Mega Lopunny EX & Lucario Deck Guide

Strategy Overview

Open Buneary or Riolu and attach Fighting energy aggressively. Evolve into Mega Lopunny EX and bench Lucario early so Fighting Coach boosts every attack. Use Will before Rapid Smashers to guarantee at least one heads, push 110+ damage with Lucario active, and lean on Riolu's Fighting Fist for cheap single-prize EX trades. Detailed matchup data will be updated as the format develops.

Gameplay Video

Early Game

Bench Buneary, Riolu and Lucario, attach Fighting energy and use Riolu's Fighting Fist for early EX chip. On turn one with Mega Lopunny EX & Lucario, your priority is finding Mega Lopunny EX or Lucario so you can start attaching Fighting 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 — Mega Lopunny EX and Lucario 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 (coin-flip variance — both tails leaves rapid smashers dealing 0 damage), bench a pivot so a surprise knockout on the active does not strand your evolution line.

Mid Game

Evolve into Mega Lopunny EX, use Will + Rapid Smashers for boosted knockouts with Lucario's Fighting Coach active. By the mid game Mega Lopunny EX & Lucario should have Mega Lopunny EX powered and at least one back-up attacker on the bench. This is the window where the deck's core engine — Mega Lopunny EX, Lucario, Riolu — 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. Mega Lopunny EX & Lucario leans on the strengths "Mega Lopunny EX swings for up to 180 (220 with Lucario's Coach) and Confuses the opponent" and "Lucario's Fighting Coach adds +20 damage to every Fighting attack", 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

Close out with Mega Lopunny EX's swings or Riolu's cheap single-prize trades against EX Pokémon. Late game with Mega Lopunny EX & Lucario 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 Mega Lopunny EX — Mega Lopunny EX & Lucario 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 Mega Lopunny EX & Lucario is Mega Lopunny EX + Lucario in hand with a way to attach Fighting 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 Mega Lopunny EX too early without protection, letting the opponent snipe your main attacker before it is powered.
• Attaching Fighting 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 Mega Lopunny EX without first checking whether you have the energy to attack the same turn.
• Ignoring the weakness "Coin-flip variance — both tails leaves Rapid Smashers dealing 0 damage" 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.