booster): The effect of Mars is maximized when the opponent has two points, as it forces him to discard his entire hand and draw up to the points he lacks to win. In this case, it would be a single card. This major setback to the opponent’s strategy can give us a decisive advantage that can turn the game around.
- 2x Potion (Promo-A, Shop): This limited healing ability of 20 HP can get us out of a tight spot by moving the Active Pokémon out of “Weakening Range” depending on the Moves available to the opposing Pokémon.
- 2x Poké Ball (Promo-A, Shop): Used to get Basic Pokémon directly from the Deck into your hand, speeding up strategy.
The way to execute this strategy is as follows:
- The ideal is to open with Dialga ex in the Active Spot and equip him with a Giant Cape. We have to wait two or three turns until we can place two Metal Energies to use the Metallic Turbo move, which in turn adds two Metal Energies to the Dialga ex, Arceus ex, or Mew ex we have in the bench, depending on the opponent and how the game is going. Sometimes, it may be more convenient to add one Energy at a time and use Metallic Turbo to prepare the Pokémon in Bench for battle, or even sacrifice them.
- The most consistent is to first “charge” Arceus ex with three Metal Energies, and once he’s ready and we have four Pokémon in play, switch him to Active Spot (thanks to Leaf) and start hitting for 130 points of damage turn after turn.
- The Arceus ex + Dialga ex setup is very solid, and comes with a lot of support cards like Sabrina, Giovanni, Cyrus, Leaf, Mars, and Mew Ex. We have a lot of options to choose from depending on both the opponent’s deck and the opening.
And that’s it; there’s really very little mystery to it, and that’s one of the great strengths of the Arceus ex and Dialga ex deck: it doesn’t require an overly complicated setup, and it has a lot of powerful toolbox options - versatile cards and situational tools - but it relies somewhat on chance when it comes to having both a suitable opening and appropriate cards in hand that can open up new possibilities and provide greater consistency and versatility. All in all, it is a very precise deck that covers almost all essential aspects of the game: offensive power, the ability to break up the opponent’s lineup at will, some healing to stay in the fight as long as possible, speed in the form of reduced retreat costs, and the ability to generate resources.
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