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Ultra Beasts are creatures that come from another world, which are like Pokemon, but different, and inPokemon TCG Pocket, Buzzwole is one of the strongest. Partnered with other Ultra Beasts and the Aether Foundation President, Lusamine, it’s a force to be reckoned with.
Buzzwole ex’s biggest drawback is that it can’t use the same powerful attack every turn, but you can neutralize that liability, or even turn it into an advantage thanks to its synergy with other Ultra Beasts. Grab your Beast Balls: It’s time to learn how to play and build one of Pokemon TCG Pocket’s best decks.
Buzzwole ex (A3a) x2
Pheromosa (A3a) x2
Celesteela (A3a) x2
Kartana (A3a) x1
Erika x2
Lusamine x2
Cyrus x1
Mars x1
Guzma x1
Leaf Cape x1
Beastite x1
Some versions of this deckdrop Kartana for an extra Cyrus, Leaf Cape, or to add Red Card.
Buzzwole ex Pheromosa Strategy
Celesteela is a key card in this deck, and your ideal first Active Pokemon. With120 HP, it can absorb a couple of hits while you set up Buzzwole ex on your Bench, andUltra Thruster is like an extra free retreateach turn for any Ultra Beast, including itself.
Ultra Thruster gives you a little wiggle room to set upon your Bench. If your opponent onlysetsone ActivePokemon, you canswitch to Kartana to try and get a KObefore it evolves or gets a backup. If theyset a threaton the Bench, you canswitch to Pheromosato start softening it for Buzzwole ex.
Celesteela should never attack,but you shouldstill attach Energyto it if you don’t find another Pokemon in the first couple turns. If Celesteela or any of your other Pokemon are KOed while holding Energy, you’llgain access to Lusamine’s powerful ability for the rest of the game.
Buzzwole ex’sbest attack is Big Beat,which deals 120 damage, butcan’t be used again the next turn. To get around this,you’llwant a Celesteelain play, so that you canswitch Buzzwole ex out with Ultra Thrustersin order toremove the debuffthat prevents it from using that attack.
Almost all effects of attacks and abilities are reset when you move a Pokemon to your Bench, since it’s considered a different instance of that Pokemon. So the turn after you use Big Beat, use Ultra Thrusters to move Buzzwole ex to your Bench, retreat the Pokemon you made Active, send in Buzzwole ex again, and use Big Beat a second time.
Alternatively, if you get both Buzzwole ex enough Energy to use Big Beat, you canuse Ultra Thruster to move one back and use Big Beat from the otherwithout discarding any Energy.
Don’t worry about losing a Pheromosa or Kartana early, because you canuse Lusamine to recover their Energy and attach them to Buzzwole ex. You can also recover Energy you discarded to retreat a Pokemon, but only after your opponent has scored at least one Point.
Using Lusamine meansyou can attach up to three Energy to Buzzwole in a single turn, which can be a surprise move for your opponent. If they KO the only Buzzwole ex you have in play, only for you to drop the second one, give it all three Energy, and attack immediately, their game plan may be derailed.
Pheromosa allows you to set up for Cyrus, adding damage to Pokemon on your opponent’s Bench in order to make them targets for Cyrus to force into the Active position. This allows you to KO those Pokemon with Big Beat.
Buzzwole ex Pheromosa Matchups
Silvally Rampardos
The Silvally / Rampardos combois one of the most popular deck archetypes, butit’s at a disadvantage against Buzzwole ex, which allows this deck to be a contender for the top deck in the meta.
Buzzwole ex can OHKO Silvally, survive a non-boosted Head Smash, and then KO Rampardosthanks to its self-inflicted damage. Alternatively, Pheromosa can two-shot Skull Fossil on the Bench, preventing your opponent from setting up their biggest threat.
Giratina ex Darkrai ex
WhileDarkrai ex and Giratina ex deckshave been a staple in Pokemon TCG Pocket,they fall short when matched against powerful Grass-type decks, including Buzzwole ex / Pheromosa.
Darkrai ex crumples to a single Big Beat, although you may need to use Guzma to get rid of Giant Cape first. Giratina ex is a little more resilient, butChaotic Impact deals damage to itself, making it vulnerable without dealing enough damage to KO Buzzwole ex, especially with a Leaf Cape.
Magnezone Shiinotic
Although it may not seem like a great deck at a glance,Magnezone / Shiinoticis surprisingly good against Buzzwole ex/ Pheromosa. Most versions include the Lightning-type Oricorio, which ignores Buzzwole ex’s attacks, which can seriously limit your momentum.
As soon as you see Oricorio on the Bench, you shoulduse Pheromosa’s Jump Blues to deal 20 damage to it, putting it in range for Kartana to KOlater. Or, if you’re feeling lucky, you may use Lusamine to attach Energy to Celesteela and try to KO it with Moombahton.
