The Space-Time Smackdown expansion set introduced a slew of interesting new cards into Pokémon TCG Pocket. One Pokémon ex card that stands out from this era of the game is Gallade ex—with the right deck list, this Fighting-type card can be unstoppable in the current meta.
Here, you’ll find the best Gallade ex deck list for Pocket post-Shining Revelry, including a full card list, a breakdown of how the deck works, and its overall strengths and weaknesses. We’ve also included some easy swaps to help you build the deck with what you have.
Best Gallade ex Pocket deck list
This Pocket deck features mostly Space-Time Smackdown cards, focusing on Gallade ex as the predominant source of damage and tankiness. A couple of new Supporters from Shining Revelry have been added for extra support and damage.
Thanks to Energized Blade, Gallade ex is a great pick to use against opponents who require high Energy counts for their attacks.
Alongside Gallade ex and its evolutionary chain, there are two other key critters in the card list. Druddigon is a setup tool that helps Gallade ex get into position and chip away at the opponent, while the singular copy of Marshadow acts as an equalizer with Revenge.
As with most meta-friendly Pocket lists, plenty of Supporters, Items, and Pokémon Tools are in this list to help get Gallade ex Energized and ready to go. Pokémon Center Lady helps with healing in the early game and avoiding Knock Outs, while Red helps to boost damage dealt.
The addition of two copies of Cyrus means you can create a little chaos for your opponents during the match by dragging injured ‘mons back onto the field, while Leaf and the singular copy of Giant Cape help mitigate any heavy-hitting attacks coming your way.
If you’re looking to put a spin on this list or you’re low on the necessary cards, plenty of helpful variants are worth looking at. Some are more F2P-friendly than others, while some inclusions simply prioritize a different style of play.
Some popular inclusions for an alternate variant of a Gallade ex deck are:
- The Lucario line from Space-Time Smackdown for an additional burst of Fighting-type damage
- Mew ex for its Genome Hacking attack, letting you use an opponent’s damage against them
- Blue for a buff to survivability and tankiness
- The Porygon-Z line for extra chaos and disruption
- Sabrina for a deeper layer of control over the board
- An additional copy of Marshadow for further use of Revenge in tricky matches
- Rocky Helmet for extra damage and protection while setting up
If you’re hoping to make a swap or experiment with card quantities, we’d suggest swapping out a copy of Leaf from our list. While this card is important to have—we wouldn’t recommend getting rid of both—losing one copy for another pick won’t disrupt the overall strategy of the list.
How the Gallade ex deck works
Gallade ex has the attack Energized Blade which deals 70 base damage and an additional 20 damage for every Energy Token attached to the opponent’s Active. Against high-Energy decks like Gyarados ex, this can be a game-changing attack.
The aim of the game here is to get Gallade ex evolved and into position as fast as you can. Druddigon helps to take initial damage in the early stages of the match with Rough Skin, dealing 20 damage each time it gets hit and letting you evolve your Ralts and Kirlia safely.
We added a copy of Marshadow to use if you end up losing a Pokémon in the earlier stages of the match. Revenge deals 40 base damage but an additional 60 if one of your ‘mons was Knocked Out the previous term, which can help you catch back up in points quickly.
The ideal board set-up is two Gallade ex, a Druddigon, and a Marshadow, but it is possible to still deal lethal damage without every critter on the board.
With the freedom of movement from Leaf, the healing from Pokémon Center Lady, and the control offered by Cyrus, you can cycle and manage the playing field easily, retreating when needed and dragging injured opponents out for easy points.
Make sure to use your copy of Red when you pull it, too. This new Supporter helps to boost damage dealt against ex Pokémon cards, adding +20 to the total, making it easier to score a Knock Out against opponents with higher HP pools like Gyarados ex.
When you build this deck, make sure to set the Energy Tokens as just Fighting. There’s no need to have Psychic Energy Tokens generating, as the Energy costs in the list ask for just Fighting or Colorless, but the deck builder will automatically slot them in which can be detrimental in a match.
Strengths and weaknesses
Being able to stack up damage based on an opponent’s Energy count is a huge bonus in Pocket‘s current meta. Decks like Celebi ex thrive with high Energy counts, but Energized Blade can make quick work of them if you can get Gallade ex in position fast enough.
Gallade ex is on the tankier side in terms of HP, meaning you won’t encounter too many Pokémon that can get rid of it in one go. With the low Retreat Cost and two copies of Leaf in the list, it’s possible to cycle your ‘mons quickly and avoid any Knock Outs.
There are several win conditions with this deck. While Gallade ex is the star of the show, Marshadow can score easy Knock Outs in the early stages of the match, and Druddigon can apply chip damage as well. If you end up misplaying your first turn, there are enough tools to help you bounce back.
That being said, one of the key issues that Gallade ex faces is that it’s easy to disrupt. If an opponent has any Bench-sniping capabilities, all they theoretically need to do is get rid of two copies of Ralts. Pokémon like Greninja and Zebstrika can be a big issue for this deck.
Additionally, Fighting-type decks can face difficulties in Pocket’s current competitive scene thanks to being at a severe type disadvantage.
Despite having lots of high-Energy opponents to pick off with Energized Blade in the current meta, there are also plenty of Psychic-type decks to consider, like Mewtwo ex and Mew ex. They’re not impossible to beat, of course, but it’ll be an uphill battle.
If you’re willing to take that risk and bet on the Blade Pokémon, though, the deck is worth experimenting with. It’s punchy and incredibly rewarding once you nail the timing, and it’s a great way to use up any Space-Time Smackdown Pack Points you’ve got kicking around.
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