Primeape Deck Strategy Guide and Card List

The Primeape Deck is a High-Damage Fighting-type Deck featuring Primeape and Marowak ex from the Genetic Apex Set in Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket (PTCG Pocket). Read on for the complete list of cards in this deck, basic information on the deck, how to play the deck, and optimal matchups for it!

Primeape Deck Guide

Deck Evaluation

Ace Pokemon						Tier Ranking
Primeape Genetic Apex (A1)			Marowak ex Genetic Apex (A1)
						Energy Type(s)
						F2P Friendly?
						✔️
						Deck Difficulty
						★
Deck Strengths
Primeape can deal 100 damage to its attacker If it has damage on it. Marowak ex is also a powerful attacker.
Deck Weaknesses
Heavily dependent on coin flips to maximize damage. Primeape struggles against aggro decks due to its low HP.

Best Meta Decks Tier List

List of Cards

Primeape Deck List
Pokemon Cards
Primeape ×2				Cubone ×2				Marowak ex ×2				Mankey ×2
Trainer Cards
Sabrina ×2				Potion ×2				X Speed ×2				Poke Ball ×2
Red Card ×2				Professor's Research ×2

Deck Building Guide

Packs Required for Primeape Deck

Pack	Featured Card

How to Play Primeape Deck

How to Play Primeape Deck
Core Combos and Interactions Starting Hand Deck Strategies Game Phases

Primeape Deck Core Combos and Interactions

Main Attacker	Tankier Alternative	Description
Primeape	Marowak ex	・Primeape can deal 100 damage via Fight Back if it has damage on it, demanding that it be OHKOd or not damaged at all. ・Marowak ex can replace Primeape if it's in a unfavorable matchup for a tankier Pokemon.

Best Starting Hand

Best Starting Hand

Having Mankey and Primeape right away allows you to setup the deck early on since Primeape is only a Stage 1 evolution. With Sabrina in hand, you can prevent Primeape from facing unfavorable matchups and keep the Pokemon active.

Meanwhile, you can evolve Cubone to Marowak ex while it's still benched in case you need to replace Primeape.

Going second, Promo Mankey's Reckless Charge can set up for a Primeape sweep because it damages itself for 10. This is a risky play though, as it can get KOd by a 40 damage attack like Farfetch'd's Leek Slap.

Other Good Starting Cards

Recommended Starting Hand

Much like the one above, having Mankey and Primeape right away allows you to setup the deck early. But if you have X Speed instead of Sabrina in hand, you can use it to allow Primeape to retreat with no cost if it's in a unfavorable matchup and play Marowak ex.

Best Cards Tier List

Primeape Deck Strategies

Primeape Deck Strategies
Primeape's Fight Back Marowak ex Switch

Strategy 1: Primeape's Fight Back

Once Primeape is setup, it can utilize Fight Back to deal 100 damage to your opponent's active Pokemon. Since Primeape has quite a low HP and needs to take damage to trigger Fight Back's bonus damage effect, having Potion in hand allows Primeape to survive longer in the Active Spot. Do note that Primeape's damage buff is negated if it's healed back to full health.

Should Primeape face an unfavorable matchup, using Sabrina allows Primeape to avoid that situation.

Strategy 2: Marowak ex Switch

If you have Marowak ex benched and Primeape is facing an unfavorable matchup, use X Speed to allow Primeape to retreat at no cost, then put Marowak ex as the active Pokemon.

Game Phases

Early Game

Key Card(s) Required
Step	Description
1	As soon as Mankey evolves into Primeape, keep it in the active zone for as long as possible to deal damage.
2	Use Potion when needed to keep Primeape healthy.

Mid-Game

Key Card(s) Required
Step	Description
1	At this point, Cubone should already be evolved to Marowak ex in case Primeape needs to be swapped out.
2	Use X Speed to allow Primeape to retreat with no cost.

Late Game

Key Card(s) Required
1	Should Primeape face an unfavorable matchup, use Sabrina to force the opponent to bench its active Pokemon.

Primeape Deck Best and Worst Matchups

Best Matchups

Worst Matchups

Deck	Commentary
Pikachu ex Decks	Type: ・Due to its low HP and despite its type advantage, Primeape struggles against aggro decks like Pikachu ex.

Overall Consistency

Although the deck has strong damage potential, Primeape needs to take damage to maximize Fight Back's damage while Marowak ex's Bonemerang damage depends highly on coin flips. This makes the deck highly inconsistent for the most part.

Primeape Deck F2P & Substitutes

Primeape Deck Card Substitutes

Card	Explanation
Marowak	・ Non-ex Marowak gives the deck another non-ex option.
Golbat	・ Golbat is a Darkness-type Pokemon that can attack for Colorless, making it a splashable option for this deck. ・ Golbat can improve the deck's matchup against Mewtwo ex decks, being able to damage them for weakness and being out of range of Psychic Sphere.

Pokemon TCG Pocket Meta Guide

Primeape Deck Other Viable Options

Card	Possible Cuts
Giovanni	・ Replacing Red Card with Giovanni boosts the deck's damage potential and is a favorable exchange.

Primeape and Hitmonchan Deck List

Primeape and Hitmonchan Deck List
Pokemon Cards
Mankey x2	Primeape x2	Cubone x2	Marowak ex x2
Hitmonchan x2
Trainer Cards
Potion x2	Sabrina x2	Poke Ball x2	Professor's Research x2
X Speed x2

Having Hitmonchan improves the deck's matchup against Pikachu ex or any aggro decks. Cutting out Red Card completely for Hitmonchan is a favorable exchange for the deck as the Red Card can actually help your opponent's setup.

Pokemon TCG Pocket Beginner's Guide

Pokemon TCG Pocket Related Guides

Deck Building Guide

All Deck Tier Lists

Deck Articles

Meta Decks

Best Meta Decks
Starmie ex Deck	Mewtwo ex Deck	Dragonite Deck
Articuno ex Deck	Arbok Lock Deck	Venusaur ex Deck
Blaine Deck	Pikachu ex Deck	Marowak ex Deck
Charizard ex Deck	Machamp ex Deck	Blastoise ex Deck
Frosmoth Deck	Exeggutor ex Deck	Arcanine ex Deck
Gengar ex Deck	Wigglytuff ex Deck	Melmetal Deck
Alakazam and Jynx Deck	Zapdos ex Deck	Greninja Deck
Primeape Deck	Raichu and Pikachu ex Deck	Mewtwo ex and Weezing
Raichu and Pikachu ex Deck	Mewtwo ex and Weezing	Greninja and Weezing Deck
Venusaur ex and Weezing	Lapras ex Deck	Dragonite and Weezing

Off Meta Decks

Omastar and Articuno ex	Kingler and Articuno ex	Lapras ex and Butterfree
Poliwrath	Tentacruel and Greninja	Victreebel and Exeggutor ex
Frosmoth and Articuno ex Deck	Gyarados Deck	Centiskorch and Moltres ex Deck
Lt. Surge Deck	Grapploct Deck	Cinccino and Weezing
Brock Deck	Kabutops	Aerodactyl and Dragonite
Eeveelutions and Ditto	Lickitung	Articuno
Zapdos	Moltres	Venusaur
Charizard	Blastoise	Persian and Mawile
Lickitung and Primeape	Gengar ex and Golbat

Rental Decks

All Rental Decks
Venusaur ex Rental Deck	Charizard ex Rental Deck	Blastoise ex Rental Deck
Pikachu ex Rental Deck	Mewtwo ex Rental Deck	Machamp ex Rental Deck
Nidoking and Nidoqueen Rental Deck	Kanto Fossils Rental Deck	Koga Rental Deck
Brock Rental Deck	Blaine Rental Deck	Lt. Surge Rental Deck

Starter Decks

All Starter Decks
Pinsir Starter Deck	Rapidash Starter Deck	Sandslash Starter Deck