Mega Altaria EX & Gourgeist Deck Guide

Strategy Overview

Mega Altaria ex Gourgeist is one of the more flexible Psychic-based decks in Pokémon TCG Pocket. It does not rely on one single attacker or one simple evolution line. Instead, it combines fast early aggression from Gourgeist, heavy mid- and late-game damage from Mega Altaria ex, targeted bench pressure from Jirachi, Item disruption through Chingling, and status protection from Comfey. The deck is particularly strong because its attackers operate on very different Energy costs. Gourgeist can attack cheaply for only one Psychic Energy, while Mega Altaria ex becomes the stronger long-term attacker once your Bench is developed. This gives the deck a natural progression: apply pressure early with Gourgeist, develop Swablu and your support board, then transition into Mega Altaria ex once your damage ceiling becomes more important. Gourgeist is the deck’s early-game workhorse. It evolves from Pumpkaboo and attacks for one Energy, dealing 70 damage. That is an excellent damage rate for a Stage 1 Pokémon, especially in a deck that wants to force the opponent into defensive turns before Mega Altaria ex becomes active. The drawback is that Gourgeist requires you to discard a card from your hand after using Soul Shot. This can be painful if your hand is already small, but it can also be managed strategically. You should avoid discarding key evolution pieces, important Supporters, or the only copy of a card you need for the following turn. On the other hand, discarding excess Energy, duplicate cards, or low-impact options can be acceptable when taking a 70-damage attack creates a strong tempo advantage. Gourgeist is especially useful against decks that need time to evolve or establish a multi-card engine. A one-Energy 70-damage attack can punish low-HP Basics, force awkward switches, and make it much harder for the opponent to build their Bench safely. Mega Altaria ex is the deck’s main finisher. Its attack starts at 40 damage and gains 30 more damage for each Pokémon on your Bench. With three Pokémon on the Bench, Mega Altaria ex reaches 130 damage. This means the deck wants a well-developed Bench, but not a careless one. Your Bench should normally include a combination of Swablu, Gourgeist or Pumpkaboo lines, Comfey, Jirachi, Chingling, and possible backup attackers. The important thing is not simply filling every slot. You want enough Pokémon to maximize Mega Altaria ex’s damage while keeping the right utility Pokémon in play for the matchup. Mega Altaria ex is especially dangerous because it has a reliable, predictable damage output. Unlike coin-flip attackers or narrow matchup cards, it gives you a consistent path to large attacks. Once you have developed a Bench and attached the required Energy, your opponent has to respect the possibility of 130 damage every turn. Training Area makes both of the deck’s main attackers even more threatening. The Stadium boosts Stage 1 Pokémon when they attack the opponent’s Active ex Pokémon. That includes Gourgeist and Mega Altaria ex. Against an ex-focused opponent, Gourgeist can become much more efficient at trading early, while Mega Altaria ex can push beyond its normal damage threshold and secure knockouts that would otherwise require chip damage. However, Training Area affects both players. Do not automatically play it the moment you draw it. Before using it, check whether the opponent is also using a dangerous Stage 1 Pokémon. In some matchups, it is worth holding Training Area until the extra damage creates an immediate knockout or prevents the opponent from benefiting first. Jirachi gives the deck targeted damage. Its Star Drop attack deals 30 damage to any Pokémon on the opponent’s field. This is useful for removing Baby Pokémon, weakening a Bench support card, setting up a future Cyrus target, or finishing a damaged Pokémon that retreated to safety. Jirachi is not always your primary attacker, but it gives the deck valuable flexibility. Against low-HP Bench Pokémon, 30 damage can be enough to take a clean prize. Against larger targets, it can create the chip damage Mega Altaria ex needs to finish them later. Comfey is one of the key support cards in the deck. Its Ability protects your Pokémon with Psychic Energy attached from Special Conditions and can help them recover from conditions that are already affecting them. This is especially important in a meta where Sleep, Poison, Burn, and other status-based strategies can interrupt a key attack turn. Against Sleep decks, Comfey can be the difference between keeping Mega Altaria ex active and losing a full turn. It is particularly important against archetypes that rely on Sleep to create passive damage or prevent your attacker from responding. Chingling gives the deck an entirely different early-game plan. It can attack without Energy and prevents the opponent from using Item cards during their next turn. This is powerful against decks that depend on Poké Ball, Rare Candy, search Items, switching Items, or setup Tools. You do not need to use Chingling in every game. Its job is to identify matchups where denying Items for one turn creates a meaningful delay. Against a slow Stage 2 deck, early Item lock may prevent a key Rare Candy evolution. Against a combo deck, it may stop the opponent from finding the exact card they need. Lisia is especially valuable in this list because it can search for two Basic Pokémon with 50 HP or less. That makes it excellent for finding Swablu, Pumpkaboo, Chingling, or Jirachi depending on the situation. Since the deck only plays one Poké Ball, Lisia helps make the Basic setup much more consistent. Professor’s Research and Copycat provide the deck’s draw engine. Professor’s Research gives immediate, reliable cards. Copycat can be stronger when the opponent has built a large hand. Cyrus and Sabrina give you the ability to manipulate the opponent’s positioning and convert damage into prizes. Overall, Mega Altaria ex Gourgeist is a deck that rewards sequencing. Gourgeist should create early pressure. Chingling should disrupt the right opponent. Jirachi should target the correct Bench Pokémon. Comfey should be established before status becomes a problem. Mega Altaria ex should arrive when your Bench is developed and your damage math becomes overwhelming.

Gameplay Video

Early Game

The early game is usually about choosing between three openers: Gourgeist pressure, Chingling disruption, or basic setup through Pumpkaboo and Swablu. Pumpkaboo is usually your first priority because Gourgeist gives the deck its fastest meaningful damage output. If you can evolve quickly and attach one Psychic Energy, Gourgeist can begin dealing 70 damage before many opponents have finished their setup. Swablu should also be benched early, especially if you already have Mega Altaria ex or a way to find it. You do not necessarily need to evolve immediately, but you want the line ready before the game reaches the point where Mega Altaria ex becomes your strongest attacker. Use Lisia carefully. In most early turns, finding two setup Basics is more valuable than searching for a single attacker. A strong Lisia target pair can be Swablu plus Pumpkaboo, Swablu plus Chingling, or Pumpkaboo plus Jirachi depending on the matchup. Chingling is strongest when you expect the opponent to rely on Items immediately. Against a Rare Candy deck, a Poké Ball-heavy list, or a combo strategy, an early Item-lock attack can buy enough time to establish Gourgeist and Mega Altaria ex.

Mid Game

The mid game is where you transition from one-Energy Gourgeist pressure into Mega Altaria ex damage. By this point, your board should ideally contain Mega Altaria ex or a Swablu line close to evolving, at least one utility Pokémon, and enough Bench development to make Mega Harmony threatening. Mega Altaria ex should normally become your main attacker when you have at least three Pokémon on the Bench. At that point, it can reach 130 damage and force the opponent to deal with a large, consistent threat. Gourgeist remains useful during this phase. It is often the right attacker when you need to preserve Mega Altaria ex for later, when 70 damage is enough for a knockout, or when giving up a Stage 1 Pokémon creates a better prize trade than exposing your ex attacker. Use Jirachi when the opponent has a damaged Bench Pokémon, a Baby Pokémon, or a fragile support card. Star Drop can create a future Cyrus target or deny the opponent an important setup piece. Comfey should already be in play against status-heavy decks. Do not wait until your attacker is asleep or poisoned. The protection is strongest when your Psychic Energy attackers are already protected before the opponent begins applying pressure.

Late Game

Late game is about damage calculation and prize mapping. Mega Altaria ex is usually your closer. Count your Bench every turn and determine whether Mega Harmony can take the knockout directly. Remember that Training Area can increase your damage against active ex Pokémon, but only when the Stadium effect is relevant. Cyrus becomes especially strong after Jirachi has placed 30 damage on the Bench. A Pokémon that appears safe may suddenly become the easiest prize route once you bring it Active. Sabrina can also be used to expose a weak Bench Pokémon, force a high-Retreat attacker forward, or disrupt the opponent’s final turn. Gourgeist can still matter in the late game because it only requires one Energy. If Mega Altaria ex is damaged or your Bench is smaller than expected, a fresh Gourgeist can still attack immediately and take a useful final prize. Avoid discarding important cards with Gourgeist once the game reaches its final turns. Your hand may contain the exact Cyrus, Sabrina, Professor’s Research, or Stadium card you need to win.