The Gen 1 Flying-type trio has reached new levels of power in the Pokemon TCG Pocket, as the Mythical Island set has turned Pidgeot ex into a top-tier deck.
The Pidgey line was decent during Pokemon Pocket’s Genetic Apex era, thanks to Pidgeot’s Drive Off Ability acting like a free Sabrina each turn. The problem was the line’s weakness to Electric moves when Pikachu ex ran rampant across the game.
However, a new trio of Pidgey cards made its way into Mythcial Island and its mighty Pidgeot ex is one of the best Pokemon in the game to build a deck around.
Pokemon TCG Pocket Pidgeot ex Best Deck
A Pidgeot ex deck is filled with Normal Pokemon, backed up by a handful of Supporters and some staple Items. These are the best cards for a Pidgeot ex deck:
Pidgeot ex deck strategies
The main crux of the Pidgeot ex deck is getting it out on the field, which will take a few turns. As soon as the opponent spots a Pidgey on the Bench, they’ll know what’s up, and this may curb their use of Basic Pokemon.
Pidgeot ex’s Scattering Cyclone attack deals 80 damage on its own, plus an additional 20 per Pokemon on the opponent’s Bench. This means the attack can do a maximum of 140 damage in a single attack!
Pidgeot ex really screws over Pikachu ex decks, as those require a full Bench. Similarly, Celebi ex decks also have to be afraid, as they rely on a Serperior on the Bench to pull off the best combo.
This is why the Pokemon Flute card fits so well into this deck, as it can be used to throw a defeated Basic back onto their Bench to boost Pidgeot ex’s attack.
Outside of Pidgeot ex, there’s also the new Eevee from the Mythical Island set. This has already been called an OP card by the fans, due to how it can deal ridiculous damage from its attack, which has no damage cap. This is a very splashable card for a Pidgeot ex deck.
There’s also the new Tauros, whose Fighting Tackle deals 120 damage to an ex Pokemon. This can be extremely deadly to lots of top-tier decks, such as Mew ex and Mewtwo ex, as they rely heavily on ex Pokemon.
Outside of Pokemon, there are the standard draw cards, like Poke Ball and Professor’s Research. Sabrina is also useful, especially when combined with Tauros, as it can force the opponent to bring out their ex Pokemon for a punch to the gut.
Finally, there is X-Speed, which can remove the Retreat Cost for nearly every Pokemon in the deck. This means you can have a free escape route to stop an opponent from KO’ing your Active Pokemon, or just throw a Tauros or Pidgeot ex into the fray where they’re needed.
The strategy for a Pidgeot ex deck is to get it on the field as quickly as possible, along with a Tauros, and use Items/Supporters to influence the enemy’s Active spot and Bench to maximize the damage as much as possible.
Weaknesses
One of the biggest threats to Pidgeot ex is Aerodactyl ex. Not only can this fossil Pokemon prevent evolutions in the Active spot, but it utilizes Fighting Pokemon, which are strong against Eevee and Tauros.
Vaporeon decks can also be a nightmare to face, due to how quickly they can get Energy onto the field. Normal monsters don’t have any cards that quickly provide them with Energy. This means Misty and Vaporeon can quickly empower an Articuno or Gyarados ex before you can get set up.
While Pidgeot ex might dismantle Pikachu ex, there’s also Raichu to consider. A Raichu bolstered by a Giovanni can one-shot Pidgeot ex with Thunderbolt. This would be a risky play, as it wipes Raichu’s energy, but it would be worth it to take down a Pidgeot ex worth two Points.
For more information about Pokemon TCG Pocket, check out our guide on trading, or head over and read about every promo card currently available in the game.