★ Mega Rising (B1) introduces the Mega Evolutions!
☆ New Decks: Mega Blaziken ex | Mega Gyarados ex
Mega Altaria ex | Mega Absol ex | Greninja ex
★ Events: Wonder Pick | Anniversary Celebration
☆ Trading Board: A4b and B1 Available for Trading!

This guide will show you how to build some of the strongest Raikou ex Decks. We'll cover the best Raikou ex Deck builds, how to use them, as well how to beat Raikou ex Decks, and more!
List of Contents
| Raikou ex Deck Variants | Strengths and Weaknesses |
|---|---|
Raikou ex and Magnezone Deck
[★ Best ★] |
Strengths:
• Raikou ex's Ability increases the deck's consistency in finding necessary evolution cards and Trainer cards. • Pom-Pom Oricorio is immune to any attacks from ex Pokemon thanks to its Ability. Weaknesses: • Raikou ex does not deal a lot of damage as an attacker. • Magnezone is energy reliant, and will need a consistent supply of energy to attack continuously. |
Mega Pidgeot ex and Raikou ex Deck
[★ New ★] |
Strengths:
• Mega Pidgeot ex can be highly disruptive with its Giant Twister Attack, which discards the Defending Pokemon's Energy. • Raikou ex's Ability increases the deck's consistency in finding necessary Pokemon and Trainer cards. Weaknesses: • Giant Twister has a chance to fail if all three coin flips come out as tails. |
Mega Ampharos ex and Raikou ex Deck
[★ New ★] |
Strengths:
• Mega Ampharos ex can snipe the Bench with its Lightning Lancer Attack. • Has a hefty 210 HP, making it hard to OHKO. • Raikou ex can be used to search for more cards. Weaknesses: • Mega Ampharos ex is a Stage 2, which requires some effort and resources to set up. |
Raikou ex and Zeraora Deck
|
Strengths:
• Raikou ex's Ability increases the deck's consistency in finding necessary Pokemon and Trainer cards. • Has multiple ways to accelerate Energy like Zeraora and Pichu. • Pom-Pom Oricorio is immune to any attacks from ex Pokemon thanks to its Ability. Weaknesses: • The Pokemon in this deck don't deal high damage. • It is difficult to hit OHKOs against ex Pokemon. |
Raikou ex and Decidueye ex Deck
|
Strengths:
• Raikou ex's Ability can allow you to draw necessary cards for your setup. • Decidueye ex's Pierce the Pain Attack gives the deck an option to snipe and KO Pokemon on the Bench. Weaknesses: • The deck may lack necessary damage output and may require multiple attacks to score KOs. |
Raikou ex and Arceus ex Deck
|
Strengths:
• Raikou ex's Ability increases the deck's consistency in finding necessary evolution cards and Trainer cards. • Arceus ex is a solid attacker with an attack that can max out at 130 damage. Weaknesses: • Raikou ex does not deal a lot of damage as an attacker. • All Pokemon in the deck share a Weakness to Fighting. |
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| Energy Used | |||||||||||||||
Raikou ex's Legendary Pulse allows you to draw an extra card at the end of the turn, which can help place Magnezone evolution cards in your hand early in the battle.
While Raikou ex is in the Active Spot, build evolve Magnemite into Magneton. Use Magneton's ability to continuously stack extra Lightning Energy on itself.
When the HP of the opponent's Defending Pokemon is within range, evolve Magneton into Magnezone and finish them off.
| Expansions | Cards to Get and Packs to Open |
|---|---|
| Genetic Apex (A1) | Magnemite x 2 (Pikachu Pack) Magneton x 2 (Pikachu Pack) Sabrina x 1 (Charizard Pack) |
| Mythical Island (A1a) | Leaf x 1 (Mew Pack) |
| Spacetime Smackdown (A2) | Magnezone x 2 (Any Pack) Giant Cape x 1 (Dialga Pack) Cyrus x 1 (Palkia Pack) Mars x 1 (Palkia Pack) |
| Triumphant Light (A2a) | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Shining Revelry (A2b) | Pokemon Center Lady x 1 (Shiny Charizard Pack) |
| Celestial Guardians | Oricorio x 1 (Solgaleo Pack) Lillie x 1 (Solgaleo Pack) |
| 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 | Raikou ex x 2 (Suicune Pack) |
| 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) |
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| Energy Used | |||||||||||||||
Mega Pidgeot ex, once set up, can be a nuisance to take down, thanks to Giant Twister's added effect of discarding Energy from the Defending Pokemon.
Zeraora can help expedite Mega Pidgeot ex's setup thanks to its Thunderclap Flash and Elemental Switch.
Copycat allows you to replenish your hand after using up resources for your setup.
| Expansions | Cards to Get and Packs to Open |
|---|---|
| Genetic Apex (A1) | Pidgeot x 1 (Mewtwo Pack) |
| Mythical Island (A1a) | Pidgey x 2 (Mew Pack) |
| Spacetime Smackdown (A2) | Cyrus x 2 (Palkia Pack) |
| Triumphant Light (A2a) | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Shining Revelry (A2b) | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Celestial Guardians | Rare Candy x 2 (Any Pack) |
| Extradimensional Crisis | Zeraora x 2 (Buzzwole Pack) |
| Eevee Grove | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Wisdom of Sky and Sea | Elemental Switch x 2 (Lugia Pack) |
| Secluded Springs | Raikou ex x 2 (Suicune Pack) |
| Mega Rising | Copycat x 1 (Mega Gyarados Pack) |
| Promo-A | Poke Ball x 2 (Promo-A Pack) Professor's Research x 2 (Promo-A Pack) |
| Alternate Cards | Possible Cuts |
|---|---|
![]() Pidgeot (B1 182) |
![]() ![]() ・Mega Rising Pidgeot does the same thing as Mega Pidgeot ex, but costs less Energy and can damage Pom-Pom Oricorio. |
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| Energy Used | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mega Ampharos ex is a powerful main attacker that can also damage your opponent's Bench. However, it is a Stage 2 Pokemon, so it may take time to set up.
Raikou ex is used as both an early-game attacker and a support Pokemon to Mega Ampharos ex. It can draw cards with its Legendary Pulse Ability, which can help in trying to draw into evolution cards or Rare Candy. You may also attach an Electrical Cord onto it, which can allow it to transfer its Energy to Mega Ampharos ex once Knocked Out.
Pom-Pom Oricorio is another early-game option. It may also be used to wall the opponent's ex Pokemon.
| Expansions | Cards to Get and Packs to Open |
|---|---|
| Genetic Apex (A1) | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Mythical Island (A1a) | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Spacetime Smackdown (A2) | Giant Cape x 1 (Dialga Pack) Cyrus x 2 (Palkia Pack) Mars x 1 (Palkia Pack) |
| Triumphant Light (A2a) | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Shining Revelry (A2b) | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Celestial Guardians | Oricorio x 1 (Solgaleo Pack) Rare Candy x 2 (Any Pack) |
| Extradimensional Crisis | Electrical Cord x 2 (Buzzwole Pack) |
| Eevee Grove | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Wisdom of Sky and Sea | Mareep x 2 (Lugia Pack) Elemental Switch x 1 (Lugia Pack) |
| Secluded Springs | Raikou ex x 2 (Suicune Pack) |
| Mega Rising | Mega Ampharos ex x 2 (Mega Altaria Pack) |
| Promo-A | Poke Ball x 2 (Promo-A Pack) Professor's Research x 2 (Promo-A Pack) |
| Alternate Cards | Possible Cuts |
|---|---|
![]() Zeraora (A3a 021) |
![]() ![]() ・Can be used to set up Mega Ampharos ex earlier since it can generate its own Energy. ・Cannot nullify damage against ex Pokemon. |
![]() May (B1 223) |
![]() ![]() ・Can be used to draw Zeraora earlier if you have substituted Oricorio for it. |
![]() Ampharos (A4 069) |
![]() ![]() ・Can be used as a counter against Pom-Pom Oricorio. |
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| Energy Used | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Use Raikou ex's Legendary Pulse to draw an extra card at the end of the turn, getting the essential cards in your hand.
Use Raikou ex as an early game attacker while building Arceus ex in the Bench. If the opponent's HP is low enough, use Arceus ex to KO them.
You can opt to use Zeraora's abiltiy to generate extra energy then use Elemental Switch to place it on the Active Pokemon.
If you do not get to draw Raikou ex on the first hand, you can also use Pichu to generate extra energy early on.
| Expansions | Cards to Get and Packs to Open |
|---|---|
| Genetic Apex (A1) | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Mythical Island (A1a) | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Spacetime Smackdown (A2) | Cyrus x 2 (Palkia Pack) Mars x 1 (Palkia Pack) |
| Triumphant Light (A2a) | Arceus ex x 1 (Arceus Pack) |
| Shining Revelry (A2b) | Pokemon Center Lady x 1 (Shiny Charizard Pack) |
| Celestial Guardians | Oricorio x 1 (Solgaleo Pack) |
| Extradimensional Crisis | Zeraora x 2 (Buzzwole Pack) Electrical Cord x 2 (Buzzwole Pack) |
| Eevee Grove | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Wisdom of Sky and Sea | Pichu x 2 (Lugia Pack) Elemental Switch x 2 (Lugia Pack) |
| Secluded Springs | Raikou ex x 2 (Suicune Pack) |
| 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) |
| Alternate Cards | Possible Cuts |
|---|---|
![]() Pikachu ex (A2b 022) |
![]() ![]() • Pikachu ex can deal a higher 150 damage than Arceus ex. • Zeraora and Pichu can be used to give extra energy to Pikachu ex. |
![]() Rocky Helmet (A2 148) |
![]() ![]() • You can slot in a Rocky Helmet to provide extra defense for your Pokemon. |
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| Energy Used | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
This deck takes advantage of Raikou ex's Sniping by using Decidueye ex's Pierce the Pain on damaged Pokemon. Raikou ex can also help consistently find important cards for your Decidueye ex setup.
Pichu can help with setup, by attaching Lightning Energy with Crackly Toss.
Non-ex Raikou gives the deck an option against Pom-Pom Oricorio.
| Expansions | Cards to Get and Packs to Open |
|---|---|
| Genetic Apex (A1) | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Mythical Island (A1a) | Leaf x 2 (Mew Pack) |
| Spacetime Smackdown (A2) | Pokemon Communication x 1 (Dialga Pack) Giant Cape x 1 (Dialga Pack) Mars x 1 (Palkia Pack) |
| Triumphant Light (A2a) | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Shining Revelry (A2b) | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Celestial Guardians | Rowlet x 2 (Lunala Pack) Decidueye ex x 2 (Lunala Pack) Rare Candy x 2 (Any Pack) |
| Extradimensional Crisis | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Eevee Grove | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Wisdom of Sky and Sea | Pichu x 2 (Lugia Pack) Raikou x 1 (Ho-Oh Pack) |
| Secluded Springs | Raikou ex x 2 (Suicune Pack) |
| 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) |
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| Energy Used | |||||||||||||||
Raikou ex' is played with Arceus ex in this deck as an alternative attacker that can deal up to 130 damage.
Arceus ex can easily be powered up if you start with Zeraora and have an Elemental Switch available.
Pom-Pom Oricorio also makes an appearance in this deck list as a reliable wall against ex Pokemon.
| Expansions | Cards to Get and Packs to Open |
|---|---|
| Genetic Apex (A1) | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Mythical Island (A1a) | Leaf x 1 (Mew Pack) |
| Spacetime Smackdown (A2) | Giant Cape x 1 (Dialga Pack) Cyrus x 2 (Palkia Pack) Mars x 1 (Palkia Pack) |
| Triumphant Light (A2a) | Arceus ex x 1 (Arceus Pack) |
| Shining Revelry (A2b) | Red x 1 (Shiny Charizard Pack) |
| Celestial Guardians | Oricorio x 1 (Solgaleo Pack) Guzma x 1 (Lunala Pack) |
| Extradimensional Crisis | Zeraora x 2 (Buzzwole Pack) |
| Eevee Grove | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Wisdom of Sky and Sea | Elemental Switch x 2 (Lugia Pack) |
| Secluded Springs | Raikou ex x 2 (Suicune Pack) |
| Mega Rising | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Promo-A | Poke Ball x 2 (Promo-A Pack) Red Card x 1 (Promo-A Pack) Professor's Research x 2 (Promo-A Pack) |


Since Raikou ex's Attack can damage Benched Pokemon, you can use Cyrus to force unprepared Pokemon into the Active Spot, securing easy points.

Raikou ex's Legendary Pulse can let you draw an extra card at the end of the turn if Raikou ex is in the Active Spot. This could increase a deck's consistency in drawing key evolution and Trainer cards.

Pom-Pom Oricorio's Safeguard negates the attacks of ex Pokemon. It is a useful card to have in Lightning Decks, since it can serve as a wall against ex Pokemon during the early game.
Best Pom-Pom Oricorio Decks and Card List


Most Lightning Pokemon are weak against Fighting Types. Raikou ex has a manageable enough amount of HP that it can be easily OHKO'd or 2HKO'd with the type advantage bonus.
If you have Lucario, you can use it to further boost the damage of your Fighting-type Pokemon.

Best Raikou ex Decks and Card List



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