The Raichu and Pikachu ex Deck is a High-Damage Lightning-type Deck featuring Raichu and Pikachu ex from the Genetic Apex Set in Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket (PTCG Pocket). Read on for the complete list of cards in this deck, basic information on the deck, how to play the deck, and optimal matchups for it!
List of Contents
- Raichu and Pikachu ex Deck Card List and Tier
- How to Play
- Best and Worst Matchups
- F2P Substitute Options
- Related Guides
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Raichu and Pikachu ex Deck Guide
Deck Evaluation
| Ace Pokemon | Tier Ranking | |||||||
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| Raichu Genetic Apex (A1) | Pikachu ex Genetic Apex (A1) |  | ||||||
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| F2P Friendly? | ❌ | |||||||
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| Deck Strengths | ||||||||
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Pikachu ex's attack only costs 2 energy but deals medium damage. Best Meta Decks Tier List
List of Cards
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Deck Building Guide
Packs Required for Raichu and Pikachu ex Deck
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How to Play Raichu and Pikachu ex Deck
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Click the links above to jump to a certain section!
Raichu and Pikachu ex Deck Core Combos and Interactions
| Starting Attacker | OHKO Attacker | Description |
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| Pikachu ex | Raichu | ・Pikachu ex can be played immediately and attack for low cost. ・Raichu can take Pikachu ex's place in case its HP becomes low, then is powered by Lt. Surge to unleash a high-damage attack that can OHKO the opponent's active Pokemon. |
Best Starting Hand
| Best Starting Hand |
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This is the ideal starting hand for this deck. Having one of each Pokemon in the deck right away gives you many attack options early.
Always play Pikachu ex first and set up Raichu on the bench. Pikachu ex can deal a decent amount of damage early on, putting pressure on your opponents. If Pikachu ex's HP becomes low, switch it out for Raichu and use Lt. Surge to power the Pokemon.
Other Good Starting Cards
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In the event that you don't have Raichu right away, playing Pikachu ex should still be your first move. Use Professor's Research to hopefully get Raichu, then evolve Pikachu into Raichu if you manage to obtain it.
If Pikachu ex's HP becomes low, switch it out for Raichu and use Lt. Surge to power the Pokemon.
Best Cards Tier List
Raichu and Pikachu ex Deck Strategies
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Click the links above to jump to a certain section!
Strategy 1: Early Pressure
Play Pikachu ex right away and fill up your bench. Attack right away once you get a chance to deal a decent amount of damage early in the game.
Strategy 2: Lt. Surge and Raichu
Given the high cost of Raichu's Thunderbolt attack, it's best to use Lt. Surge to quickly attach Lightning Energy to Raichu. Afterwards, you can potentially get a OHKO with it.
Game Phases
Early Game
| Key Card(s) Required | |
|---|---|
| Step | Description |
| 1 | Play Pikachu ex right away. |
| 2 | Attack once your bench is filled for maximum damage. |
| 3 | Use Potion to keep Pikachu ex healthy when needed. |
Mid-Game
| Key Card(s) Required | |
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| Step | Description |
| 1 | At this point, you should have Raichu ready on your bench. |
| 2 | If Pikachu ex's HP become low, use X Speed to allow the Pokemon to retreat for no cost, then play Raichu. |
| 3 | Use Lt. Surge to power up Raichu's Thunderbolt and attack. |
Optional
| Key Card(s) Required | |
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| 1 | Zapdos is a Basic 1-Energy attacker that can apply immediate pressure on Lightning-weak decks like Starmie ex or Articuno ex decks. |
Raichu and Pikachu ex Deck Best and Worst Matchups
Best Matchups
| Deck | Commentary |
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| Type: ・Blastoise ex decks take time to set up due to Blastoise ex being a Stage 3 evolution Pokemon, which can easily be exploited by Pikachu ex.・The deck is also more vulnerable to Lightning attacks. |
Worst Matchups
| Deck | Commentary |
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| Type: ・Exeggutor ex can tank Pikachu ex's early pressure as well as Raichu's Thunderbolt.・Exeggutor ex's attack also costs minimal energy, so even if its damage isnt't as high, it can deal damage every turn. |
Overall Consistency
Although the deck has extremely high damage potential and only has one (1) Stage 1 evolution Pokemon, the cost of energy is also high.
Moreover, even if the deck's attacks can OHKO a lot of Pokemon, they do rely heavily on meeting certain conditions first, such as coin flips and having a certain amount of Pokemon on the bench to maximize the damage. This makes the deck quite inconsistent in terms of damage.
Raichu and Pikachu ex Deck F2P & Substitutes
Raichu and Pikachu ex Deck Card Substitutes
| Card | Explanation |
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| ・ Pincurchin is a viable Pokemon that can be swapped in when Pikachu ex's HP becomes low. Although it has lower HP and damage, it can paralyze the opponent's Pokemon, giving you a free turn. |
Pokemon TCG Pocket Meta Guide
Raichu and Pikachu ex Deck Other Viable Options
| Card | Possible Cuts |
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| ・ Although Zebstrika has a lower HP and damage compared to Zapdos, it's a safer offensive option since its attack doesn't damage your own Pokemon but instead can pick off your opponent's weakened Pokemon on their bench if Pikachu ex or Raichu's damage doesn't knock them out. |
Electrode Variant Deck List
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Replacing Zapdos and Zapdos ex for Electrode gives the deck some consistency in terms of damage and costs less energy. Electrode can also benefit from Lt. Surge, making the deck more cohesive.
Pokemon TCG Pocket Beginner's Guide
Pokemon TCG Pocket Related Guides
Deck Building Guide
All Deck Tier Lists
| All Tier Lists | |
|---|---|
| Best Cards Tier List | Best Meta Deck Tier List |
| Best Rental Deck Tier List | Best F2P Beginner Decks |
Deck Articles
| Deck Articles | |
|---|---|
| How Rental Decks Work | Staple Cards for Decks |
| Aggro Decks Explained | Deck Matchup Statistics |
| Best 18 Trainers Decks | Best Misty Decks |
| Best Erika Decks | 10 Match Tests vs Pikachu ex Deck - Statistics |
| List of Non-ex Decks | |
Meta Decks
| Best Meta Decks | ||
|---|---|---|
| Starmie ex Deck | Mewtwo ex Deck | Dragonite Deck |
| Articuno ex Deck | Arbok Lock Deck | Venusaur ex Deck |
| Blaine Deck | Pikachu ex Deck | Marowak ex Deck |
| Charizard ex Deck | Machamp ex Deck | Blastoise ex Deck |
| Frosmoth Deck | Exeggutor ex Deck | Arcanine ex Deck |
| Gengar ex Deck | Wigglytuff ex Deck | Melmetal Deck |
| Alakazam and Jynx Deck | Zapdos ex Deck | Greninja Deck |
| Primeape Deck | Raichu and Pikachu ex Deck | Mewtwo ex and Weezing |
| Raichu and Pikachu ex Deck | Mewtwo ex and Weezing | Greninja and Weezing Deck |
| Venusaur ex and Weezing | Lapras ex Deck | Dragonite and Weezing |
Off Meta Decks
| Omastar and Articuno ex | Kingler and Articuno ex | Lapras ex and Butterfree |
| Poliwrath | Tentacruel and Greninja | Victreebel and Exeggutor ex |
| Frosmoth and Articuno ex Deck | Gyarados Deck | Centiskorch and Moltres ex Deck |
| Lt. Surge Deck | Grapploct Deck | Cinccino and Weezing |
| Brock Deck | Kabutops | Aerodactyl and Dragonite |
| Eeveelutions and Ditto | Lickitung | Articuno |
| Zapdos | Moltres | Venusaur |
| Charizard | Blastoise | Persian and Mawile |
| Lickitung and Primeape | Gengar ex and Golbat |
Rental Decks
| All Rental Decks | ||
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| Venusaur ex Rental Deck | Charizard ex Rental Deck | Blastoise ex Rental Deck |
| Pikachu ex Rental Deck | Mewtwo ex Rental Deck | Machamp ex Rental Deck |
| Nidoking and Nidoqueen Rental Deck | Kanto Fossils Rental Deck | Koga Rental Deck |
| Brock Rental Deck | Blaine Rental Deck | Lt. Surge Rental Deck |
Starter Decks
| All Starter Decks | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pinsir Starter Deck | Rapidash Starter Deck | Sandslash Starter Deck |
