Pokémon TCG Pocket: Dialga EX Deck Guide

Despite being only a few months old, energy generating cards have dominated Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket. Moltres EX, Misty, and Gardevoir have been meta-staples since the beginning, and with the addition of the Space-Time Smackdown expansion we have another engine on our hands, and this time it’s a runaway train: Dialga EX.

Dialga EX is one of the most flexible cards because its Metallic Turbo attack allows you to slap 2 Metal energy onto 1 of your Benched Pokémon. Colorless Pokémon and Metal types alike will find new homes in decks behind this big blue God of Time.

This guide puts the best early decks we see Dialga EX working in as of Space-Time Smackdown, along with a handful of different options that might take the meta by storm.

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket - Best Dialga EX Deck (Space-Time Smackdown)

As stated above, Dialga EX can fit into quite a lot of decks, but we think he’ll be best paired not with a Metal type Pokémon but rather a Grass type – Yanmega EX. Yanmega EX, you see, is a Stage 1 Pokémon that needs 3 Colorless energy to attack, so it doesn’t mind the Metal energy given by Dialga EX.

Core Dialga EX Cards

• 2x Dialga EX
• 2x Yanma
• 2x Yanmega
• 1x Tauros
• 1x Mew EX
• 2x Poké Ball
• 2x Pokémon Communication
• 2x Giant Cape
• 2x Dawn
• 2x Professor’s Research
• 2x Leaf

Flex Dialga EX Cards

While Yanmega EX looks like the right choice with this deck, some Metal types might work well here. Melmetal is also a Stage 1 Pokémon and has much more bulk with its Hard Coat ability. Bastiodon is Stage 2 but has a ridiculous ability called Guarded Grill that negates 100 damage if you flip heads.

Furthermore, any Colorless type Pokémon will also work well. This includes Pidgeot EX from Mythical Island, Wigglytuff EX, or even the new Lickilicky EX from Space-Time Smackdown.

There’s also room for experimentation with cards like Skarmory and other Pokémon Tools.

How To Play Dialga EX

Dialga EX is fairly straightforward: power up Dialga EX on the front line and use Metallic Turbo to feed Metal energy into Yanmega, and then use Leaf to switch out Dialga EX before you start hitting hard for 120 damage. Tauros and Mew EX are also good targets depending on what you’re going up against, as the former can also hit for 120 if you run into an opposing EX Pokémon and Mew EX can copy the ability from the likes of Mewtwo EX and Charizard EX.

Tauros and Mew EX also make for good Pokémon Communication targets if you’re fishing for Dialga EX or Yanmega EX or vice versa.

Synergies to keep in mind are that you can power up your secondary Dialga EX on the bench with your first; furthermore, the new Dawn Supporter card can help you shift Metal energy forward onto your active Dialga EX to attack with Heavy Impact sooner.

Last, Giant Cape allows Dialga EX and Yanmega EX to survive hits from Mewtwo EX, Palkia EX, and a boosted Gyarados EX.

Dialga EX Best and Worst Matchups

As of right now, it’s difficult to say what exactly will counter Dialga EX. Dialga EX and Yanma EX have different weaknesses; furthermore, Infernape EX doesn’t seem consistent enough to keep up with Dialga EX. Ninetails & Blaine decks may see a rise in popularity as a result because they can also take on Celebi EX, though we wouldn’t expect Charizard EX to make a return even with Pokémon Communication making Stage 2 decks more consistent.

As for the best matchups, Dialga EX looks very good across the board. Pikachu EX is likely favored as it can two-shot Dialga EX and has an advantage against Yanmega EX. Here, Tauros is key. Fighting-type decks running Lucario may also try to rush down Dialga EX or hit back with a supercharged Marshadow.

Regardless, Dialga EX looks like the newest menace on the block.

So, here is the big new danger on the TCG block. Have a look at the full Space-Time Smackdown list for all the cards you can get in the new expansion, and then see what other S-Tier decks are out there in our full Tier List.