Melmetal EX & Melmetal Deck Guide

Strategy Overview

Open Meltan and immediately start using Amass to accelerate Metal energy. Evolve into Melmetal EX as the main attacker, attaching Metal Core Barrier or Steel Apron for extra bulk and bonus damage on Metal Arms. Use regular Melmetal as a single-prize fallback wall, leaning on Pokémon Center Lady, Lucky Ice Pop and Training Area for sustain. Sabrina and Cyrus convert damage into clean knockouts.

Gameplay Video

Early Game

Bench multiple Meltan, attach Metal energy and use Amass to load up your attackers. On turn one with Melmetal EX & Melmetal, your priority is finding Melmetal EX or Melmetal so you can start attaching Metal energy on schedule. If you open with the wrong basic, search aggressively with Professor's Research or Poké Ball before committing energy you might waste. Bench every basic you intend to evolve as early as possible — Melmetal EX and Melmetal need time to come online, and an empty bench turn one usually loses you the tempo war. Preserve removal Supporters like Cyrus or Sabrina for the mid game; using them on turn one is rarely worth the lost draw. Against fast aggressive openings hinted at by your unfavored matchups (slow to fully online — melmetal ex needs 4 energy), bench a pivot so a surprise knockout on the active does not strand your evolution line.

Mid Game

Evolve into Melmetal EX with Tools attached, swing for 100+ damage and keep a regular Melmetal ready in the wings. By the mid game Melmetal EX & Melmetal should have Melmetal EX powered and at least one back-up attacker on the bench. This is the window where the deck's core engine — Melmetal EX, Melmetal, Meltan — has to actively trade prizes. Sequence your attacks so each knockout sets up the next: leave a damaged opposing Pokémon active for Cyrus, or use Sabrina to drag out a benched threat before it can power up. Track your prize trade carefully. Melmetal EX & Melmetal leans on the strengths "Melmetal EX hits hard with Metal Arms and is even stronger with a Tool attached" and "Regular Melmetal is a single-prize wall with strong damage output", so push the board state that maximises those lines rather than auto-attacking the active. If you fall behind on board, pivot to a single-prize attacker and use this turn to rebuild instead of giving up a multi-prize knockout.

Late Game

Stall behind heavy healing and damage reduction, then close with Cyrus + Melmetal EX for the final knockouts. Late game with Melmetal EX & Melmetal is about closing on your terms. Count your remaining prizes and the opponent's, then build the exact attack sequence that wins before they can stabilise. If you are ahead, deny the comeback: knock out their last realistic attacker or use Sabrina to strand a benched Pokémon that cannot retreat. If you are behind, look for an OHKO line using Melmetal EX — Melmetal EX & Melmetal typically wins from behind by chaining a single huge turn rather than grinding back evenly. Be ready to spend every remaining Supporter and energy on the closing turn; holding resources "just in case" after the prize race is decided is the most common way to throw a winning position with this deck.

Mulligan Guide & Opening Priorities

The ideal opener for Melmetal EX & Melmetal is Melmetal EX + Melmetal in hand with a way to attach Metal energy on the first turn. Mulligan decisions in Pokémon TCG Pocket are limited, so focus on what you keep: prioritise basics that evolve into your key attackers, plus at least one draw Supporter like Professor's Research or Iono. Hold onto Rare Candy or stage-up pieces even if they look dead early — they enable the explosive mid game this deck depends on. Preserve removal cards (Cyrus, Sabrina) for when the opponent has a damaged or vulnerable bench rather than spending them on the first available target.

Common Mistakes

• Benching Melmetal EX too early without protection, letting the opponent snipe your main attacker before it is powered.
• Attaching Metal energy to a Pokémon that will not attack this game instead of building toward your win condition.
• Spending Cyrus or Sabrina on turn one for tempo when they would have closed a prize two turns later.
• Evolving on curve into Melmetal EX without first checking whether you have the energy to attack the same turn.
• Ignoring the weakness "Slow to fully online — Melmetal EX needs 4 energy" and not boarding a pivot or single-prize back-up in unfavored matchups.
• Auto-attacking the active Pokémon instead of using Sabrina/Cyrus to set up the knockout sequence the deck actually wants.
• Burning Professor's Research with a full hand and losing the cards you still needed for the closing turn.