The God of all Pokemon, Arceus, has made an early appearance in *Pokemon TCG Pocket*, bringing a host of synergistic Pokemon along with it. Here's a detailed look at the best Arceus Ex decks currently dominating the game.
Best Arceus Ex Decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket
Arceus Ex boasts an impressive ability that renders it immune to status conditions such as Sleep and Confused. Its Ultimate Force attack, requiring 3 Colorless energy, deals 70 damage plus an additional 20 for each benched Pokemon, reaching a total of 130 damage when fully powered up.
Arceus Ex synergizes exceptionally well with eight different Pokemon from the Triumphant Light expansion pack, each featuring a unique "link" ability that activates when an Arceus Ex or regular Arceus is in play. These include:
- Carnivine (Power Link)
- Heatran (Speed Link)
- Abomasnow (Vigor Link)
- Raichu (Resilience Link)
- Rotom (Speed Link)
- Tyranitar (Power Link)
- Crobat (Cunning Link)
- Magnezone (Resilience Link)
Among these, Crobat, Magnezone, and Heatran stand out as the most powerful. Let's explore a deck build for each.
Crobat (Dark Energy)
Deck List:
- 2x Arceus Ex
- 2x Zubat (Triumphant Light)
- 2x Golbat (Genetic Apex)
- 2x Crobat
- 1x Spiritomb
- 1x Farfetch’d
- 2x Professor’s Research
- 2x Dawn
- 2x Cyrus
- 2x Poke Ball
- 2x Pokemon Communication
This deck features two main attackers: Crobat and Arceus Ex. With an Arceus Ex on the field, Crobat can deal 30 damage to your opponent’s Active Pokemon from the bench. Additionally, it hits for 50 damage with just one Dark energy, making it an excellent complement to Arceus Ex, which you'll want to power up with three Colorless energies.
With Arceus Ex powered up on the bench, you can retreat Crobat for free into it, as it has no retreat cost, dealing 130 damage with a full bench. Farfetch’d adds pressure, while Spiritomb spreads damage to your opponent’s bench, allowing you to pull them in with Cyrus for knockouts.
Dialga Ex/Magnezone (Metal Energy)
Deck List:
- 2x Arceus Ex
- 2x Dialga Ex
- 2x Magnemite (Triumphant Light)
- 2x Magneton (Genetic Apex)
- 1x Magnezone (Triumphant Light)
- 1x Magnezone (Genetic Apex)
- 1x Skarmory
- 2x Professor’s Research
- 2x Leaf
- 2x Giant’s Cape
- 1x Rocky Helmet
- 2x Poke Ball
The primary attacker in this deck is Arceus Ex, supported by both versions of Magnezone. The Triumphant Light Magnezone takes -30 damage when Arceus Ex is in play, while the Genetic Apex version deals 110 damage after using Magneton's Volt Charge ability at least once. Note that you cannot use Metal energy to evolve the Genetic Apex Magneton, as it's Electric type, so timing is crucial.
To maximize Arceus Ex's damage potential, which requires a full bench, Skarmory is included alongside two Giant’s Capes and a Rocky Helmet. The Giant’s Capes will help Dialga Ex and Arceus Ex withstand heavy hits while powering up Skarmory.
Heatran (Fire Energy)
Deck List:
- 2x Arceus Ex
- 2x Heatran (Triumphant Light)
- 2x Ponyta (Mythical Island)
- 2x Rapidash (Genetic Apex)
- 1x Farfetch’d
- 2x Professor’s Research
- 1x Blaine
- 1x Cyrus
- 1x Dawn
- 2x Giant’s Cape
- 2x Poke Ball
- 2x X Speed
This deck offers a more aggressive approach similar to the Ninetails Blaine deck from the early days of *Pokemon TCG Pocket*. Early threats like Heatran, Rapidash, and Farfetch’d require minimal energy to become effective, while Arceus Ex powers up on the bench. Giant’s Cape is crucial for keeping Heatran alive and pushing Arceus Ex above the 150 HP threshold.
With Arceus Ex in play, Heatran can retreat for free, allowing for fluid Pokemon swaps at a low energy cost. Its Ragin’ Fury attack deals 80 damage with two Fire energies if Heatran has been damaged itself; otherwise, it deals 40 damage, which can still be impactful early in a match.
As *Pokemon TCG Pocket* continues to evolve, more strategies featuring Arceus Ex are sure to emerge. For now, these three decks represent the best options for leveraging the legendary's power in the game.
*Pokemon TCG Pocket is available now on mobile devices.*
