Charizard ex Moltres ex Deck Guide

Strategy Overview

Charizard ex Moltres ex is one of the original high-damage archetypes in Pokémon TCG Pocket. It has existed since the early days of the game and remains recognizable for one simple reason: when Charizard ex is fully powered, Crimson Storm can take down almost any target in front of it. The deck’s win condition is straightforward. Build a Charizard ex on the Bench, attach four Energy, move it into the Active Spot, and use Crimson Storm to deal 200 damage. In a format where many attackers sit below that threshold, Charizard ex can still create immediate pressure and force the opponent to respect every fully powered Fire board. However, this list is not a fast or effortless deck. It is a Stage 2 deck that needs multiple evolution pieces, multiple Energy attachments, and usually at least one successful Moltres ex turn. That makes it less consistent than newer Fire builds with stronger evolution support or more reliable Energy acceleration. The deck’s biggest strength is its damage ceiling. Charizard ex can use Slash for 60 damage when it has three Energy, but its real purpose is Crimson Storm. For four Energy, Crimson Storm deals 200 damage. That is enough damage to knock out many ex Pokémon in a single attack and can create an immediate two-point swing. The downside is significant: after using Crimson Storm, Charizard ex discards two Fire Energy. This means Charizard ex cannot simply attack at full power every turn without help. If you fail to rebuild its Energy, the opponent can take advantage of the slower follow-up turn. That is where Moltres ex and Flame Patch become essential. Moltres ex is the setup engine. Its Inferno Dance attack costs one Fire Energy and lets you flip three coins. For every heads, you attach one Fire Energy from the Energy Zone to one of your Benched Fire Pokémon. The ceiling is extremely high. A three-heads Inferno Dance can accelerate three Fire Energy in one turn. When that happens, Charizard ex can become ready much earlier than the opponent expects. The floor is equally important, though. A zero-heads Inferno Dance does nothing. This is the central weakness of the archetype. The deck can create explosive boards when Moltres ex flips well, but it can also lose tempo when the coin flips fail. That means you should not treat Inferno Dance as guaranteed acceleration. Think of it as a bonus engine. Your normal Energy attachment still matters every turn, and you should plan your board so that even one successful Energy from Moltres ex creates a useful line. A strong opening often begins with Moltres ex Active and Charmander on the Bench. Moltres ex can absorb early pressure reasonably well, while Inferno Dance sends Energy to Charmander, Charmeleon, or another Benched Fire Pokémon. Your ideal first few turns are usually: Start Moltres ex Active whenever possible. Bench Charmander immediately. Attach Fire Energy to Moltres ex so Inferno Dance is available. Use Inferno Dance to accelerate Energy onto the Bench. Evolve Charmander through Charmeleon or Rare Candy. Bring Charizard ex Active only when it can attack or threaten Crimson Storm soon. The exact Charmeleon in this list is one of the reasons the deck feels outdated. It provides an evolution step and can attack, but it does not provide the kind of direct Energy acceleration that newer Fire support options can offer. That does not make this list unplayable. It simply means that Moltres ex must carry more of the Energy burden. You need better timing, cleaner Bench management, and more successful Inferno Dance turns than a more optimized Charizard build would require. Rare Candy is one of the most important Trainer cards in the list because it lets Charmander evolve directly into Charizard ex. This is a major tempo swing. A Charmander that looked harmless on the Bench can suddenly become a fully evolved attacker once Rare Candy and Charizard ex are available. Do not use Rare Candy automatically. Ask whether Charizard ex will actually be ready soon. If it has no Energy and Moltres ex has not accelerated anything yet, evolving too early may simply put a high-value ex Pokémon on the Bench before it can contribute. The best Rare Candy turns are the turns where Charizard ex either attacks immediately, threatens Crimson Storm on the following turn, or forces the opponent to react before they are ready. Flame Patch is the deck’s recovery tool. It attaches one Fire Energy from your discard pile to your Active Pokémon. This is especially strong after Charizard ex has used Crimson Storm and discarded two Energy. A common recovery pattern is: Charizard ex uses Crimson Storm and discards two Fire Energy. Charizard ex remains Active if it survives. On the following turn, use Flame Patch to attach one Fire Energy from the discard pile. Make your normal Energy attachment. Continue rebuilding toward another Crimson Storm. This does not always restore Charizard ex instantly, but it makes the post-attack Energy loss much easier to manage. It also means that Fire Energy in the discard pile is not always a permanent loss. Flame Patch is most valuable when Charizard ex remains Active after attacking. If Charizard ex is knocked out immediately, Flame Patch may have fewer useful targets. Because of that, you should consider whether the opponent can return-knockout Charizard ex before committing to Crimson Storm. Lucky Ice Pop gives the deck a small amount of healing. It can heal 20 damage from your Active Pokémon and may return to your hand after a favorable coin flip. This is not a consistent healing plan, but it can matter when Moltres ex or Charizard ex is just outside of an important knockout range. X Speed gives the deck mobility. Moltres ex is often a strong early Active Pokémon, but it does not always want to stay there forever. Once Charizard ex is ready, X Speed can reduce the cost of moving Moltres ex out of the Active Spot and bringing Charizard ex forward without losing too much Energy. Sabrina gives the deck disruption and target control. It can force an unwanted opposing Pokémon into the Active Spot, disrupt an opponent’s Energy plan, or expose a low-HP support Pokémon. In a deck with 200 damage available, Sabrina can turn a previously safe Bench Pokémon into a major prize opportunity. Professor’s Research and Copycat are the draw engines. Professor’s Research is best when your hand is slow and you need multiple pieces immediately. Copycat is especially useful when the opponent has built a large hand and you need a larger refresh to find Charizard ex, Rare Candy, Moltres ex, or Flame Patch. The main challenge with Charizard ex Moltres ex is pacing. You cannot play this deck like a fast Basic Pokémon deck. You must accept that some games will begin slowly. The goal is to survive those early turns, develop your board efficiently, and create one decisive Crimson Storm turn that changes the prize race. This deck is strongest against strategies that cannot immediately punish a slow setup and against opponents that rely on large ex attackers. A single 200-damage Crimson Storm can often end the game quickly once Charizard ex is online. It is weaker against fast decks, decks that can target Charmander before it evolves, and decks that can repeatedly pressure Charizard ex before you rebuild after Crimson Storm. Overall, Charizard ex Moltres ex remains a nostalgic and dangerous Fire archetype. It is not the most reliable modern Fire deck, but its damage is still real. When Moltres ex accelerates well and Charizard ex reaches four Energy, the opponent must immediately respect the threat of Crimson Storm.

Gameplay Video

Early Game

Your first priority is finding Moltres ex and Charmander. Moltres ex is usually your preferred opening Active Pokémon because Inferno Dance is the deck’s main acceleration source. Charmander should be benched as quickly as possible so that Moltres ex has a meaningful Energy target. Attach Energy with a clear plan. If Moltres ex is Active and can use Inferno Dance, prioritizing Energy on Moltres ex is often correct. If Moltres ex already has Energy and Charizard ex is close to evolving, begin attaching Energy to Charmander or Charmeleon. Use Poké Ball early to find Moltres ex or Charmander. Use Professor’s Research when you need several combo pieces, such as Charmander, Rare Candy, Charizard ex, and Energy access. Do not panic if Inferno Dance misses. Continue building with normal Energy attachments and keep the Bench protected. One successful future Inferno Dance can still turn the game around.

Mid Game

The mid game begins once Charizard ex is on the Bench or ready to become Active. Use Rare Candy when it creates pressure, not only because it is available. A Charizard ex that can attack within one turn is threatening. A Charizard ex with no Energy and no follow-up support is vulnerable. Use Moltres ex to continue accelerating Energy whenever Charizard ex is not yet ready. If Charizard ex is already close to four Energy, consider whether you should stop using Inferno Dance and begin preparing the Active Spot transition. Use X Speed to move Moltres ex out of the Active Spot efficiently. Avoid wasting too much Energy on retreating if Charizard ex is ready to attack. Flame Patch should usually be saved until Fire Energy is in the discard pile and an Active Fire attacker can immediately benefit from it.

Late Game

The late game is about finding the correct Crimson Storm target. Charizard ex does not need to attack every turn. It needs to attack when 200 damage creates a major prize swing. Before using Crimson Storm, check whether you are knocking out an ex Pokémon, ending the game, or removing the opponent’s strongest attacker. After Crimson Storm, immediately plan the rebuild. You will lose two Fire Energy, so ask whether Flame Patch, your normal attachment, or another Moltres ex turn can restore Charizard ex quickly enough. Use Sabrina late to force a damaged or low-HP Pokémon Active. A 200-damage attacker does not always need to hit the largest opposing Pokémon. Sometimes the safest path is to remove the easiest prize and finish the game. Lucky Ice Pop can become relevant late when Charizard ex survives just barely. Healing 20 may force the opponent to spend another attack, which can be enough time for you to use Flame Patch and attack again.

Common Mistakes

• Using Rare Candy before Charizard ex can realistically contribute.
• Putting Charizard ex Active without enough Energy to threaten an attack.
• Treating Inferno Dance as guaranteed Energy acceleration.
• Using Flame Patch before the Energy recovery actually matters.
• Discarding two Fire Energy with Crimson Storm without planning the next turn.
• Leaving Charmander exposed on the Bench without another setup line.
• Using Sabrina too early when the opponent can easily recover.
• Retreating Moltres ex manually and wasting too much Energy instead of saving X Speed.
• Using Lucky Ice Pop when the healing does not change a knockout threshold.
• Trying to force Charizard ex to attack every turn instead of choosing high-value targets.

Tips & Tricks

• Start Moltres ex whenever possible
• Bench Charmander immediately and protect it until it evolves.
• Use Inferno Dance to accelerate Energy to the Pokémon that can become Charizard ex soonest.
• Treat every successful Inferno Dance Energy as a bonus, not a guarantee.
• Save Rare Candy for a turn that creates immediate pressure.
• Use Flame Patch after Crimson Storm to begin rebuilding the Active Charizard ex.
• Keep X Speed for the turn where Charizard ex must enter the Active Spot.
• Use Lucky Ice Pop when it forces the opponent to spend another attack.
• Use Sabrina to drag up a fragile Bench Pokémon when Charizard ex is ready.
• Use Crimson Storm when it takes a major prize or ends the game.