A brand-new set of ex starter decks for the Pokémon Trading Card Game was recently revealed to be released in Japan later this year. This set, known as Ex Starter Deck: Generations, features many brand-new ex cards that put a spotlight on numerous Pokémon from across all nine generations. Each deck is tied to one specific generation, celebrating all the incredible Pokémon that can be found in Kanto, Unova, Paldea, and beyond.
The set includes nine unique decks, each featuring one Legendary Pokémon, with the only exception being the Generation 1 deck having the Pokémon series’ iconic mascot Pikachu instead. All the new decks are incredibly powerful, with each one having their own unique gimmicks with various Pokémon and useful items. Out of all the decks that are available in this set, the one that features Xerneas and Noivern is a clear standout among the rest due to both the strength and clever tactics it utilizes.
Xerneas And Noivern Are Two Incredibly Powerful Ex Pokémon
The Two Strongest Attackers In This Gen 6 Deck
The first thing that is apparent about the Xerneas and Noivern deck is how powerful its ex cards are, and Noivern absolutely stands out, firstly due to its high 270 health points, allowing it to endure many powerful attacks. Its first attack, Strafe, deals a decent 50 points of damage while also allowing players to switch Noivern with one of their benched Pokémon, allowing for the execution of useful strategies. Furthermore, its second attack, Sonic Blast, is able to deal an immense 220 damage, making it able to knock out multiple other ex cards in a single hit.
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Xerneas is also a very powerful ex card, mainly due to the threat it poses to other ex Pokémon that are in play. Its first attack, Aurora Beam, deals the same amount of damage as Noivern’s Strafe attack. However, its second attack, Rising Horn, is where it truly shines, allowing Xerneas to deal 100 more damage to ex Pokémon, making its total a hard-hitting 220 damage. This deals the same amount of damage as Noivern’s Sonic Blast, but it can deal double that amount to fighting types like Lucario ex, ensuring that powerful threats are quickly taken care of.
An Incredible Ability That Can Instantly Turn The Tides Of Battle
Besides the ex cards, Sylveon is also a very notable card in this deck, primarily due to its ability rather than its attack power. Its ability Safeguard prevents Sylveon from taking any damage from ex Pokémon, which is very reminiscent of the ability possessed by the Mimikyu card from Paldea Evolved, which was a card that really impacted the TCG meta last year. This ability is incredibly useful, primarily against decks that heavily rely on ex Pokémon being the primary attackers, removing any opportunity of them being able to knock Sylveon out.
The deck also includes the Rocky Helmet card from the Scarlet & Violet set, and this particular card is a very useful item to have in play. When this card is attached to an active Pokémon that takes damage, the opponent’s active Pokémon takes twenty points of damage. This means that, if an opponent were to try to work around Sylveon’s Safeguard ability by trying to attack it with non-ex Pokémon, they still risk knocking out their own pocket monsters during their turn if they aren’t careful.
With all of these cards in mind, it is easy for players to utilize Noivern’s Strafe move to constantly switch between the other benched Pokémon they have available. Putting Sylveon in the active spot can put many opponents in a corner if they cannot find a way to damage it, allowing for enough time to give Xerneas the energy for its big Rising Horn attack. Once the player is ready, they can then retreat Sylveon to let Xerneas finish off the opponents and achieve victory.
Ultimately, Ex Starter Deck: Generations is set to bring numerous exciting cards to the table, especially with this Xerneas and Noivern deck. Their immensely powerful attacks, combined with an incredible ability from Sylveon that makes it almost untouchable, makes this deck an incredibly formidable one for opponents. Ultimately, when these decks finally release, it will be an exciting time for the Pokémon Trading Card Game competitive scene.
Pokemon
- Created by
- Satoshi Taijiri , Ken Sugimori , Junichi Masuda
Summary
Spanning over twenty-five years, Pokemon, known as Pocket Monsters in Japan, is the multimedia franchise created jointly by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. Conceptualized by Satoshi Tajiri in association with Ken Sugimori and Junichi Masuda, Pokemon is set in fictional worlds where people live together with tamable creatures known as Pokemon. Humans who catch, raise, and battle the creatures are known as Pokemon Trainers. They head out on extensive journeys across their continents to raise their Pokemon with the ultimate goal of competing in tournaments to become the champion. Pokemon spans several massive properties, from a long-running animated series to a successful trading card game, to the medium that started it all, video games. In addition, Pokemon began the “two-game” trend where two versions of a game would release and include different Pokemon/features between the versions, encouraging players to meet up with others and trade so they could “catch ’em all.”