Pocket - Machamp EX × Marowak

Pokémon TCG Pocket Deck

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Strategy:

Machamp EX is bulky and hits pretty hard. Just like an Stage 2 Pokémon, it takes a bit of time to set up, especially when its main attack costs 3 Fighting Energy. But if it wasn't that slow, then we'd be looking into a real threat on the Field - it 2-OHKOs pretty much anything (for no drawback) and has a massive 180 HP that survives pretty much anything.

Still, 120 isn't enough to KO every major threat on the Field in one attack so Marowak takes advantage

Pokémon TCG Pocket Deck

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Strategy:

Machamp EX is bulky and hits pretty hard. Just like an Stage 2 Pokémon, it takes a bit of time to set up, especially when its main attack costs 3 Fighting Energy. But if it wasn't that slow, then we'd be looking into a real threat on the Field - it 2-OHKOs pretty much anything (for no drawback) and has a massive 180 HP that survives pretty much anything.

Still, 120 isn't enough to KO every major threat on the Field in one attack so Marowak takes advantage of going first and starts hitting opponents for 40 damage for 1 Energy each time, too!

There's no need for complex strategies, this is a straightforward and very effective tactic - and that's all we need sometimes.

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Machamp's most impressive attribute is its 180 HP - either your opponent chips it away or they will have to deploy their best attacks to KO it.

Charizard ex (Genetic Apex)'s Crimson Storm OHKOs it (like it KOs pretty much any other card of the format).

Pikachu ex (Genetic Apex) and Starmie ex (Genetic Apex) 2HKO it, but, unfortunately for them, healing Machamp with a single Potion puts it out of KO range, unless they used 2 Giovanni to KO it (which forces them to assume you have a Potion in your Hand and use the 2 Giovanni in succession). It's for this reason that we're running 2x of each (Giovanni and Potion) in this Deck.

Regular Marowak puts pretty much anything in KO range for Machamp's Attack, and the idea here is to always place a Cubone as your Active Pokémon first and set up the Machamp line in the Bench. Marowak also survives Pikachu EX's Circle Circuit and threatens it with a 2HKO because of its Super Effective damage (this is why we're running it instead of Farfetch'd (Genetic Apex) and Dugtrio (Genetic Apex)).

Generally now, a Fossil card (Helix Fossil (Genetic Apex), Dome Fossil (Genetic Apex) and Old Amber (Genetic Apex)) seems to be neat Tech around Machamp, especially because running any other Pokémon would decrease the odds of getting Cubone or Machop in your starting Hand.

Machamp decks are not the strongest right now, but they definitely pack a punch.

(Or 4 of them, right?)