Since Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket’s Space-Time Smackdown expansion launched in January, we’ve forged ironclad defenses with Dialga ex, washed our opponents away with Palkia ex, and shocked opponents with Darkrai ex and Magnezone. Now, it’s time to look at the fiery potential of Infernape ex, a Stage 2 Pokémon ex that boasts a free retreat cost and the devastating Flare Blitz attack, which does 140 damage for just Energy. The catch? Flare Blitz requires you to discard all Energy attached to Infernape ex after launching the attack, making it a tricky Pokémon to center your strategy around. Read on to learn how to best support this fully evolved first partner Pokémon from the Sinnoh region.

As a Stage 2 Pokémon, Infernape ex needs a considerable amount of time to come online before it can start doling out one-hit Knock Outs with its Flare Blitz attack. Traditionally, setting up for a Stage 2 Pokémon might call for a “wall” Pokémon such as Druddigon to tank hits in the Active Spot, but since Infernape ex’s Flare Blitz attack requires you to discard all Energy from Infernape ex when you attack with it, you’ll want Energy acceleration in play as soon as possible. Moltres ex fits this role perfectly—in the Active Spot, it can tank hits and fulfill the Energy-acceleration role with its Inferno Dance attack. You’ll need to flip a few coins, but landing just one heads can make the difference between earning Knock Outs with Infernape ex or coming up short on Energy. Once you start attaching Energy with Moltres ex’s Inferno Dance, you can use the Dawn Supporter card to provide flexibility with Energy attachments. If your opponent has a low HP Pokémon in the Active Spot, you can potentially take an early Knock Out with Moltres ex’s Heat Blast attack if you move one of the Energy from a Benched Pokémon to Moltres ex. Later in the game, you can even use Dawn to move Energy to instantly power up an Infernape ex that just had to discard all its Energy, surprising your opponent with two consecutive Flare Blitz attacks.

Game plan: The plan of attack with Infernape ex is simple, so the main strategy involves making sure that it’s set up with all the Energy it needs to attack with Flare Blitz. Flare Blitz’s 140 damage is high, but it’s still not high enough to one-hit KO high-HP Pokémon ex, and with its Energy discard requirement being exceptionally steep, you want to make sure you’re landing one-hit Knock Outs as often as you can. Attach Rocky Helmet to your Active Pokémon during the early game to ensure that you’re dealing damage to your opponent’s Pokémon before you start blitzing their HP. And don’t forget about Sabrina or Cyrus—these Supporters are key in chasing down important targets on your opponent’s Bench.

Enjoy getting fired up with Infernape, Trainers!