One of the most exciting cards to join the world of Pokémon TCG Pocket with the launch of Triumphant Light is Garchomp ex—a 170HP, Fighting-type beast with two unique attacks. It’s currently one of the most viable Fighting-type cards in the game.
Here, you’ll find a guide to the best Garchomp ex Pocket deck, including every card you need to build the deck, how it works in a match, and key strengths and weaknesses to watch out for when taking it into battles for the first time.
Best Garchomp ex Pocket deck build list
This Pocket deck list focuses on the Garchomp line, with Garchomp ex being the primary source of damage. This card has two different forms of damage—a slightly expensive 100 damage attack and a 50 damage attack that can hit anywhere on the field.
Alongside Garchomp ex, the Lucario line offers a boost to Fighting-type damage, while Marshadow acts as an equalizer, and Sudowoodo helps with early-game management against ex-heavy decks. There are a fair number of Pokémon in the deck, but they all serve a purpose.
One of the most important Supporters in this list is Cyrus, letting you switch in an opponent’s card if it has damage on it. As the damage output from this deck isn’t quite high enough to result in many One Hit Knock Outs, it’s a valuable tool to have at your disposal.
To work alongside the variety of critters in this deck, we’ve also included both a Giant Cape and a copy of Pokémon Communication. The former helps to keep early-game pulls like Riolu and Gible alive, while the latter helps to add extra draw power alongside both the Poké Ball and Professor’s Research.
The majority of the cards that you’ll need for this deck come from a variety of different sets, like Triumphant Light and Space-Time Smackdown, which means that new players may struggle to get enough Pack Points or Pack Hourglasses if they want to build it.
Luckily, there are plenty of variants to work with that can still put Garchomp ex in the best position possible during a match.
If you’re looking for alternate Garchomp ex lists to build in Pocket, some of the more popular inclusions are as follows:
- Hitmonlee for additional Fighting-type damage that can reach anywhere on the field
- Druddigon for an easy setup process and wall, thanks to the Rough Skin Ability
- Giovanni for a small boost of additional damage to take out mid-health cards
- Farfetch’d for Colorless, early-game damage
- The Aerodactyl ex line to block crucial evolutions and get a cheap, heavy-hitting attack
- Mars for additional disruption and chaos against strong pairings
A copy of Sabrina is worth experimenting with as well if you prefer a disruptive style of play. Cyrus pairs perfectly with this deck’s damage style, but an extra way to switch out an opponent’s card will always come in handy.
How it works
Garchomp ex is a high-HP tank with two key damage sources—Linear Attack and Dragon Claw. Linear Attack works as a Bench sniping tool, dealing 50 damage to one of your opponent’s cards. This can be their Active or a Benched ‘mon.
The other attack on the Garchomp ex card is Dragon Claw. It’s a standard 100 damage attack that’s fairly unremarkable, but with the addition of Lucario’s Fighting Coach Ability (Adding +20 damage to Fighting-type attacks), it can still deal meaningful damage.
Lucario also has the attack Submarine Blow, dealing 40 base damage but stacking up to 60 with its Ability in play.
Sudowoodo is an ideal card to have in the early stages of the game to swing the odds in your favor if you end up battling against an ex card. The attack Fighting Headbutt deals 20 base damage for one Fighting-type Energy, but stacks up to 50 damage if the opponent’s Active is a Pokémon ex.
The final Pokémon to note is Marshadow. This critter acts as an equalizer, dealing 40 base damage but stacking an extra 60 on top if one of your cards was Knocked Out in the previous turn. It’s a great way to rebalance a match in your favor if you’ve lost a key card.
To help you get Garchomp ex and the other damage dealers into position quickly, there are plenty of interesting Supporters to work with here.
Leaf helps with cutting Retreat Costs where needed, which can be ideal for resetting a bad early game hand, while Poké Ball, Professor’s Research, and Pokémon Communication help with much-needed draw power. In decks with more than two evolutionary chains, draw power should be a focus while building decks.
Cyrus gives you a level of control over the opponent, moving their damaged critters around with ease, while the Giant Cape helps you beef up cards like Garchomp ex to make them nearly unstoppable.
Strengths and weaknesses
One of the best things about this deck is that it has multiple sources of damage on offer, enhanced with Lucario’s Ability. You can deal damage via Garchomp ex—and even Gabite in the early game— or deal 60 damage chunks with Lucario, or even rely on Sudowoodo.
The ability to snipe opponents with Garchomp ex cannot be overlooked, either. At the time of writing, Linear Attack is one of the best attacks in the game in terms of sniping, dealing 50 damage a pop and potentially removing crucial Basic cards from the earlier stages of a match.
Marshadow is always a valuable card to have on hand in a Fighting-type deck. Even if you can’t score a Knock Out with this card after losing one of your Pokémon, 100 damage for just two Energy Tokens is valuable and can swing the tables back in your favor.
This deck struggles to match high-damage output lists, though, prioritizing survivability and adaptability over brutal hits. Its damage isn’t bad by any means, but it can’t compete with decks like Palkia ex or Charizard ex in terms of One Hit Knock Out potential.
There is some set up required here, too. Gachomp ex takes a little time to get into position, and Riolu isn’t particularly useful until it evolves, either. The addition of Sudowoodo and, in some cases, Druddigon, can help to manage this, but it’s not as quick to get ready as other decks like Infernape ex.
When it comes to type pairings, Garchomp ex is in a decent position but still at risk of running into Psychic-type heavy hitters like Mewtwo ex or Cynthia decks with a Togekiss build. Pyschic-type decks are in a great position in Pocket right now, so you’ll likely come across a few while playing.
Don’t let that dissuade you from trying a Garchomp ex deck, though. This deck has a unique playstyle and can be a lot of fun to play, so take our list for a spin if you’ve got Pack Points to spare after opening Triumphant Light.
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