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“Strong Pokémon. Weak Pokémon. That’s just the arrogant viewpoint of some people. True experts aim to win with the Pokémon they cherish most.” Karen from the Elite Four captured this sentiment, yet in the world of Pokémon TCG Pocket, many players find their favorites to also be powerful contenders.
Charizard has been a prominent figure in the Pokémon franchise since the initial game launches, only closely rivaled by Pikachu when it comes to recognition and marketing. This impressive Pokémon has made a significant impact in the Scarlet & Violet era of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, bringing its strength to Pokémon TCG Pocket as well!
Sample Charizard ex Decklist
Decks in Pokémon TCG Pocket tend to be smaller and more straightforward compared to those in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The game also ensures that you start with a Basic Pokémon in your opening hand, making it unnecessary to search for them. This, along with a limited card pool, means that most decks share a similar lineup of Trainer cards and use a small range of Pokémon cards to implement their strategies.
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Charizard ex / Moltres ex |
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Charmander x2 |
Charmeleon x2 |
Charizard ex x2 |
Moltres ex x2 |
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Professor’s Research x2 |
Giovanni x2 |
Sabrina x2 |
Poke Ball x2 |
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X-Speed x2 |
Potion x2 |
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You can obtain both Charmanders needed by selecting the Charizard pack during the tutorial. However, both Charizard ex and Moltres ex are quite rare, each having just three prints in Genetic Apex. This deck can still function with one Moltres ex, and you can replace both Charizard ex cards with the regular Charizard for a more budget-friendly option. Just ensure that you don’t add any extra Basic Pokémon, as this might hinder your chances of setting up with Moltres ex.
Keep an eye on Wonder Pick for chances to acquire additional cards you need.
Charizard ex Strategy
The Charizard ex/Moltres ex combination is primarily focused on one goal: activate Charizard as quickly as possible, enabling you to accumulate Prize Points before your opponent has a chance to respond.
While Water-type decks benefit from Misty’s supporter card to quickly flood the field with Energy, Charizard ex depends on Moltres ex to accumulate enough Energy for the costly Crimson Storm attack. Thus, having Moltres ex in your starting hand is crucial for establishing your strategy.
Always place Moltres ex as your Active Pokémon if it’s in your starting hand, and put a Charmander on the Bench. On your first turn, utilize Poke Ball to sift through your deck and find your Charmander or Moltres ex if necessary. Then, play Professor’s Research to look for your Charmeleon and Charizard ex. If you go second, attach an Energy to Moltres ex and use Inferno Dance to add some energy to Charmander.
Don’t stress if you’re going first; Moltres ex is tough to knock out on the first turn, giving you ample time to begin stacking Energy on your Charmander.
Quickly evolve Charmander into Charmeleon and then into Charizard ex, using Inferno Dance to accumulate more Energy. Once Charizard ex has five Energy, retreat Moltres ex and unleash Crimson Storm for a knockout.
Since using Crimson Storm requires you to discard Energy from Charizard ex, consider using Slash and Giovanni to preserve your Energy if your opponent’s Active Pokémon has low HP.
Utilize Potions as needed to keep Moltres ex in play until you can switch to Charizard ex. Deploy Giovanni and Sabrina to chip away that last 10 HP or force your opponent to bring in a weaker Pokémon, as required.
Charizard ex Deck Matchups
Charizard ex has a strong advantage against the Venusaur ex archetype. Thanks to Moltres ex’s Inferno Dance, Charizard ex can establish itself much quicker than Venusaur ex, allowing you to react faster than your opponent can finalize their setup.
Add to this the fact that most Pokémon commonly found in a Venusaur ex deck are weak to fire-type attacks, which significantly increases the damage you can deal. Just be prepared for the substantial healing that your opponent might employ.
The Charizard ex deck doesn’t have significant weaknesses to a single type, but keep in mind that Moltres ex is vulnerable to Electric-types. Pikachu ex can build up Energy rapidly and can knock out Moltres ex before you have a chance to power up Charizard if luck is not on your side.
Starmie ex poses another major challenge as it can inflict enough damage to take down Moltres ex in just two hits with minimal setup. It can similarly impact Charizard ex due to its weakness to water, potentially leading to a swift loss even before you can establish your strategy—especially if your opponent harnesses Misty to set up a more dangerous Articuno ex.