Pokemon TCG Pocket (PTCGP)

Best Donphan Decks and Card List

Pokemon TCG Pocket (PTCGP) Walkthrough Team

Last updated on: November 6, 2025 09:35 PM

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Pokemon TGC Pocket - Donphan Best Deck Build and How to Play

This guide will show you how to build some of the strongest Donphan Decks. We'll cover the best Donphan Deck builds, how to use them, as well how to beat Donphan Decks, and more!

The decks on this page reflect the meta around the Triumphant Light Expansion.

List of Contents

Best Donphan Decks
Donphan Deck Strategy Guide
How to Beat Donphan Decks
Related Guides

Best Donphan Decks

Donphan Deck Variants	Strengths and Weaknesses
Donphan and Marshadow Deck [★ Best ★]	Strengths: • Donphan's Attack can deal up to 120 damage. • Hitmonlee and Marshadow can cover for Phanpy until it evolves. Weaknesses: • Donphan needs 3 Energy to attack, and can only do 60 the first time it attacks. • Damage output is conditional.

Donphan and Marshadow Deck

Hitmonlee ×2	Marshadow ×2	Phanpy ×2	Donphan ×2
Pokemon Communication ×2	Giant Cape ×2	Rocky Helmet ×2	Cyrus ×2
Poke Ball ×2	Professor's Research ×2
Energy Used

Donphan is able to deal 60 damage, and then 120 on the following turn. This totals to 180 damage across two turns, making Donphan effectively 2HKO nearly all Pokemon in the game.

Hitmonlee and Marshadow are also in the deck, as they are two of the best Fighting-type Pokemon available, and are easy to slot in.

Expansions	Cards to Get and Packs to Open
Genetic Apex (A1)	Hitmonlee x 2 (Mewtwo Pack)
Mythical Island (A1a)	Marshadow x 2 (Mew Pack)
Spacetime Smackdown (A2)	Pokemon Communication x 2 (Dialga Pack) Giant Cape x 2 (Dialga Pack) Rocky Helmet x 2 (Palkia Pack) Cyrus x 2 (Palkia Pack)
Triumphant Light (A2a)	Phanpy x 2 (Arceus Pack) Donphan x 2 (Arceus Pack)
Shining Revelry (A2b)	No cards needed from this expansion.
Celestial Guardians	No cards needed from this expansion.
Extradimensional Crisis	No cards needed from this expansion.
Eevee Grove	No cards needed from this expansion.
Wisdom of Sky and Sea	No cards needed from this expansion.
Secluded Springs	No cards needed from this expansion.
Mega Rising	No cards needed from this expansion.
Promo-A	Poke Ball x 2 (Promo-A Pack) Professor's Research x 2 (Promo-A Pack)

Donphan Deck Strategy Guide

Use Hitmonlee and Marshadow Before Donphan

Always aim to start with Hitmonlee first, and have a Marshadow ready in the Bench. Force opponents to KO Hitmonlee after having Hitmonlee continuously snipe their Bench, then have Marshadow ready to come in for a boosted Revenge.

Once both of these Pokemon have been KOd, send out Donphan to take out your opponent's remaining Pokemon.

Keep Donphan from Getting Knocked Out

It will be difficult to win against decks consisting of high HP Pokemon if your Donphan gets knocked out. Increase its survivability by attaching a Giant Cape or by Retreating when necessary.

The ideal situation is to evolve Donphan on the Bench while attaching Energy before sending it to the Active Spot with a full HP.

How to Beat Donphan Decks

Faster Setup and Offense

Decks that can easily take out our Hitmonlee and Marshadow are difficult to go up against. Though Donphan takes minimal setup, some Dark-types are even quicker like Weavile ex who can take out our Pokemon before they can be effective.

Pokemon TCG Pocket Related Guides

Decks

Best Meta Decks Tier List

Mega Rising Decks

Top Decks in the Meta

Tier
Mega Altaria ex and Chingling Deck	Greninja ex and Suicune ex Deck	Mega Absol ex and Hydreigon Deck	-
Tier
Mega Blaziken ex and Heatmor Deck	Pom-Pom Oricorio and Magnezone Deck	Decidueye ex Deck	-
Tier
Mega Absol ex and Pom-Pom Oricorio Deck	Mega Absol ex and Weezing Deck	Hydreigon Deck	Espeon ex and Indeedee ex Deck
Tier
Mega Blaziken ex and Entei ex Deck	Mega Gyarados ex and Milotic Deck	Indeedee ex and Giratina ex Deck	Luxray Deck
Pom-Pom Oricorio and Greninja Deck	Giratina ex and Darkrai ex Deck	Guzzlord ex and Naganadel Deck	-
Tier
Mega Pinsir ex and Leafeon ex Deck	Mega Ampharos ex and Raikou ex Deck	Hitmonchan ex and Lucario Deck	Jolteon ex and Jolteon Deck
Tapu Koko ex and Pom-Pom Oricorio Deck	SR Pikachu ex and Pom-Pom Oricorio Deck	Crobat and Arceus ex Deck	Goodra and Indeedee ex Deck
Tier
Rapidash ex and Ninetales Deck	Tauros ex and Hydreigon Deck	Whimsicott ex and Meowscarada Deck	Dragalge ex and Nihilego Deck
Golurk Deck	Aegislash and Togedemaru Deck	Mega Pidgeot ex and Raikou ex Deck	-

List of All Decks

Core Expansion	Decks
(B1)	・Aegislash ・Dragalge ex ・Greninja ex ・Golurk ・Goodra ・Hitmonchan ex ・Hydreigon ・Indeedee ex ・Jolteon ex ・Luxray ・Mega Absol ex ・Mega Altaria ex ・Mega Ampharos ex ・Mega Blaziken ex ・Mega Gyarados ex ・Mega Pidgeot ex ・Mega Pinsir ex ・Melmetal ex ・Rapidash ex ・Tauros ex ・Whimsicott ex
(A4a)	・Altaria ・Celebi ・Dugtrio ・Entei ex ・Galarian Cursola ・Jumpluff ex ・Latios ・Miltank ・Poliwrath ex ・Raikou ex ・Slowking ・SS Eelektross ・Suicune ex ・Zoroark
(A4)	・Crobat ex ・Donphan ex ・Espeon ex ・Ho-oh ex ・Kingdra ex ・Lanturn ex ・Lugia ex ・Magcargo ・Raikou ・Scizor ・Shuckle ex ・Skarmory ex ・Steelix ・Umbreon ex ・WSS Gyarados ・WSS Tyranitar ・Xatu
(A3b)	・Alcremie ・Dragonite ex ・Espeon ・Flareon ex ・Glaceon ・Jolteon ・Leafeon ・Primarina ex ・Slurpuff ・Snorlax ex ・Sylveon ex ・Umbreon ・Vaporeon
(A3a)	・Alolan Dugtrio ex ・Blacephalon ・Buzzwole ex ・Guzzlord ex ・Lycanroc ex ・Naganadel ・Nihilego ・Pheromosa ・Shiinotic ・Silvally ・Stoutland ・Tapu Koko ex ・Ultra Necrozma ex
(A3)	・Alolan Muk ex ・Alolan Ninetales ・Alolan Raichu ex ・Araquanid ・Banette ・Crabominable ex ・Decidueye ex ・Dhelmise ex ・Incineroar ex ・Kommo-o ・Lunala ex ・Mimikyu ・Passimian ex ・Pom-Pom Oricorio ・Rayquaza ex ・Solgaleo ex ・Tsareena ・Turtonator ・Vikavolt ・Wishiwashi ex
(A2b)	・Beedrill ex ・Bibarel ex ・Dondozo ・Gholdengo ・Giratina ex ・Lucario ex ・Meowscarada ・Paldean Clodsire ex ・Pawmot ・SR Charizard ex ・SR Pikachu ex ・Tinkaton ex ・Wugtrio ex
(A2a)	・Abomasnow ・Arceus ex ・Bronzong ・Carnivine ・Crobat ・Donphan ・Garchomp ex ・Gengar ・Glaceon ex ・Heatran ・Houndoom ・Leafeon ex ・Origin Forme Palkia ・Probopass ex ・Snorlax ・Staraptor ・TL Tyranitar
(A2)	・Bastiodon ・Darkrai ex ・Dialga ex ・Empoleon ・Gallade ex ・Garchomp ・Infernape ex ・Lickilicky ex ・Lucario ・Luxray ・Magnezone ・Mesprit ・Mismagius ex ・Pachirisu ex ・Palkia ex ・Porygon-Z ・Rampardos ・Rhyperior ・Togekiss ・Torterra ・Weavile ex ・Yanmega ex
(A1a)	・Aerodactyl ex ・Celebi ex ・Golem ・Gyarados ex ・Mew ex ・Pidgeot ex ・Scolipede
(A1)	・Aerodactyl ・Alakazam ・Arbok ・Arcanine ex ・Articuno ・Articuno ex ・Blastoise ・Blastoise ex ・Centiskorch ・Charizard ・Dragonite ・Exeggutor ex ・Frosmoth ・GA Charizard ex ・GA Gyarados ・GA Pikachu ex ・Gengar ex ・Greninja ・Kabutops ・Kingler ・Lapras ex ・Machamp ex ・Marowak ex ・Melmetal ・Mewtwo ex ・Moltres ex ・Ninetales ・Omastar ・Pidgeot ・Poliwrath ・Primeape ・Raichu ・Starmie ex ・Venusaur ・Venusaur ex ・Weezing ・Wigglytuff ex ・Zapdos ・Zapdos ex

Best Rental Deck Tier List

Deck-Building Guides and Lists

Lists of Decks by Type
Best F2P Beginner Decks	Best Non-ex Decks
Which ex Starter Deck Should You Get?	List of Rental Decks
Best 18 Trainers Decks	Best Trainerless Decks for Solo Battle Missions
List of Meme or Troll Decks	List of Ultra Beast Decks
Best Eeveelution Decks	Best Baby Pokemon Decks
Deck-Building Guides
Deck Building Guide	How Rental Decks Work
Staple Cards for Decks	-
Deck Analyses
Deck Matchup Statistics	10 Match Tests vs Pikachu ex Deck - Statistics

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Mega Altaria ex	Indeedee ex	Greninja ex	Mega Blaziken ex
Mega Absol ex	Mega Gyarados ex	Hydreigon	Jolteon ex
Mega Ampharos ex	Melmetal ex	Luxray	Goodra
Mega Pinsir ex	Hitmonchan ex	Dragalge ex	Whimsicott ex
Rapidash ex	Tauros ex	Golurk	Mega Pidgeot ex

Best Donphan Decks and Card List

Best Donphan Decks

Donphan and Marshadow Deck

Donphan Deck Strategy Guide

Use Hitmonlee and Marshadow Before Donphan

Keep Donphan from Getting Knocked Out

How to Beat Donphan Decks

Faster Setup and Offense

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Top Decks in the Meta

List of All Decks

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