The Extradimensional Crisis set has brought in a handful of EX cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket but how do they fare in the meta, with many impactful Trainer cards in the equation?
Let’s take a crack at every EX card in the new Ultra Beast-dominated set and lay out how to use them in battles!
Tapu Koko EX isn’t too bulky (130 HP) when you consider the HP standards of modern EX cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket. Thankfully, it’s quite Energy-efficient as it can function well early or late game.
At only 1 Energy, Tapu Koko EX does 20 DMG and takes 1 free Energy for itself. This means that by the second turn after it starts attacking, Tapu Koko EX is ready to hit the 3 Energy, 90 DMG Mach Bolt.
What’s more, if you have Zeraora as a partner on the Bench, you can use its Thunderclap Flash ability to generate 1 Energy for itself, which you can transfer to another Tapu Koko EX or some other Lightning Pokémon via Dawn. With Tapu Koko EX only having a retreat cost of 1 Energy, you can devote each turn’s Energy gains to other mons.
Not to mention, losing another Lightning type can bring 1 Energy each to two of your Benched Pokémon using the new Electrical Cord Pokémon Tool. Shining Revelry Pikachu EX is also a good partner for delivering high burst damage.
Overall, you can put a lot of pressure on the opponent through these Energy transfers. Be sure to include Giant Cape and healing support through Potions or Pokémon Center Lady for longevity.
Alolan Dugtrio EX is a double-edged sword. It has a 2 Energy move called Triple Headbutt (apt!) that makes you flip a coin thrice. For each heads, you do 60 DMG, resulting in an ideal case of 180 DMG!
That’s honestly insane if you are lucky enough to achieve 3 heads. On the other hand, you may also do 0 DMG if you don’t find any heads at all (LOL). It’s all RNG!
As such, this card can get you instant wins or a crushing loss. Alolan Dugtrio EX doesn’t even have high HP (only 130 HP) so you frankly can’t afford to get 0 DMG or even just 60 DMG in many cases. I won’t recommend this for Ranked.
The poster Pokémon and the Immersive card of the Extradimensional Crisis pack, Buzzwole EX is a powerful UB that makes the buffed Grass meta from Celestial Guardians even stronger.
This 140 HP card (170 HP with Leaf Cape) deals 30 DMG at 2 Energy but with 3 Energy, Big Beat inflicts 120 DMG.
You can’t use Big Beat in the next turn but there are a couple of fixes to this tech:
- You can use Leaf to retreat Buzzwole EX with an alternate Ultra Beast and then bring Buzzwole EX back to the Active Spot.
- Using Celesteela, swap Buzzwole EX with a UB that has 1 Energy retreat cost (Kartana/Pheromosa), give the turn’s Energy to Kartana/Pheromosa, retreat, and bring back Buzzwole EX with a rejuvenated Big Beat.
- Retreat with one Celesteela and bring Buzzwole EX back to the Active with another Celesteela on the Bench.
Backed with recovery from Erika and Leaf Cape’s +30 HP, it’s quite a challenge to take out Buzzwole EX. Not to mention, if one of your other Pokémon is KO’d, you can use Lusamine to go straight from 1 Energy to 3 Energy on Buzzwole EX.
One of the most popular Ultra Beasts is a card that many are eager to pull in Pokémon TCG Pocket: Guzzlord EX!
This glutton monster is extremely bulky at 170 HP and is another Darkness type in the mix. Its first attack, Grindcore, does 30 DMG for 2 Energy. Additionally, you flip and coin until you get tails and for each heads, it discards an Energy from the target. So, this move essentially has the Team Rocket Grunt Trainer card tech added to it!
Its other attack, Tyrannical Hole, dishes out 120 DMG but for a whopping 4 Energy! However, with Lusamine in tow, getting the Energy count isn’t too difficult! Also, this UB has an ugly retreat cost of 4 Energy. Hence, including Celesteela to Guzzlord EX decks is a must.
Guzzlord EX can be combined with Celesteela and Nihilego to form a solid deck. However, you can add the Naganadel line to improve your damage output and deliver early attacks.
Guzzlord EX • Celesteela • Nihilego • Naganadel • Popplio is one of the two major Ultra Beast decks in the Extradimensional Crisis meta, the other being Buzzwole EX • Celesteela • Pheromosa • Kartana. Needless to say, Lusamine is vital to the success of these decks, and adding Beastite Pokémon Tool and Beast Wall Item cards is recommended.
Silvally and good ol’ brute Rampardos are dominating the Fighting-type meta. Lucario EX and regular Lucario and the occasional Passimian EX are there. And when it comes to Lycanroc, the Midnight Form from the Celestial Guardians set is sound.
Lycanroc EX does have potential though. If you draw Rockruff, you can use Signs of Evolution to pull Lycanroc EX and with just 3 Energy, you dish out an impressive 130 DMG. You discard an Energy on using the move but you can simply restore it the next turn.
Honestly, it is one of the better EX cards in Extradimensional Crisis in terms of stats. 150 HP (170 HP with Giant Cape), 130 DMG (150 DMG w/Red against EX Pokémon), and 2 Energy retreat cost are all very nice. It can hold the Active Spot while you evolve Rampardos on the Bench. Aerodactyl EX is also a viable partner to prevent oppo from evolving on the Active Spot.
This card works and when used well, is a match-winning Pokémon.
Ultra Necrozma EX is not exactly an Ultra Beast but is thematically considered as one in Pokémon Sun and Moon. Anyway, this card is… awkward. Being a Dragon type, it has multiple Energies and in this case, it’s Psychic and Metal. Yes, theoretically you can run Giratina EX with Lunala EX, adding Dawn, Celesteela, and Lusamine to the mix. Even Gardeboir works. But overall, there are a lot of moving parts to make Ultra Necrozma EX click.
Shoegaze deals 120 DMG and discards the top 5 cards from each player’s deck. While that sounds great, there’s no way Ultra Necrozma EX is getting set up early. In fact, sometimes you will hardly have 5 cards left in your deck by the time this card is ready to roll. At times it can pick up steam and when it does, it is indeed deadly but it’s rather underwhelming when you you see most of the OG UBs in this set.
Happy collecting and battling, Pokémon TCG Pocket-ers!
