Raikou ex Deck
0.1% of the meta · Updated September 8, 2026
Signature card
Raikou ex
Shiny Super Rare
Strengths
- Legendary Pulse draws a card at end of every turn Raikou ex is active — persistent draw advantage that compounds over multiple turns.
- Voltaic Bullet deals 10 bench damage alongside 60 active damage, threatening multiple Pokemon simultaneously with no extra cost.
- Raikou ex is a Basic Pokemon, meaning it is active from turn 1 with no evolution setup — the draw engine starts immediately.
Weaknesses
- Raikou ex is an ex — a KO scores the opponent 2 points, nearly winning the match in one exchange.ex KO
- Voltaic Bullet's 60 damage is below the 1HKO threshold for most ex Pokemon; requires multiple turns or Mega Manectric ex to close out big targets.Tempo
- Skarmory ex, Guzzlord ex, and Espeon ex are strongly unfavorable matchups, indicating consistent type-based or ability-based counters to this strategy.Matchup
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Est. 301 packs to collect all core cardsdetails
Core Cards
Key Moves & Abilities
Strategy Guide
Auto-generatedRaikou ex is a Basic lightning ex attacker whose Legendary Pulse ability draws a card at the end of every turn it sits in the active spot, generating a persistent card advantage engine. The win condition is using that draw advantage to assemble Mega Manectric ex and Electrical Cord quickly enough to chain ex KOs for 2 points apiece.
Open by finding Raikou ex with Poke Ball and putting it in the active spot immediately — every turn it stays active draws an extra card via Legendary Pulse. Meanwhile, find Electrike with Poke Ball and begin building toward Mega Manectric ex on the bench. Electrical Cord provides energy acceleration to speed up the attack timeline. Mid-game, Raikou ex attacks with Voltaic Bullet for 60 damage to the active and 10 to a benched target, chipping down multiple Pokemon. Once Mega Manectric ex is charged, switch it in to close out high-HP targets that Raikou ex cannot 1HKO.
Damage Math
Voltaic Bullet standard hit
60 to active + 10 to 1 benched Pokemon = 70 total damage distributed
Spread pressure every turn Raikou ex attacks
How to Play
Activate Legendary Pulse immediately and maintain it
Place Raikou ex in the active spot from turn 1 and keep it there as long as safely possible. Every turn end draws an extra card. Over four turns, this generates 4 bonus cards compared to decks without draw abilities, accelerating access to Electrical Cord, Mega Manectric ex, and key trainers much earlier than the opponent expects.
Build and deploy Mega Manectric ex with Electrical Cord
Raikou ex cannot 1HKO most ex targets alone. Build Mega Manectric ex on the bench from Electrike while Raikou ex draws and chips. Electrical Cord accelerates the energy attachment needed to get Mega Manectric ex attacking. When Raikou ex becomes threatened or a big target needs finishing, switch in Mega Manectric ex for the decisive hit.
Use bench chip damage to set up multi-target knockouts
Voltaic Bullet places 10 damage on a benched Pokemon each turn. Over multiple Raikou ex attacks, benched Pokemon accumulate chip damage. Use Sabrina to pull a chipped-down benched Pokemon into the active spot for an easier KO, turning spread damage into efficient point scoring without needing full energy on a second attacker.
How to Beat This Deck
Force Raikou ex out of the active spot to stop Legendary Pulse
Legendary Pulse only draws if Raikou ex is in the active spot at end of turn. Cyrus forces a switch on both sides, dragging Raikou ex to the bench and cutting the draw engine off. Every turn Raikou ex is benched, the opponent loses the compounding card advantage that Legendary Pulse provides.
Score 2 points on Raikou ex before Mega Manectric ex arrives
Raikou ex is a 130-HP Basic ex. Decks that can deal 70 or more damage per turn can 2HKO it before Mega Manectric ex is ready. Scoring those 2 points early puts the Raikou player in immediate pressure and forces them to rely solely on Mega Manectric ex to catch up — if it is not charged yet, they may lose.
Use Pokémon Center Lady to outlast Voltaic Bullet chip damage
Raikou ex's 10 bench damage accumulates slowly. Healing 20 HP with Pokémon Center Lady erases two full turns of bench chip on any single target, negating the spread pressure Voltaic Bullet relies on. Consistent healing prevents Sabrina setups and forces the opponent to score conventionally rather than through chip setups.
Common Substitutions
Closing attacker
- Mega Manectric ex:The primary finisher alongside Raikou ex; handles high-HP targets that 60-damage Voltaic Bullet cannot reach in time.
Energy acceleration
- Electrical Cord:Moves energy onto Mega Manectric ex faster than manual attachment; run 2 copies for reliability.
- Training Area:Stadium that provides additional energy management; supports consistent energy attachment across both attackers.
Matchups
Threats — Weak Against
Based on type weakness analysis of core cards. View full matchup matrix →