Dusknoir Deck
0.0% of the meta · Updated September 14, 2026
Signature card
Dusknoir
Rare
Strengths
- Fade into Darkness gives a 50% chance your opponent scores zero points on any Dusknoir KO, directly denying the 1-point score.
- Shadow Void funnels damage off your entire bench onto one body, keeping support Pokemon healthy throughout the game.
- Favorable 75% win rate against Mega Venusaur ex, Venusaur, and Gardevoir makes it a targeted counter in the right metagame pocket.
Weaknesses
- Oricorio, Indeedee ex, and Pyukumuku all post 25% win rates against this deck — specific counters hard-stop the coin-flip plan.Matchup
- A Stage 2 line of Duskull into Dusclops into Dusknoir is slow; Rare Candy is the only acceleration and there is only one copy.Consistency
- Hammer In costs only 2 energy for 80 damage, which is low output — if Fade into Darkness flips tails repeatedly, you fall behind on tempo.Tempo
- Red Card disrupts your own hand-refill plan and can strand evolution pieces at critical moments.Deckbuilding
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Est. 580 packs to collect all core cardsdetails
Key Moves & Abilities
Strategy Guide
Auto-generatedDusknoir wins by exploiting its Fade into Darkness ability to deny your opponent points on knockouts, while its Shadow Void variant centralizes all damage onto itself to protect the rest of your board. The win condition is outlasting opponents through point denial and damage redirection until you close out with Hammer In or support attackers.
Open by placing Duskull and a bench filler such as Litwick or Pumpkaboo, using Professor's Research, Copycat, and Sightseer to dig toward Rare Candy and the Dusknoir line. Mid-game you prioritize getting the Fade into Darkness Dusknoir into the active spot so any KO has a coin-flip chance of giving your opponent zero points. Once a second Dusknoir is on the bench with Shadow Void, funnel chip damage from Gourgeist or Chandelure onto it to clear your bench between threats. Finish by attacking with Hammer In for 80 damage or shifting the pressure with Sabrina to force a favorable KO sequence.
How to Play
Deny Points with Fade into Darkness
Keep the Fade into Darkness Dusknoir active as your primary attacker. Every time it is knocked out, flip the coin — a heads result means your opponent scores nothing. Combined with Peculiar Plaza and hand-refresh supporters, you can recycle this threat repeatedly and force your opponent into an unfavorable scoring pace.
Redirect Damage with Shadow Void
Bench the Shadow Void Dusknoir early and use its ability each turn to pull all accumulated damage off Chandelure, Gourgeist, or Meloetta and stack it onto Dusknoir. This keeps your smaller support Pokemon alive and functioning, giving you a continuous stream of bench presence while your active threatens the opponent.
Disrupt the Opponent's Hand with Red Card and Sabrina
Red Card forces your opponent to shuffle and redraw three cards, potentially breaking their evolution setup. Pair it with Sabrina to drag up a benched threat that is not yet ready to attack. This combination stalls the opponent long enough to complete your own Stage 2 evolution and set up the Fade into Darkness lock.
How to Beat This Deck
Pressure Before Dusknoir Evolves
Dusknoir requires a three-stage evolution and only one Rare Candy. Aggressive decks that attack immediately on turn 2 and KO Duskull or Dusclops before the Stage 2 lands prevent the coin-flip denial entirely. Fast ex attackers that score 2 points per KO can close the game before Fade into Darkness ever activates.
Use Non-ex Swarm Attackers
Fade into Darkness only matters when Dusknoir is actually knocked out. Flood the board with multiple cheap non-ex attackers that each score 1 point per KO and cycle through them quickly. Your opponent's coin-flip denial never triggers because you are spending few resources per attacker and reaching 3 points through volume.
Target Oricorio and Bench-Damage Tools
Oricorio-style mechanics that place bench damage bypass the active-spot dependency of Shadow Void redirection. Spreading damage across the entire bench forces Dusknoir to try to consolidate an impossible amount of damage. Indeedee ex and Pyukumuku similarly exploit the deck's reliance on a static bench layout.
Common Substitutions
Draw support
- Sightseer:Provides hand refill when stuck; replaceable with Copycat if you expect the opponent to have a large hand
- May:Additional draw option to find evolution pieces faster
Bench attacker
- Meloetta:Flexible bench attacker that functions independently of the Dusknoir evolution
- Gourgeist:Provides secondary attacker alongside Chandelure when Dusknoir is being rebuilt
Matchups
Threats — Weak Against
Based on type weakness analysis of core cards. View full matchup matrix →