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★ Best Decks: Espeon & Darkrai | Mega Lucario ex
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This guide will show you how to build some of the strongest Hoopa ex Decks. We'll cover the best Hoopa ex Deck builds, how to use them, as well how to beat Hoopa ex Decks, and more!
List of Contents
| Hoopa ex Deck Variants | Strengths and Weaknesses |
|---|---|
Hoopa ex and Darkrai ex
[★ Best ★] |
Strengths:
• Hoopa ex has a low-cost Shadow Bullet that can immediately apply offensive pressure for only one Energy. • Darkrai ex is able to deal incremental damage with its Nightmare Aura Ability. Weaknesses: • May have difficulty against decks that can gain an advantage late into a game. |
Team Rocket's Weezing ex and Hoopa ex
[★ New ★] |
Strengths:
• The Team Rocket's Weezing ex and Hoopa ex combo can consistently apply pressure in the early game. Weaknesses: • Lack of heavy burst damage makes for a tough matchup against bulky Megas. • Can easily get shut down by Teal Mask Ogerpon ex and other status condition recovery cards. |
Hoopa ex and Hydreigon Deck |
Strengths:
• Hoopa ex has a low-cost Shadow Bullet that can immediately apply offensive pressure for only one Energy. • Hydreigon's Roar in Unison allows it to set up an attack in a single turn. Weaknesses: • Besides Hydreigon, the deck may find it difficult to deal burst damage. • Hydreigon is a Stage 2, which requires some effort and resources to set up. |
Hoopa ex and Zoroark ex Deck |
Strengths:
• Both Hoopa ex and Zoroark ex can apply pressure for only one Energy. • Bombirdier allows cheaper retreats for all three attackers in the deck. Weaknesses: • Might struggle against stall decks with an ace that can deal massive burst damage. |
Hoopa ex and Greninja Deck |
Strengths:
• Hoopa ex has a low-cost Shadow Bullet that can immediately apply offensive pressure for only one Energy. • Greninja can damage any of the opponent's Pokemon with Water Shuriken. Weaknesses: • May have difficulty against decks that can gain an advantage late into a game. |
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| Energy Used |
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Hoopa ex can naturally be played in a deck with Darkrai ex because of their natural synergy. Darkrai ex offers incremental damage that adds to the damage being dealt by Hoopa ex each turn, eventually leading to KOs.
Deceptive Needle can deal 10 damage to the opponent's Active Pokemon at the end of your turn. Attaching this to Hoopa ex lets you add more damage to the board. Attaching it on the first turn also allows you to deal 10 damage without attacking.
| 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) | Darkrai ex 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) | Pokemon Center Lady x 1 (Shiny Charizard Pack) |
| Celestial Guardians | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Extradimensional Crisis | Repel x 1 (Buzzwole Pack) |
| 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 | Mega Absol ex x 1 (Mega Gyarados Pack) Copycat x 1 (Mega Gyarados Pack) |
| Crimson Blaze | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Fantastical Parade | Lucky Ice Pop x 2 (Mega Gardevoir Pack) |
| Paldean Wonders | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Mega Shine | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Pulsing Aura | Field Blower x 1 (Mega Lucario Pack) |
| Paradox Drive | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Everyday Wonders | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Ruler of the Skies | Hoopa ex x 2 (Mega Rayquaza Pack) Deceptive Needle x 2 (Mega Rayquaza Pack) |
| Team Rocket's Ambition | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Promo-A | X Speed x 1 (Promo-A Pack) Poke Ball x 2 (Promo-A Pack) Professor's Research x 2 (Promo-A Pack) |
| Promo-B | No cards needed from this expansion. |
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| Energy Used |
Scan Code Save image to scan in-game. |
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Team Rocket's Weezing ex's Boiler Smog Ability can immediately deal 30 damage upon use. Combined with Hoopa ex's low-cost attack, this deck can consistently apply pressure in the early game.
| 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) | Darkrai ex x 1 (Dialga Pack) Cyrus x 1 (Palkia Pack) |
| Triumphant Light (A2a) | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Shining Revelry (A2b) | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Celestial Guardians | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Extradimensional Crisis | Repel x 1 (Buzzwole Pack) |
| 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 | Copycat x 1 (Mega Gyarados Pack) |
| Crimson Blaze | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Fantastical Parade | Lucky Ice Pop x 2 (Mega Gardevoir Pack) |
| Paldean Wonders | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Mega Shine | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Pulsing Aura | Field Blower x 1 (Mega Lucario Pack) |
| Paradox Drive | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Everyday Wonders | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Ruler of the Skies | Hoopa ex x 2 (Mega Rayquaza Pack) Deceptive Needle x 2 (Mega Rayquaza Pack) |
| Team Rocket's Ambition | Team Rocket's Koffing x 2 (Team Rocket Pack) Team Rocket's Weezing ex x 2 (Team Rocket Pack) |
| Promo-A | X Speed x 1 (Promo-A Pack) Poke Ball x 2 (Promo-A Pack) Professor's Research x 2 (Promo-A Pack) |
| Promo-B | No cards needed from this expansion. |
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| Energy Used |
Scan Code Save image to scan in-game. |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hoopa ex can naturally be played in a deck with Hydreigon because both are Dark-types. Hydreigon can also help with Hoopa ex's weakness of being unable to deal burst damage by itself.
Deceptive Needle is a handy new Pokemon Tool that deals 10 damage to the opponent's Active Pokemon at the end of your turn. Attaching this to Hoopa ex lets you add more damage to the board.
| 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) |
| 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 | 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 | Deino x 2 (Mega Gyarados Pack) Hydreigon x 2 (Mega Gyarados Pack) Copycat x 2 (Mega Gyarados Pack) |
| Crimson Blaze | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Fantastical Parade | Lucky Ice Pop x 1 (Mega Gardevoir Pack) |
| Paldean Wonders | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Mega Shine | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Pulsing Aura | Bombirdier x 1 (Mega Lucario Pack) Field Blower x 1 (Mega Lucario Pack) |
| Paradox Drive | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Everyday Wonders | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Ruler of the Skies | Hoopa ex x 2 (Mega Rayquaza Pack) Deceptive Needle x 2 (Mega Rayquaza Pack) |
| Team Rocket's Ambition | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Promo-A | Poke Ball x 2 (Promo-A Pack) Professor's Research x 2 (Promo-A Pack) |
| Promo-B | No cards needed from this expansion. |
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| Energy Used |
Scan Code Save image to scan in-game. |
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This Hoopa ex deck includes Zoroark ex and Mega Absol ex that can easily be swapped around thanks to Bombirdier's retreat cost reduction.
With all three attackers having low-cost moves, they can apply pressure very early in the match and make it difficult for your opponent to set up. Hoopa ex can even snipe opponents on the Bench for Cyrus to pull and for Zoroark ex to finish off.
| Expansions | Cards to Get and Packs to Open |
|---|---|
| Genetic Apex (A1) | Sabrina x 1 (Charizard Pack) |
| Mythical Island (A1a) | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Spacetime Smackdown (A2) | Cyrus 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 | 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 | Mega Absol ex x 1 (Mega Gyarados Pack) Copycat x 2 (Mega Gyarados Pack) |
| Crimson Blaze | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Fantastical Parade | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Paldean Wonders | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Mega Shine | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Pulsing Aura | Zorua x 2 (Mega Lucario Pack) Zoroark ex x 2 (Mega Lucario Pack) Bombirdier x 1 (Mega Lucario Pack) Field Blower x 1 (Mega Lucario Pack) |
| Paradox Drive | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Everyday Wonders | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Ruler of the Skies | Hoopa ex x 2 (Mega Rayquaza Pack) Deceptive Needle x 2 (Mega Rayquaza Pack) |
| Team Rocket's Ambition | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Promo-A | Poke Ball x 2 (Promo-A Pack) Professor's Research x 2 (Promo-A Pack) |
| Promo-B | No cards needed from this expansion. |
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| Energy Used |
Scan Code Save image to scan in-game. |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Greninja is played with Hoopa ex as a means to deal even more snipe damage. This deck aims for precision KOs with Hoopa ex and Greninja's sniping. A well-placed Cyrus can win you the game if you can draw out a damaged Benched Pokemon for a KO.
Deceptive Needle is also run in the deck as another way for Hoopa ex to pile on damag on your opponent's side of the field.
| Expansions | Cards to Get and Packs to Open |
|---|---|
| Genetic Apex (A1) | Froakie x 2 (Charizard Pack) Greninja x 2 (Charizard Pack) |
| Mythical Island (A1a) | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Spacetime Smackdown (A2) | Cyrus x 1 (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 | 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 | Mega Absol ex x 1 (Mega Gyarados Pack) Copycat x 2 (Mega Gyarados Pack) |
| Crimson Blaze | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Fantastical Parade | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Paldean Wonders | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Mega Shine | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Pulsing Aura | Field Blower x 1 (Mega Lucario Pack) |
| Paradox Drive | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Everyday Wonders | Small Balloon x 1 (Picnic Pack) |
| Ruler of the Skies | Hoopa ex x 2 (Mega Rayquaza Pack) Deceptive Needle x 2 (Mega Rayquaza Pack) |
| Team Rocket's Ambition | No cards needed from this expansion. |
| Promo-A | Poke Ball x 2 (Promo-A Pack) Professor's Research x 2 (Promo-A Pack) |
| Promo-B | No cards needed from this expansion. |


Hoopa ex can be seen as Pheromosa with higher HP and durability. It can excel as a wall with a simple yet powerful ability to snipe with its 1 Energy Attack. This unlocks potentially game-winning Cyrus plays where you can force a damaged Benched Pokemon into the Active Spot for a decisive KO.



Hoopa ex can be played with the likes of Greninja, Mega Absol ex, or Hydreigon. Its main purpose would be to snipe and pile on damage, allowing a teammate to score a KO.
You would ideally rely on these partners for damage, instead of having to attach 3 Energy to Hoopa for Dynamic Punch.


It is important that you find your evolutions to win against Hoopa ex. Evolve when you're ready to attack, and do not let your Mega ex idle on your Bench so that it doesn't fall victim to a snipe and Cyrus play.

TR Articuno ex |
TR Zapdos ex |
TR Weezing ex |
TR Slowking ex |
TR Raticate ex |
TRA Garchomp |
TR Moltres ex |
TR Wobbuffet |
Mega Garchomp ex |
- | - | - |
Best Hoopa ex Decks and Card List

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