Pokémon TCG: Standard Deck Tech - "No Hands" Slowbro (Rogue List, 2026.2)

•0•0Comment iconComment iconComment iconComment icon

Today, we'll explore the new "Pitch Black" Slowbro in a cheap, innovative rogue list. This strategy centers around dealing damage when you don't have any cards in hand!

Writer image

Translated byJoey

Writer image

Revised byJoey

Edit Article

Introduction

Now that Pitch Black is out (it was released on July 17th), we have a few new single prize Pokémon that should be quite interesting in Standard.

Today, we'll explore Slowbro me05 030, which centers around dealing a lot of damage when you don't have any cards in hand. This mechanic is similar to the old Granbull LOT 138, from Sun & Moon: Lost Tunder. Considering that, you'll also notice that they use some of the same effects, like Magcargo CES 24 and Gumshoos MEG 110.

The updated version includes this Gumshoos. Its ability allows you to put a card on top of your deck, but it is slightly different:

Magcargo CES 24 let you look for any card in your deck and put it on the very top.

Gumshoos MEG 110 lets you put a card from your hand on top of your deck, and, as such, it helps with the idea of not having any cards in your hand.

You can see more about Granbull below:

That being said, let's explore this new Slowbro list!

Slowbro Standard - Rogue Deck

Decklist

Loading icon

Slowbro: The Main Attacker

Loading icon

Its attack, All Out, deals 50 damage as well as 160 extra damage if you don't have any cards in hand!

This means that, whenever possible, you should not have any cards in hand. You can also save your last card each turn (usually a Supporter) and play it at the right time to run out of cards and deal more damage!

Dealing More Damage

Loading icon

This is the perfect combo for this deck!

If Gladion's Final Battle me05 077 is the only card in your hand, you'll deal 80 extra damage. Add that to Brave Bangle WHT 80 (+30 damage), and you'll deal 110 extra damage, for a final count of 270 damage on a single turn!

Recursive Pokémon

Baby Pokémon

Loading icon

Gumshoos MEG 110's ability, Evidence Gathering, lets you switch one card in your hand with the top card in your deck and is essential for the main strategy.

Silvally me05 070's ability, Call a Buddy, states that if you don't have any cards in hand, you may get a Supporter from your deck.

Occasionally, you can use this Pokémon to attack, particularly if you also use Ignition Energy sv10.5w 086 on it. That goes with Call a Buddy, as then you can play Gladion's Final Battle me05 077 and deal even more damage!

You can create combos with Gumshoos MEG 110 if you only have 1 card in hand as well. All you have to do is put it on top of your deck and then use Silvally's ability.

Psyduck me02.5 039's ability, Damp, disables Pokémon like Dusclops PRE 36 and Dusknoir PRE 37.

Shaymin DRI 10's ability, Flower Curtain, protects your benched single-prize Pokémon from taking enemy damage.

Keep in mind that Rule Box Pokémon are not included in this ability. But this doesn't really matter in this case because this deck mostly plays baby Pokémon. It's perfect, actually.

Trainers

Supporters

Loading icon

You can only play Cassiopeia sv06.5 056 if it is the only card in your hand. If so, you may get any 2 cards in your deck and put them in your hand.

Hilda WHT 84 lets you get 1 energy (basic or special) and 1 evolution Pokémon in your deck.

You can only play Gladion's Final Battle me05 077 if it is the only card in your hand. If so, you'll deal 80 extra damage to the opponent's active Pokémon.

This only applies to your single prize Pokémon as well, that is, those that don't have a Rule Box!

Because this deck, as we mentioned, only plays single-prize Pokémon, this card is extremely useful.

Items to Get Pokémon

Loading icon

Ultra Ball MEG 131 lets you get any Pokémon (evolution or basic), as long as you discard 2 cards from your hand.

Poké Pad me03 081 lets you get up to 2 basic Pokémon with up to 70 HP in your deck and put them on your bench directly. If you don't have space on your bench, you can't play this card.

Item to Filter Supporters

Loading icon

Items to Recycle Pokémon and Energies

Loading icon

Sacred Ash DRI 168 lets you recycle up to 5 Pokémon from the discard pile and shuffle them into your deck.

Energy Recycler DRI 164 lets you recycle up to 5 basic energies from the discard pile and shuffle them into your deck.

This deck desperately needs basic energies and relies a lot on special energies. It is one of its weaknesses because it really needs to have access to them. That's why it plays Energy Recycler as well.

Night Stretcher sv06.5 061 lets you recycle 1 Pokémon or 1 basic energy from the discard pile and put it in your hand.

While Energy Recycler DRI 164 shuffles many basic energies back into your deck, Night Stretcher sv06.5 061 immediately recycles one basic energy into your hand. Like so, you can attach it to Slowbro me05 030 on the same turn.

Tools

Loading icon

Air Balloon sv10.5b 079 lets you retreat the Pokémon it is attached to for 2 less colorless energies (C)(C).

It is essential for your recursive Pokémon, particularly Silvally me05 070.

Brave Bangle WHT 80 lets you deal more damage with your single prize Pokémon (30 extra damage, in fact) to the opponent's active Pokémon ex.

Stadium

Loading icon

If this Stadium is in play, each player can discard 2 cards from their hand to draw 1 card that turn.

It is very useful for you, as you need to empty your hand whenever possible. Like so, you'll discard your cards to draw just one, but you should still pray you can use that card that turn (for instance, an Item, or a Pokémon you can put in play immediately).

ACE SPEC

Loading icon

Secret Box is an Item ACE SPEC. To use it, you need to discard 3 cards from your hand, but, if so, then you can get 1 Supporter, 1 Item, 1 Stadium, and 1 Tool from your deck.

Special Energies

Loading icon

You can only use Telepathic Psychic Energy me03 088 if you attach it to a Psychic Pokémon.

If so, when you do it, you may get 2 basic Pokémon of the same type and put them on your bench.

Ignition Energy sv10.5w 086 gives you 3 colorless energies (C)(C)(C) and you can only use it on evolution Pokémon. After the turn ends (when you declare your attack), you'll discard this energy.

It's better on Silvally me05 070.

Final Words

This deck is pretty cheap and easy to build, but I feel it has a few issues.

The first one is that it relies too much on special energies. As we can't recycle special energies in this Standard format, this is a real problem. Furthermore, it only plays 3 basic energies that could end up in your Prize cards, which is another problem.

The second is that it doesn't play card draw Pokémon.

While Granbull LOT 138 lists played Zebstrika LOT 82 to draw cards, as well as Oranguru PR-SM SM13, this Slowbro me05 030 list has to rely on Prism Tower me04 080, which I find a bit flimsy.

It can deal a lot of damage very easily, with no elaborate plans or combos, but it is not easy to pilot. You need to know the game and this deck really well to get as much out of this mechanic as possible and avoid ending your turns with cards in hand. This is pretty difficult in Pokémon TCG because most players like to keep cards in hand and feel safer when they do it. Like so, this deck might not be that attractive to inexperienced players.

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

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!

Send your news

Topics

ptcg pokémontcg pokémon standard rogue slowbro pitchblack decktech
Telegram logo

Hi, we have a community in Whatsapp! Come talk to us about Pokemon TCG here!