[Update 18 Apr 2024] Another variant of this deck has recently begun to emerge in tournament play. While still a relatively niche pick, some players have taken to adding the Regieleki card from the Time Gazer [S10D] expansion set.

This variant usually makes use of disruption cards played alongside Regieleki and as of now, is primarily played by North American and Australian players.

[Update 15 Apr 2024] Confirming its place as the single most dominant deck of the current meta, Shinya Kaneko won the Japan-exclusive Champions League Aichi tournament with this deck. Like Reklev, Kaneko used the Bibarel build which has now become the predominant variant of the Charizard ex deck.

As if that weren’t enough, three of the four semifinalists at Champions League Aichi used the Charizard ex deck. This deck is well on its way to going down as one of the greatest of all time.

[Update 8 Apr 2024] To further underscore this deck’s excellence, Norwegian player Tord Reklev just won the Pokémon Europe International Championships (EUIC) with it. Notably, Reklev deviated from the Delphox V build, instead opting to use a Bibarel card from Star Birth [S9] for additional support.

It should not come as any surprise that when the Terastallization mechanic was introduced to the Pokémon TCG, the Dark-type Tera form of Charizard proved to be far and away the most desired card of a Terastallized Pokémon. Not only is Charizard one of the most iconic Pokémon—its Dark-type Tera form had already been depicted in various other forms of Pokémon media; none of its other Tera forms had been given anything close to such a spotlight.

The deck’s main card lives up to the hype. Found in Shiny Treasure ex [SV4a], two Fire-type Energy cards are all that Charizard ex requires to use the devastating Burning Darkness attack. With a base damage of 180, this attack adds 30 more for every Prize Card the opponent has taken. It’s the perfect way to jumpstart a comeback or deal a crucial blow in a late-game situation.

This deck is built around a tandem of top-tier offensive threats; the second is the Delphox V card from Lost Abyss [S11]. This card is sure to keep opponents on their toes as its Magical Fire attack inflicts 120 damage on one opposing Benched Pokémon, allowing for easy pick-offs.

The cumulative cost of every card in a Charizard ex deck that uses the Dark-type Tera form of Charizard is a minimum of ¥4,000 (~US$27).

In other TCG-related news, check out the Genesect V card from Fusion Arts [S8]. Alternatively, you can also head over to the SNKRDUNK App via the banner below and find the top trending and latest single cards and boxes.