Puppy Pile Deck Guide

Strategy Overview

PuppyPile is one of the most unusual decks introduced in the Everyday Wonders expansion because it does not rely on a Pokémon ex, a Stage 2 evolution line, or a single oversized attacker. Instead, the deck turns a group of low-cost Basic Pokémon into a shared damage engine. Every main Pokémon in the list has the same attack: PuppyPile. When a Pokémon uses PuppyPile, you reveal all Pokémon with the PuppyPile attack that are currently in play or in your hand. The attack then deals 20 damage for every revealed Pokémon. That means the deck’s damage is based on your total PuppyPile count, not just the Pokémon currently in the Active Spot. Your screenshot includes six different PuppyPile Pokémon: Growlithe Rockruff Carbink Fidough Yamper Lillipup Each one is played at two copies, giving the deck 12 PuppyPile Pokémon in total. If all 12 are revealed between your hand and field, PuppyPile can theoretically reach 240 damage. That is the absolute ceiling of the deck, not the normal expectation. In a real game, some cards will be in the deck, some may be Knocked Out, and some may be difficult to hold in hand while also maintaining a playable board. The important point is that PuppyPile scales rapidly. Five revealed PuppyPile Pokémon deal 100 damage. Six deal 120. Eight deal 160. Ten deal 200. The deck becomes more dangerous every time you add another PuppyPile Pokémon to your hand or Bench. This makes hand management the most important skill in the deck. Normally, drawing more cards is always good. PuppyPile creates a more interesting decision. You want to draw enough cards to find your PuppyPile Pokémon, but you also need to avoid carelessly playing every PuppyPile card from your hand. A Pokémon in hand still counts toward PuppyPile damage. That means you should not automatically bench every Basic Pokémon you draw. Once your Bench is full, additional PuppyPile Pokémon are often more valuable in your hand than on the field, because they still increase the attack damage while staying protected from direct Knock Outs. The deck therefore works like a swarm strategy with two zones that matter: PuppyPile Pokémon in play PuppyPile Pokémon in hand The opponent must respect both. The dedicated Supporter, Puppy-Loving Girl, is the card that makes the deck function consistently. It lets you look at the top four cards of your deck, take every Pokémon among them with the PuppyPile attack into your hand, then shuffle the remaining cards back into the deck. This does two important things. First, it improves your setup. It can find multiple PuppyPile attackers in a single Supporter card. Second, it increases your damage immediately. Any PuppyPile Pokémon moved from the deck into your hand becomes part of the next attack’s damage calculation. That makes Puppy-Loving Girl more than a search card. It is effectively a damage-enabling Supporter. A good Puppy-Loving Girl turn can find two or three PuppyPile Pokémon, which may increase your next attack by 40 or 60 damage. Professor’s Research provides broader draw support. Use it when your hand is missing several essential cards, such as an attacker, Poké Ball, Puppy-Loving Girl, or a mobility tool. However, Professor’s Research has an important tradeoff in this deck. It may draw more PuppyPile cards, but it can also force you to make decisions about which Pokémon to bench and which ones to keep in hand. You do not want to fill your Bench with every Pokémon unless you need to protect yourself from a Knock Out or maintain enough attackers for later turns. Copycat is another consistency card. It can be especially strong when the opponent has a large hand. Because PuppyPile wants to gather many Pokémon in hand, Copycat may give you access to a larger group of PuppyPile cards in a single turn. Poké Ball is simple but crucial. The deck has many Basic Pokémon, so Poké Ball is highly reliable at finding a new PuppyPile attacker. Early in the game, use it to make sure you have at least one Pokémon that can begin your plan. Later, use it to increase the number of revealed PuppyPile cards for a large damage turn. Small Balloon is the deck’s mobility tool. Because PuppyPile is made of several different Basic Pokémon, you may sometimes start with the wrong Pokémon in the Active Spot. Small Balloon reduces the Retreat Cost of the Basic Pokémon it is attached to by one. This helps you move a damaged attacker out of danger, switch into a better-positioned PuppyPile Pokémon, or avoid wasting an Energy attachment on retreating. The deck’s biggest strength is that every main Pokémon contributes to the same win condition. Growlithe, Rockruff, Carbink, Fidough, Yamper, and Lillipup do not need separate engines. They all contribute to PuppyPile damage. This means the deck is less likely to draw completely useless Pokémon cards. Even when a specific PuppyPile Pokémon is not ideal in the Active Spot, it still has value in your hand or on your Bench. That is why the deck can be surprisingly efficient despite using many different Pokémon types. The deck’s biggest weakness is that it depends heavily on maintaining hand size and board density. A hand-disruption effect can reduce the number of PuppyPile Pokémon you can reveal. A Knock Out can remove one of your attackers from play. A poor opening hand can leave you with only two or three PuppyPile cards, which makes the attack damage too low to threaten larger Pokémon. The deck also has limited individual bulk. Most PuppyPile Pokémon are Basic Pokémon with modest HP. They are easier to set up than evolution lines, but they can also be removed quickly. This means you need to plan your prize trade carefully and avoid exposing your most important board pieces unnecessarily. PuppyPile is strongest when you maintain a stable field, hold several extra PuppyPile Pokémon in hand, and use Puppy-Loving Girl at the right time to create a high-damage turn. It is not a deck that needs to rush toward the maximum damage ceiling every game. Often, 100 or 120 damage is enough to take an important Prize or remove an opposing setup Pokémon. The goal is not always 240 damage. The goal is to deal exactly enough damage while keeping enough PuppyPile Pokémon available for the next turn.

Gameplay Video

Early Game

Your first priority is to establish a playable PuppyPile attacker. Use Poké Ball early to find a Basic Pokémon when needed. You do not need to bench every PuppyPile card immediately. Put enough Pokémon into play to avoid losing your board, but keep additional PuppyPile Pokémon in hand whenever possible. Puppy-Loving Girl is one of the best early Supporters because it can find several PuppyPile Pokémon at once. This creates a stronger hand and improves future damage without forcing you to bench every card you find. In the opening turns, focus on two things: Build a stable board with multiple attackers available. Preserve PuppyPile Pokémon in hand for future damage. Do not overcommit to the Bench if your hand already contains multiple PuppyPile cards.

Mid Game

The mid game is where PuppyPile begins dealing meaningful damage. Count your total PuppyPile Pokémon before attacking. Count both zones every time: Pokémon in play Pokémon in hand Do not estimate. Count them carefully. A difference of one PuppyPile Pokémon is a difference of 20 damage. That can decide whether you Knock Out an opposing attacker or leave it alive. Use Puppy-Loving Girl before attacking when it can increase your count enough to matter. If you already have enough damage for a knockout, consider whether saving the Supporter for a later turn may be stronger. Use Professor’s Research or Copycat when your hand is weak and you need to find more PuppyPile cards, but remember that Puppy-Loving Girl is your most direct synergy card. Attach Small Balloon when retreating would otherwise cost too much tempo.

Late Game

The late game is about maintaining enough PuppyPile density after Knock Outs. Your opponent may begin targeting your Bench to reduce your damage ceiling. When that happens, keep extra PuppyPile Pokémon in hand and avoid benching cards that do not need to be exposed. Use the highest-damage PuppyPile turn when you can take a key knockout or win the final prize exchange. Do not always chase 200 or 240 damage. A 120-damage knockout can be better than a 200-damage attack if it lets you save Puppy-Loving Girl, preserve hand resources, or avoid exposing more Pokémon. The deck wins through efficient scaling, not through unnecessary overkill.