Deck Tech Standard: Jynx ex - Building with the 151 Sub Set

In preparation for the arrival of the special "151" collection (Pokémon Card 151 or 151 Kanto Sub Set), I will be posting Deck Techs for the Standard format with theories for the new cards, which will be coming to the Western market around mid-September.

It's worth noting that the cards are numbered and coded based on the eastern version, i.e., sv2a, which cannot be used in tournaments! They can only be used when they come to the West with the American translation and sv3a code.

In this article, I will present a Jynx ex deck, which boasts an interesting "Instant K.O." attack with its first attack - delivering a very strong instant knockout effect, in combination with Hypno from the same 151 collection.

Decklist

Jynx ex: The Star of the Deck

Ba-Dum Kiss Attack (W)(C)(C): If the opponent's active Pokémon is asleep, it is automatically knocked out.

Icy Wind Attack (W)(W)(W): Deals 120 damage, and the opponent's active Pokémon is asleep.

The gameplay is simple: you will do everything you can to put the opponent's active Pokémon to sleep so that the first attack works. With Hypno sv2a 97, which has the Sudden Hypnosis ability, when it's played from your hand to evolve a Drowzee, it puts your opponent's active Pokémon to sleep, ensuring the "instant K.O." with the first attack of Jynx ex.

So, the synergy of these cards needs to follow this "tutorial," and of course, there's also Jynx ex's second attack, which also helps put the opponent's active Pokémon to sleep, while dealing 120 damage.

Empoleon V: Lost Box Counter

Even though this Pokémon is not the main attacker (it can be in some situations to mobilize energy from the same Pokémon to your Jynx ex), its ability is what interests us here:

Emperor's Eye: All basic Pokémon in play have no abilities except for those that have Rule Box (Pokémon V, Radiant, ex, etc.).

So, we use it to gain time.

Drapion V: The "counter" of Fusion Strike, Single Strike, and Rapid Strike styles

Its goal is to deal double damage to Mew VMAX LOR TG30 due to its weakness to the Dark type, making it 380 damage in total.

And since opponents using the Mew deck always require Genesect V FST 185, it will always guarantee this attack tribute exemption for Drapion V LOR 118, which is assuredly an excellent counter.

Recursive Pokémon

Pokémon for the Jynx ex Combo

- Drowzee sv1 82 has a very interesting first attack, Forced Sleep (P), where your opponent switches a Pokémon from the bench to be the active one, and as a result, this promoted Pokémon is asleep.

It's an ideal move for Jynx ex sv2a 124 to use her first attack on the next turn if the opponent remains asleep, and of course, if Jynx ex sv2a 124 has the necessary energy to carry out the attack.

- Hypno sv2a 97 has Sudden Hypnosis: if this Pokémon is evolved from your hand on top of Drowzee, the opponent's active Pokémon is asleep.

Coming from the 151 collection, just like Jynx ex sv2a 124, Hypno was made for the combo with Jynx.

Pokémon for Energy Mobility

- Baxcalibur sv2 60 has Super Cold, which allows you to move basic water energies from your hand to your Pokémon in any way you want during your turn.

Pokémon for Card Draws

- Bidoof CRZ 111 has Carefree Countenance, which prevents it from taking damage on the bench from attacks, making it very useful to gain time and power up Bibarel, which is our goal.

- Bibarel BRS 121 comes with its ability Industrious Incisors, which allows you to draw cards up to having five cards in your hand each turn.

- Radiant Greninja ASR 46 has Concealed Cards: you discard an energy from your hand and draw two cards from the top of your deck, providing an excellent additional source of "draw power".

Trainer Cards

- Professor's Research (Professor Sada) sv1 189 serves as a "draw power": discard your hand and draw 7 cards.

- Irida ASR 147 serves two purposes: search for a Water Pokémon and take an Item card from your deck.

It's worth pointing out that with the remaking of Item and Tool cards in the Scarlet & Violet block, Tools now have their own classification and cannot be searched together with "Item" cards.

And with this card being the most important in the deck, we can set up the evolution base for Frigibax sv2 58 using Rare Candy PGO 69 to evolve into Baxcalibur sv2 60 - which is precisely its main focus for creating your energy mobilization setup.

Additionally, with Irida ASR 147, we can search for Jynx ex sv2a 124.

Boss's Orders (Ghetsis) sv2 172 is used to switch a specific Pokémon from your opponent's bench to the active position to deal the winning damage.

Serena SIT 164 serves two functions:

1) You can discard up to 3 cards from your hand to activate its effect (you need to discard at least one card), and if you do, draw cards until you have five cards in your hand.

2) You can switch a Pokémon V from your opponent's bench to the active position.

- Iono sv2 185 is extremely powerful because it combines the effects of its predecessors N FCO 105 and Marnie SSH 169: you and your opponent shuffle your hands and place them at the bottom of your decks. Afterward, you both draw cards from the top of your decks equal to the number of prize cards you have in play, which in this case, means for each player in the game.

For example, if your opponent has 2 prize cards and you have 4 prize cards and use this card as an effect, you both shuffle your hands to the bottom of the deck, and then your opponent will draw only 2 cards, while you will draw 4 cards.

Items

- Battle VIP Pass FST 225 is to be used only on your first turn: it allows you to search for two basic Pokémon from your deck and put them directly onto your bench.

When this card becomes unnecessary after the first turn on your play, it becomes an excellent tribute option, especially with the use of Superior Energy Retrieval sv2 189, which requires discarding two cards from your hand to use its effect.

- Ultra Ball sv1 196 is used to search for any Pokémon, whether it's an evolution or basic, common or ultra-rare, as long as you meet the requirement of discarding two cards from your hand to play it.

- Escape Rope BST 125: your opponent chooses a Pokémon from their bench to be promoted to the active position, and then you do the same with your Pokémon. The opponent starts this switch (and if they have no Pokémon on their bench to switch, they don't have to switch).

- Rare Candy PGO 69 is a vital card for game acceleration as it allows you to skip evolution stages of your Pokémon, for example, for Frigibax > Baxcalibur.

- Superior Energy Retrieval sv2 189 is used to discard two cards from your hand to recover 4 basic energies from the discard pile to your hand - combining with the energy mobilization flow of Baxcalibur to your Pokémon, using these basic water energies.

- Super Rod sv2 188, a reprint from the Black/White era, serves as another recycling option since it recycles 3 cards, including basic energies and Pokémon, back into your deck, which is an important recovery, especially for the Frigibax and Baxcalibur line since they are the energy engines of the deck, considering that Jynx ex requires 3 energies (W)(C)(C) for its attacks.

Stadium

Lost City LOR 161 affects both players, where all Pokémon that are knocked out during the game, instead of going to the discard pile, go to the Lost Zone (other cards attached to the Pokémon, energies, and tools go to the discard pile as usual).

We must think wisely when using it because it's a double-edged sword. It's usually good against a key opponent's Pokémon or a well-set attacker that can pose a threat. You can use Jynx's first attack to achieve an instant knockout and remove it from the game entirely, without the opponent having a chance to recover or rebuild it, and it's even worse if that particular opponent's Pokémon is a Stage 1 or 2 evolution or requires many energies.

Advantages

- Easy energy acceleration with Baxcalibur PR-SV 19 by your side.

- Easy searching for Water Pokémon thanks to Irida ASR 147.

- An "Instant Kill" attack, and since there are no cards like Big Parasol DAA 157* in this rotation, you are free to use this effect and ensure a knockout - in theory, Jynx ex sv2a 124 in combination with Hypno sv2a 97 has a significant advantage against all decks in the format.

- Fire-type decks struggle with the double damage from other attackers like Empoleon V BST 40, Baxcalibur PR-SV 19, and even Jynx ex sv2a 124's second attack - not to mention the sniper attack of Radiant Greninja ASR 46.

Disadvantages

- Decks that use the Metal archetype, and perhaps the recent potential threat could be Scizor sv3 205 due to its damage being based on the number of the opponent's Pokémon with abilities. Since our deck is full of such Pokémon, it becomes an effective counter, especially considering that Jynx ex is weak to the Metal type.

- The deck also depends on the coin flip regarding the opponent staying asleep, both at the start and end of the turn. Since there are no cards like Slumbering Forest UNM 207 (which makes the opponent flip two coins to wake up) and Hypnotoxic Laser PLS 123 (which only exist in Expanded), it becomes a bit tricky to rely on luck combined with the combo's efficiency in the Standard format.

- Jynx ex has a low HP of only 200 points.

It's a strong and interesting deck to play, as it delivers an "instant kill." Although it's powerful with Hypno, as described in the article, it still relies on the opponent's coin flip for sleep, in the absence of Hypno, to be effective.

Until next time!