Pokémon TCG - Expanded Deck Tech: Dragapult ex & Weezing (Unbroken Bonds)

Today, we'll explore Dragapult ex TWM 130 in an Expanded spread list.

We also brought back Weezing UNB 74 from Sun & Moon: Unbroken Bonds, as it will be quite helpful in this spread strategy. Let's see how it works!

Decklist

Dragapult ex: The Main Attacker

This Pokémon is pretty straightforward. Its main attack, Phantom Dive (F)(P), deals 200 damage and puts 6 damage counters on benched enemy Pokémon.

Difference Between Spread and Sniper Damage

Please note that spread damage and sniper damage are different.

Damage counters are not exactly considered sniper damage. For instance, Marnie's Grimmsnarl ex DRI 136 sees play in Standard, and its attack, Shadow Bullet, is considered a sniper attack.

There are many attacks in Expanded that deal sniper damage, like Greninja VUnion's Twister Shuriken, which deals 100 damage to all benched enemy Pokémon.

As for Dragapult ex TWM 130's Phantom Dive, it is considered a "spread" attack. It goes over Pokémon like Mew UNB 76, Manaphy BRS 41, and Shaymin DRI 10, for instance.

On the other side, Phantom Dive can't go over Rabsca TEF 24's ability. In fact, this is one of the most difficult opponents it can face in Expanded.

Weezing: Alternative Attacker

Let's start with its ability, Detention Gas: if this is your active Pokémon, you may put 1 damage counter on your opponent's benched basic Pokémon in between turns.

Next, we have its attack, Splattering Sludge (C)(C): it deals 40 damage to the opponent's active Pokémon and 20 damage to each Pokémon in their bench that has a damage counter.

The main goal is to start the game with this Pokémon as often as possible. Like so, when your opponent sets up their basic Pokémon, they'll take damage from Weezing UNB 74's ability. In the long term, this will be great with Dragapult ex TWM 130's Phantom Dive.

Of course, Old Cemetery CRE 147 is also great in this strategy. It will "ping" damage whenever the opponent attaches an energy to a non-Psychic Pokémon.

Weezing Combos

First, put Old Cemetery CRE 147 in play and activate its effect. Whenever both players attach energies from their hands to their non-Psychic Pokémon, those Pokémon will get 2 damage counters.

Afterward, use Weezing UNB 74 as much as possible to deal as much damage as possible to the board. Because of Double Colorless Energy GRI 166, you won't have any trouble using its attack.

When Weezing UNB 74 is about to be knocked out, or even before that, you can equip Spell Tag LOT 190 to it (as it only works on Psychic Pokémon). Like so, when Weezing is knocked out, you may put 4 damage counters on enemy Pokémon however you like!

This way, you'll put even more damage counters in play and make it even easier to knock out Pokémon with Dragapult ex TWM 130 later on.

Recursive Pokémon

Baby Pokémon

Drakloak TWM 129's ability, Recon Directive, lets you look at the top 2 cards in your deck, get one and put it in your hand, and then put the other at the bottom of your deck.

Budew PRE 4, in turn, sabotages the opponent. Its attack prevents them from using items in their turn.

Munkidori TWM 95's ability, Adrena-Brain, lets you move 3 damage counters from your Pokémon to enemy Pokémon. It's in this list because Dragapult ex TWM 130's Phantom Dive might be a great attack, but 200 damage is usually not enough to knock out a Pokémon in a single turn.

This Pokémon will help you deal more damage, particularly after Weezing UNB 74 has done its job and weakened the enemy Pokémon. If your Pokémon take damage in the next few turns, all you have to do is move the counters on them to enemy Pokémon.

Rule Box Pokémon

This Pokémon is similar to Fezandipiti ex SFA 38, in a way. When one of your Pokémon is knocked out, it lets you draw 3 extra cards in the following turn.

In this list, this Pokémon will protect you from Old Cemetery CRE 147's drawback effect. If you'd like to use Fezandipiti ex SFA 38, that works too.

Supporters

Guzma & Hala CEC 193 does two things. It lets you look for a Stadium in your deck or look for a Stadium, a Tool, and a special energy, but you'll have to discard 2 cards from your hand to do this.

You'll nearly always use the second effect so that you can set up Weezing UNB 74 faster. Like so, you can get Old Cemetery CRE 147, then Spell Tag LOT 190 to attach it to Weezing, and finally Double Colorless Energy GRI 166 so that you can use its attack.

Lillie's Determination MEG 119 lets you shuffle your hand back into your deck and draw 6 cards. If you have exactly 6 Prize cards left, you'll draw 8 cards instead.

Boss's Orders MEG 114 lets you pull enemy Pokémon from their bench into the active spot. You should use it to knock out a specific Pokémon.

Items

Items to Get Pokémon

Ultra Ball MEG 131 lets you look for any Pokémon in your deck, basic or evolution, and put it in your hand, as long as you discard 2 cards.

Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144 lets you look for 2 Pokémon with up to 70 HP in your deck and put them on your bench.

You can also use Battle VIP Pass FST 225, but you can only play it in the very first turn. Afterward, it's "dead" in your hand, and the only way to get rid of it is if you use cards that force you to discard something, like Guzma & Hala CEC 193 and Ultra Ball MEG 131.

The great thing about Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144 is that you can keep it and reuse it later if you need to organize your board.

Item to Filter Trainers

This card lets you look at the top 4 cards in your deck and get any Trainer you find there (Supporters, Stadiums, Items, and Tools) apart from Trainers' Mail Ros 92 itself.

Items to Recycle Cards

VS Seeker PHF 109 is the most important card in this group because it recycles 1 Supporter in your discard pile and puts it in your hand.

Special Charge STS 105 recycles up to 2 special energies from your discard pile back into your deck.

As this deck plays solely special energies, it is essential!

Sacred Ash DRI 168 recycles up to 5 Pokémon in your discard pile back into your deck.

Ordinary Rod SSH 171 does 3 things. It recycles 2 Pokémon in your discard pile back into your deck, or recycles 2 basic energies in your discard pile back into your deck, or both.

Honestly, you'll use it to recycle your Basic Darkness Energy SFA 98 back into your deck and recycle some Pokémon occasionally.

Tool

This card only works on Psychic Pokémon, like Weezing UNB 74 and even Munkidori TWM 95.

If the Psychic Pokémon that has this tool attached is knocked out by enemy damage, you may put 4 damage counters on enemy Pokémon however you like.

Suggestion

This card is very versatile, as you can equip it to any Pokémon in this list. Nonetheless, its effect only lets you put 4 damage counters on the active Pokémon that knocked out the Pokémon with this Tool attached. Spell Tag LOT 190, on the other side, lets you put damage counters on any enemy Pokémon in play.

Stadium

Whenever a player attaches energies from their hand to non-Psychic Pokémon, this Stadium puts 2 damage counters on that Pokémon.

ACE SPEC

This ACE SPEC is considered an Item. To use it, you have to discard 3 cards in your hand, but if you do, you may look for 1 Supporter, 1 Item, 1 Tool, and 1 Stadium in your deck and put them in your hand.

Suggestion

You can also replace it with Computer Search BCR 137, which lets you look for any card in your deck as long as you discard 2 cards from your hand.

Special Energies

Double Dragon Energy ROS 97 will pay for Dragapult ex TWM 130's Phantom Dive. As the name suggests, it only works on Dragon Pokémon.

Double Colorless Energy GRI 166 will pay for Weezing UNB 74's attack.

This deck is quite efficient early on. When the Weezing UNB 74 combo works, it's nearly impossible for your opponent to get back into the game. Then, you'll add Dragapult ex TWM 130 to the mix as a finisher.

As Dragapult ex TWM 130 is a dragon, this archetype practically doesn't have any weaknesses, except for Lillie's Clefairy ex JTG 56.

Another line you can use for Weezing is Koffing CEC 76 from Sun & Moon: Cosmic Eclipse. With Roxie CEC 205, its ability will spread more damage counters on the board.

Another possibility is playing Cosmog's evolution line so that you can use Celebrations' Lunala CEL 15. It doubles all damage counters in play.

What do you think? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!