1.0% of the meta · Updated July 25, 2026
Signature card
Mega Venusaur ex
Special Art Rare
#1 — slaklikely
Lagoon Serenity Format (FA Choice Prize) · 10W-0L
#2 — LittleG
Lagoon Serenity Format (FA Choice Prize) · 8W-1L
#2 — Aldwende
Lagoon Serenity Format (10 USD) · 8W-1L-1T
Your opponent's Active Pokémon is now Poisoned and Asleep.
Mega Venusaur ex wins by landing Critical Bloom to deal 120 damage while inflicting both Poison and Asleep on the opponent's Active, piling on residual damage and turn-skipping to overwhelm any attacker. Quick-Grow Extract and Ivysaur are included in virtually every list to assemble the Stage 2 line rapidly.
Open by benching Bulbasaur and using draw support from Erika and Lillie alongside Professor's Research and Copycat to reach Ivysaur and Mega Venusaur ex quickly. Quick-Grow Extract appears in 96% of all lists to support the evolution build. In the mid-game, the deck sustains draw while setting up the 240-HP wall. Once Mega Venusaur ex is Active, Critical Bloom applies Poison and Asleep on top of 120 damage every turn, forcing the opponent to either flip to wake up and lose their attack, or stay Asleep and take ongoing Poison damage. Heavy Helmet is included in 86% of lists to punish opposing attackers.
Active Pokemon per turn
Critical Bloom 120 base + Poison between turns = 120 direct + ongoing Poison
Asleep forces a coin flip to attack; failed flips waste the opponent's turn entirely
Quick-Grow Extract is in 96% of all lists. Use it alongside Professor's Research and Copycat to dig into the evolution sequence and reach Mega Venusaur ex faster. Erika and Lillie provide additional draw to keep hands full during setup turns while waiting for the Stage 2.
Every Critical Bloom inflicts both Poison and Asleep. An Asleep opponent must flip heads to attack — on a tails flip, they lose their turn and take another Poison tick. Use Pokémon Center Lady or Lucky Ice Pop to heal Mega Venusaur ex between turns, extending its time Active and maximizing the turns the opponent spends failing wake-up flips.
Bulbasaur and Ivysaur are basic and Stage 1 — they are much easier to knock out than Mega Venusaur ex itself. Fire-type attackers with high damage can eliminate the evolution line before the Stage 2 arrives, denying the deck its only core attacker.
Mega Venusaur ex has 4 retreat and cannot easily leave once Active. Sabrina drags it Active while it still has damage on it from a previous attack, then your attacker can score the knockout. Since Mega Venusaur ex is the only copy in most builds and a knockout wins the game instantly, forcing it Active at the wrong time ends the match.
Dusknoir and Skarmory ex are listed as hard counters. Dusknoir's damage-spreading abilities pressure the entire field, while Skarmory ex's damage profile can overcome Mega Venusaur ex's bulk. Building around these counters neutralizes the Poison-Asleep loop before it can accumulate enough damage.
Basic starter
Healing support
Hand disruption
Threats — Weak Against
Based on type weakness analysis of core cards. View full matchup matrix →
