Mega Lucario EX & Greninja Deck Guide

Strategy Overview

Open Riolu or Froakie and start digging for Rare Candy with Professor's Research and Copycat. Rare Candy into Mega Lucario EX as the main attacker, bench Greninja for free Water Shuriken chip, and drop Arena of Antiquity for the +20 damage boost against EX Pokémon. Lucky Egg insurance smooths out knockout turns. Detailed matchup data will be updated as the format develops.

Gameplay Video

Early Game

Bench Riolu and Froakie, attach Fighting energy and chain draw Supporters to find Rare Candy. On turn one with Mega Lucario EX & Greninja, your priority is finding Mega Lucario EX or Greninja 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 Lucario EX and Greninja 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 (two stage 2 lines require precise sequencing and rare candy), bench a pivot so a surprise knockout on the active does not strand your evolution line.

Mid Game

Rare Candy into Mega Lucario EX and Greninja, swing with Fighting Pulse while Water Shuriken chips the bench. By the mid game Mega Lucario EX & Greninja should have Mega Lucario EX powered and at least one back-up attacker on the bench. This is the window where the deck's core engine — Mega Lucario EX, Greninja, Arena of Antiquity — 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 Lucario EX & Greninja leans on the strengths "Mega Lucario EX hits 140 damage with an extra Fighting energy attached" and "Greninja chips 20 damage every turn with Water Shuriken — no Water energy needed", 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

Use Cyrus and Arena of Antiquity to convert chip damage into clean EX knockouts. Late game with Mega Lucario EX & Greninja 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 Lucario EX — Mega Lucario EX & Greninja 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 Lucario EX & Greninja is Mega Lucario EX + Greninja 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 Lucario 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 Lucario EX without first checking whether you have the energy to attack the same turn.
• Ignoring the weakness "Two Stage 2 lines require precise sequencing and Rare Candy" 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.