By Xander Pero, Contributing Writer

The Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames expansion has reintroduced type-shifted Pokémon into the Pokémon TCG for the first time since Delta Species Pokémon first ran amok in the EX Delta Species expansion. This time around, type-shifted Pokémon are shining bright as Tera Pokémon ex…but with a key difference from their Delta Species counterparts. In the case of Tera Pokémon ex, attacks are fueled by Energy matching their traditional type, rather than the type they’ve shifted into. At the forefront of these type-shifted Pokémon is none other than the Darkness-type Charizard ex, a powerful card with an aesthetic that is reminiscent of the classic Charizard Star from the Dragon Frontiers expansion but boasting a special type of firepower that’s all its own. Let’s learn more about the strength of Charizard ex and how to start your infernal reign.

First Kindling

There are a few reasons why Charizard ex is strong. To begin with, its Darkness typing can hit popular powerful contenders such as Mew VMAX and Gardevoir ex for Weakness, resulting in easy one-hit Knock Outs. And unlike Pokémon VSTAR or Pokémon VMAX, Charizard ex evolves from Charmander and Charmeleon, which give up only a single Prize card. Finally, Charizard ex has a bulky 330 HP, meaning that most decks cannot Knock Out Charizard ex in a single attack. With a strong initial setup, Charizard ex can run away with the game before other decks even have a chance.

Despite all that, Charizard ex does have its fair share of weaknesses. As is always the case, Stage 2 Pokémon require more work to establish than simpler methods of Evolution. If you can’t find Rare Candy plus Charizard ex in a timely manner, you’re in for a bad time. Moreover, Charizard ex’s attack needs to ramp up damage to Knock Out high-priority targets. Unlike other decks, Charizard ex doesn’t have an inherent way to fix poor math if an attack is just short of a Knock Out. Other popular decks have cards that offer this kind of damage flexibility, such as Power Tablet in Mew VMAX decks and Sableye’s Lost Mine attack in Lost Zone-oriented decks.

Here's a sample list for Charizard ex:

Pokémon

Now, let’s dive into how this deck functions. We have our main attacker, Charizard ex, alongside its two sidekicks Arceus VSTAR and Pidgeot ex. Anyone familiar with these cards might be anticipating how this will work out: Arceus VSTAR’s Starbirth Ability can be used to set up Pidgeot ex, whose Quick Search Ability can find a piece to set up Charizard ex. If Rare Candy or an out to Charizard ex is already in hand before Starbirth, then a board of Arceus VSTAR, Charizard ex, and Pidgeot ex is fully set up on turn two! With Charizard ex’s Infernal Reign Ability, we can power up Arceus VSTAR or Charizard ex and begin attacking.

This combo is extremely powerful—when it can be pulled off. In fact, it’s why Arceus VSTAR and Pidgeot ex are included in the first place. Using that combination, we have both the explosiveness of a second-turn Starbirth, as well as the longevity of Quick Search throughout all future turns. If an opponent decides to chase after Pidgeot ex, they aren’t dealing with our main attackers, so it’s a beneficial situation either way.

Radiant Charizard and Mew both fill a certain niche. Mew can improve the odds of the second-turn combo by providing an out to Rare Candy or Ultra Ball. Radiant Charizard can also fulfill the Radiant Pokémon slot and can close out the game in a similar fashion to Charizard ex. With Choice Belt, Radiant Charizard can swing for 280 damage, which is the perfect number against most Pokémon VSTAR.

Trainers

When it comes to Trainers, we can see healthy counts of Item-based Pokémon search cards. Most popular decks are outfitted with four copies of Battle VIP Pass, and this one is no different. Assuming we started with either Arceus V, Pidgey, or Charmander, Battle VIP Pass can fetch the other two Basic Pokémon in the trio. This is especially powerful when going first, as the opponent might not be able to Knock Out one on their first turn. On top of that, four copies of Ultra Ball, Rare Candy, and two Nest Ball contribute towards overall consistency in establishing Stage 2 Pokémon.

The remaining Item cards can turn the tide of battle with a timely Quick Search. Super Rod, Lost Vacuum, and Escape Rope can be especially useful with good timing to remove opposing win conditions. For example, Super Rod and Escape Rope can help set up another attacker or move a trapped Active Pokémon when Fire Energy is running low. Lost Vacuum can be used offensively or defensively to remove an opponent’s Pokémon Tool. However, you may end up using it as an additional out against Path to the Peak often, as that card shuts down all your powerful Abilities.

Moreover, Vitality Band and Choice Belt fix can push an attack’s damage over the edge to pick up a Knock Out. Choice Belt can help Arceus VSTAR and Radiant Charizard reach 230 and 280 damage, respectively. Vitality Band can also help Charizard ex reach 220 or 280 damage against pesky Pokémon ex that don’t take increased damage from Choice Belt. Importantly, these can both be found with Quick Search, otherwise it would be much harder to use them effectively.

The Supporter cards focus on our Stage 2-oriented strategy. Colress’s Experiment is a preferred alternative to Professor’s Research, because with it, discarding important pieces such as Rare Candy or Charizard ex can be avoided during the hunt for the second piece. Iono also doesn’t discard cards, meaning that unwanted Fire Energy goes back into the deck for Infernal Reign. It also provides good late-game coverage against opposing large hand sizes. Boss’s Orders needs no introduction—it’s a good card!

Jacq is a niche Supporter card akin to the Adventurer’s Discovery common in other Arceus VSTAR decks. If Arceus VSTAR is in play, combo pieces in hand aren’t needed to set up Pidgeot ex and Charizard ex! If Jacq and Rare Candy are grabbed with Starbirth, Jacq can then be used to search for Charizard ex and Pidgeot ex, Rare Candy to evolve into Pidgeot ex, Quick Search for another Rare Candy, then we can finally evolve into Charizard ex. Each of these sequences may seem like a lot, but you can get the hang of it with practice.

The last key element of the Trainer cards is the Stadiums. Having enough Stadiums to remove Path to the Peak from play is important since it shuts down the deck’s core strategy and Energy acceleration capabilities. Artazon can aid in the initial setup, which is arguably the most important part of the game. Then, Magma Basin can provide late-game support in powering up Radiant Charizard without the use of Infernal Reign. In any case, its effect might not be used in every game, but it serves as an additional counter-Stadium to take out Path to the Peak.

Energy

Let’s take a look at Energy. Considering that the main attacker uses and accelerates Fire Energy, eight should be enough to last the game (with the occasional help of Super Rod). Having two Double Turbo Energy is interesting, though: it provides the insurance of a second-turn Trinity Nova in case Charizard ex cannot be set up. Consider what would happen if we only played Fire Energy—we would need to set up Charizard ex on turn two to attack with either Arceus VSTAR or Charizard ex. However, Double Turbo Energy can be manually attached to Arceus VSTAR twice as a fallback. Of course, its damage will be reduced by 20, but that may or may not matter depending on the Defending Pokémon. Any attack is better than no attack!

Strategy Seminar

Here are a few tips to remember when playing the deck.

1. Either Arceus VSTAR or Charizard ex can be used to attack at the start of the game, although Arceus VSTAR is preferable. Unlike in other decks that include Arceus VSTAR, Trinity Nova is not the main method of Energy acceleration. Because of this, it is important to make sure a Charizard ex is saved for use later in the game. If only Charizard ex is used to attack, then it might not be possible to set up a third Charizard ex if the first two are Knocked Out. Lead with Arceus VSTAR, however, and only two Charizard ex will need to be set up.

2. Try to acquire cards with Colress’s Experiment or Mew before using Quick Search, because you might find what you’re looking for naturally using either of these methods. This isn’t always the case with Iono because the original hand is lost. If Rare Candy is handy but Charizard ex is needed, it could be better to use Quick Search to grab Charizard ex before playing Iono. If not, there’s a chance neither Rare Candy nor Charizard ex will be drawn with Iono, and therefore attacking will be impossible.

3. Unless they are needed to set up, save Stadiums or Lost Vacuum as counters to Path to the Peak. Artazon is a useful Stadium for setting up, but if the necessary Basic Pokémon are already in play, then putting it in play could be useful for the opponent. Moreover, if the opponent plays Path to the Peak and it can’t be replaced, then important Abilities such as Quick Search, Infernal Reign, and Starbirth can’t be used. Weigh the pros and cons before putting a Stadium in play.

4. If you’re just short of Knocking Out the Active Pokémon, look to use Boss’s Orders to keep taking Prize cards instead. For example, let’s say the opponent has an Active Giratina VSTAR and has taken two Prize cards. An attack with Burning Darkness would only hit for 240 damage, which doesn’t Knock Out Giratina VSTAR. Wouldn’t it be nice if an opponent only had two Prize cards remaining so that Burning Darkness would hit for 300 damage? Well, play Boss’s Orders to Knock Out Giratina V or some other Pokémon, then if the opponent Knocks Out Charizard ex, come back with another Charizard ex and Knock Out the Giratina VSTAR.

Other Options

A key factor in Charizard ex’s strength is its versatility. Here, I’ve decided to focus on it as the main attacker, but Infernal Reign can accelerate Energy to any Pokémon. To that end, include other Fire-type or Colorless-type attackers. A few you might want to try are Volcarona V, Delphox V, Wyrdeer V, and Snorlax. Keep in mind that Charizard ex is also a valuable attacker. If the attacker being accelerating to is worth less than Charizard ex, it may be better to put those Energy on Charizard ex and attack with it instead. Burning Darkness is strong by itself!

Charizard ex is a powerful force to be reckoned with. With its large HP total, strong attack, and advantageous typing, it can overwhelm many popular decks in the Standard format. It can also be incredibly fun to set up your full board on turn two using Starbirth, Quick Search, and Infernal Reign. If you’re looking for a simple yet effective deck to pick up, then give Charizard ex a try!

For more Pokémon TCG strategy and analysis, keep checking Pokemon.com/Strategy.