A new set of ex-starter decks for the Pokémon Trading Card Game was recently revealed to be released in Japan later this year. This set, known as Ex Starter Deck: Generationsfeatures many new ex cards that highlight various Pokémon from all nine generations. Each deck is tied to a specific generation, celebrating all the incredible Pokémon that can be found in Kanto, Unova, Paldea, and beyond.
The set includes nine exclusive decks, each with a Legendary Pokémon, with the only exception being the Generation 1 deck that has the Pokémon The series’ iconic mascot, Pikachu. All new decks are incredibly powerful, with each with their own unique tricks with various Pokémon and useful items. Of all the decks available in this set, the one that features Xerneas and Noivern stands out among the others for its strength and the intelligent tactics it uses.
Xerneas and Noivern are two incredibly powerful former Pokémon
The two strongest attackers in this 6th generation deck
The first thing that becomes apparent about Xerneas and Noivern’s deck is how powerful their former cards are, and Noivern absolutely stands out, firstly for its 270 health points, allowing it to withstand many powerful attacks. Its first attack, Strafe, deals a decent 50 points of damage, while also allowing players to swap Noivern for one of their Benched Pokémon, allowing them to execute useful strategies. Furthermore, his second attack, Sonic Blast is capable of dealing a massive 220 damagemaking it capable of eliminating several other ex cards in a single hit.
Xerneas is also a very powerful ex card, mainly due to the threat it poses to other ex Pokémon that are in play. Her first attack, Aurora Beam, deals the same amount of damage as Noivern’s Strafe attack. However, its second attack, Rising Horn, is where it really shines, allowing Xerneas to deal an additional 100 damage to former Pokémon for a total of 220 bashing damage. This deals the same amount of damage as Noivern’s Sonic Blast, but can deal double that amount for fighters like Lucario exensuring that powerful threats are quickly resolved.
An incredible ability that can instantly change the tide of battle
In addition to the former cards, Sylveon is also a very notable card in this deck, mainly for its ability and not its attack power. Your skill Safeguard prevents Sylveon from receiving any damage from ex-Pokémonwhich is very reminiscent of the ability of the Mimikyu card from Paldea evolvedwhich was a letter that really impacted the TCG target last year. This ability is incredibly useful, especially against decks that rely heavily on ex-Pokémon as primary attackers, eliminating any opportunity to KO Sylveon.
The deck also includes the Rocky Helmet card from Scarlet and Violet set, and this particular card is a very useful item to have in play. When this card is attached to an Active Pokémon that takes damage, the opponent’s Active Pokémon takes twenty points of damage. This means that if an opponent tries to bypass Sylveon’s Safeguard ability by trying to attack it with non-ex Pokémon, they still run the risk of KOing their own pocket monsters during their turn if they’re not careful.
With all these cards in mind, it is easy for players to Use Noivern’s Strafe move to constantly switch between other Benched Pokémon they have available. Placing Sylveon on the active spot can back many opponents into a corner if they can’t find a way to damage it, allowing enough time to give Xerneas the energy for its big Rising Horn attack. Once the player is ready, they can retreat Sylveon to let Xerneas finish off opponents and achieve victory.
Ultimately, Ex Starter Deck: Generations is set to bring countless exciting cards to the table, especially with this Xerneas and Noivern deck. Its immensely powerful attacks, combined with an incredible Sylveon ability that makes it nearly untouchable, make this deck incredibly formidable for opponents. Ultimately, when these decks finally release, it will be an exciting time for the Pokémon Trading Card Game competitive landscape.