Managing your opponent’s cards is key in a game like Pokémon TCG Pocket, and Gengar ex is the perfect deck to do this with. This deck focuses on controlling Supporters and inflicting Special Conditions, and it’s a lot of fun to play as well.
Here’s the best Gengar ex Pokémon TCG Pocket deck build list, going over every card you need to build the deck, how it all works in a match, and the overall strengths and weaknesses of the deck.
Best Gengar ex Pokémon Pocket deck list
While it may not be a meta-breaking deck in Pokémon TCG Pocket, Gengar ex is fun to play and offers plenty of utility. With the right Pokémon and Supporters alongside it, this creepy critter can tackle some of the heaviest hitters in Pocket.
For our Gengar ex deck list, we’ve focused on adding extra damage output and Special Condition support in the form of Jynx and the Drowzee line respectively, since Gengar ex often needs back-up options in the current Pocket meta. There are also plenty of Supporters further down the list to offer even more control and to help you play as disruptively as possible.
All of the cards in the Gengar ex deck list are relatively easy to obtain, with the exception being Gengar ex, thanks to its higher rarity. Look for this card by opening Mewtwo Genetic Apex booster packs specifically, or by spending your Pack Points.
If you can’t find two Gengar ex cards for this list, you can swap in a regular Gengar in a pinch. It’s not quite as powerful, with its only attack being a 50 damage Supporter block, but it’s a manageable substitution if you make sure to include another heavy-hitter alongside it, like Mewtwo ex.
While our list is powerful and offers tools to deal with most of the top decks in the game, it’s worth experimenting with card swaps and quantity adjustments to find a list that works for you. Everyone’s preferred playstyle is different, so if you want to drop a few Supporters or include a card of a different type, go for it.
While running a monotype deck does come with the risk of matching into a bad type counter, it’s very useful when it comes to Energy management. Multi-Energy decks have to rely on random Energy appearing during the game, while Gengar ex can thrive with just Psychic-type tokens.
There are several iterations of a powerful Gengar ex Pocket deck in the current meta, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Some popular cards to bring alongside Gengar ex in the place of the Drowzee line or Jynx are:
- The Pidgeot line, for the Drive Off ability and secondary damage
- Kangaskhan, for cheap, stacking damage
- Farfetch’d, for cheap, early-game damage
- Mewtwo, for a heavy-hitting attack
- Mewtwo ex, for strong damage output
- An additional Red Card Supporter, for further control over your opponent
Adding Dark-type ‘mons like Zubat and Golbat into the mix can also be interesting, helping to mitigate any tricky type match-ups and providing further damage.
If you’re planning to play Gengar ex and have any of the cards listed above kicking around in your collection, it’s worth your time to experiment and try out a few different iterations so you end up with a deck list that fits your personal preferences.
How the Gengar ex deck works in Pokémon TCG Pocket
Gengar ex is, unsurprisingly, the star of the show when it comes to this deck. Its Shadowy Spellbind ability means your opponent can’t use any of their Supporter cards, while Spooky Shot deals 100 damage for three Energy.
Spooky Shot isn’t enough to one-shot most late-game critters in Pocket, but Gengar ex having 170 HP means it’s more of a stall Pokémon than an offensive Pokémon. Most opponents won’t be able to get rid of this card in one hit, so you have multiple turns to block Supporters and deal damage.
To get the most value out of Gengar ex, secondary attackers and disruptors are needed. The Drowzee line offers extra value with Hypno having a coin flip ability called Sleep Pendulum that puts the opponent to sleep, while Jynx has stacking damage that can deal with high-Energy opponents.
Alongside the Pokémon in this list, there are plenty of Supporters to help do as much damage as possible. Some are set-up Supporters, like Poké Ball and Professor’s Research, while others, like Sabrina and Red Card, are there to purely cause havoc.
Strengths and weaknesses
One immediate strength to highlight about this deck is the ability to neutralize an opponent’s Supporter roster with the Shadowy Spellbind ability.
Supporters are important in the standard version of the Pokémon TCG, but they’re even more essential when it comes to Pocket, thanks to the small deck size and need to set up quickly. Having two Gengar ex cards in play means your opponent can struggle to get their strategy off the ground. Additionally, having access to a sleep ability via Hypno is immensely valuable. Sleep is arguably the most overpowered Special Condition in Pokémon TCG Pocket, with the potential to completely put an opponent out of commission if they get unlucky.
The variety of Supporters in the list offer plenty of flexibility, too. If a match starts going in your opponent’s favor, you can use Sabrina to switch out a key Pokémon and swing the odds back in your direction.
That being said, Gengar ex does face some issues. One of the main issues with this deck is its damage output doesn’t quite stack up when compared to other decks in the Pocket meta. Decks like Mewtwo ex or Starmie ex can stomp Gengar ex when it comes to numbers alone.
Additionally, being a monotype deck means Gengar ex players are at a severe disadvantage if they come across a Dark-type deck. These decks aren’t uncommon in Pocket, which can make playing online matches tricky with Gengar ex.
Despite this, Gengar ex is still a worthwhile deck. This list combines board control with a variety of potential damage sources, and it’s a lot of fun to play as well. If you’re a Pocket player and you’ve never tried this deck before, build it in game today and see whether it fits your playstyle.
