Return of the Queen (Live! Expanded Tsareena V)

Paisley Park, After Dark Paisley Park, After Dark Expanded 1,365 views Oct 08, 2024 Updated Aug 31, 2025
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Deck Primer

[Last updated for Black Bolt/White Flare]

Tsareena is both one of my favourite Pokemon in the video games (Queenly Majesty undisputed godly ability) and one of my favourite Expanded decks. Unfortunately, because it relies on an XY era card in Sky Field, it can't be used on PTCGL - until now!

And by now I mean like a month ago when Stellar Crown dropped.

This deck takes advantage of Ogerpon ex as both a method to activate Area Zero Underdepths and to power up Tsareena on turn one alongside Energy Switch.

...

[Last updated for Black Bolt/White Flare]

Tsareena is both one of my favourite Pokemon in the video games (Queenly Majesty undisputed godly ability) and one of my favourite Expanded decks. Unfortunately, because it relies on an XY era card in Sky Field, it can't be used on PTCGL - until now!

And by now I mean like a month ago when Stellar Crown dropped.

This deck takes advantage of Ogerpon ex as both a method to activate Area Zero Underdepths and to power up Tsareena on turn one alongside Energy Switch. With Area Zero Underdepths in play Tsareena hits a maximum of 340 damage, enough to OHKO even VMAX-es, and because of Giratina's Distortion Door ability it has no issue getting a constant stream of fodder on the bench. The other Pokemon are general Expanded support, though unlike in most decks they don't become gust targets for the opponent since Tsareena sends them straight to the discard pile after you've played them.

Echoing Horn allows you to put weak bench sitters like Mew VMAX's Oricorio or support Pokemon like Comfey (Lost Origin) into play, which Giratina can then snipe to even out prize trades - Radiant Alakazam can expedite this process, allowing you to take a KO on a 60HP mon in a single turn and soften up larger Pokemon like the 280 HP VSTARs so that you need to discard less of your bench. Tapu Lele-GX hits through Pokemon that block damage from Vs like Mimikyu, and Ogerpon itself can function as a decent back up attacker when needed.

Other considerations include Sudowoodo (Guardians Rising), which was useful in full Expanded Tsareena since Sky Field would always give your opponent extra bench space, but the amount of Tera ex Pokemon in Live Expanded at the moment is slim which makes it a very situational card. I also really like the idea of teching a single Empoleon (Brilliant Stars) or Gengar (Lost Origin) but realistically the cards in the deck as is are enough to consistently fill the bench.

Card Types

Trainer 33
Pokémon 18
Energy 9

Energy Types

Psychic 8
Grass 6
Lightning 2
Colorless 1
Darkness 1

Energy Curve

Distribution of attack energy costs in your deck

1 Energy 3 attacks
3
14.3% of attacks
2 Energy 11 attacks
11
52.4% of attacks
3 Energy 7 attacks
7
33.3% of attacks

Opening Hand Probability Calculator

Calculate the probability of drawing specific cards in your opening hand

%
Probability of drawing at least of in your opening hand

Comments

CountyGibbon798 avatar

I really love Tsareena V's attack and overall strategy in Expanded, as it's one of the few archetypes that can not only make use of, but remove the dead 2-prize support liabilities that you see in practically every deck in Expanded. I also completely overlooked Ogerpon as a turbo option, as I'm stuck with the outdated vision of Tapu Koko Prism lol. I also appreciate that you made it Live-Friendly!

As for an actual suggestion, do you think that lumineon V is better than Lele here? The main reason being that it can make use of FSS. I'd also max out on stretchers, as you can also use them to recover your Dede-Lele-Bat core and reuse their abilities after you discard them each time, something which again, can't be utilized with most other strategies.

Paisley Park, After Dark avatar

CountyGibbon798 Thanks, I noticed there aren't many beginner-friendly Live Expanded decks out there so I've been trying to put a few out (maybe to sneakily get more newbies to learn to play Expanded >:]). I totally agree that the deck could use more Stretchers but I'm not sure what to cut to fit them in, what would you suggest?

Generally situations where Lumineon will be in play but no Crobat or Tsareena seem pretty uncommon, but so do situations where Tapu Lele has to attack - I think they're probably both just as good as one another here so it's mostly a matter of preference in my opinion.

CountyGibbon798 avatar

4 Iono and 4 research might be a bit much, but I guess without VS Seeker you have to run a higher concentration of supporters. Removing one from either to make space for another stretcher might work. I might also use Air Balloon over Switch since it can be used more than once. The only pokemon that doesn't fully benefit from it is Giratina, but Guzma and Prime Catcher can make use of it.

Battle Compressor avatar

"maybe to sneakily get more newbies to learn to play Expanded >:]"

I respect it. Greatly.

Personally, the playstyle of PTCGL is so different that it's basically a different format, but your mentality is definitely a start. Expanded needs more love. 

 

Gibbon is right about 4-4 of research and Iono being excessive, I would remove 2 iono instead of 1 of either because you are running Giratina which wants to be discarded and all basic pokemon, so no unfortunate stumpy discards. 6 draw supports is still plenty. That way you can max stretcher. 

 

I don't know too much abt the meta in PTCGL, but this deck is well built enough to combat most of what I would imagine. 

Personally I would use Lele over Lumineon because of not only the crazy unlikely chance of not having a tsareena in play, but also having no weakness, which does wonders when the opponent is running hands. Again, Idk what ppl run in PTCGL so take that with a grain of salt.

 

Iplaylostbox avatar

Gengar lost origin (couldn't find the link)

Can be another Pokemon you can instant revive as well asExeggcute (Plasma Freeze) 

Paisley Park, After Dark avatar

Iplaylostbox PTCGL's Expanded only goes back to Sun and Moon base, so I can't use Eggy :( Otherwise that would be a great inclusion.

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