Pokémon TCG: Expanded Deck Tech - Mimikyu VMax + Dusknoir Combo! (2025 Upgrade)

Greetings! Today, we'll explore a few spooky Pokémon in Expanded, that is, dark, Ghost Pokémon!

This article centers around Mimikyu VMAX BRS 69, which is a great damage counter Pokémon, particularly with Acerola's Premonition BRS 129. Furthermore, we'll explore a few cards from Scarlet & Violet, like Dusclops PRE 36, Dusknoir PRE 37, and Technical Machine: Devolution sv4 177.

That being said, let's go through our lists!

Mimikyu V BRS 68's ability, Dummy Doll, protects it from damage dealt by enemy attacks when you play it from your hand to your bench. So, you'll have at least 1 turn to set up and get to its VMax form.

Speaking of which, Mimikyu VMAX BRS 69's attack, Ominous Numbers (C)(C), puts 4 damage counters on enemy Pokémon. If, in that turn, you also played Acerola's Premonition BRS 129, this attack gives you 14 damage counters to put on enemy Pokémon however you want.

The idea is to use this attack with support Pokémon like Dusclops PRE 36, which gives you 6 damage counters, and, in the best-case scenario, Dusknoir PRE 37, which gives you 13 counters. Like so, you'll get 27 damage counters on a single turn!

These two Pokémon share an ability: Cursed Blast. Dusclops gives you 5 damage counters with this ability, and Dusknoir gives you 13. You can put them on any enemy Pokémon. However, when you use this ability, these Pokémon will be knocked out and give your opponent one Prize card in the process.

Decklist

Deck Structure

Gengar & Mimikyu TAG TEAM-GX

This Pokémon supports the "aggressive" part of this strategy, particularly if your Mimikyu VMax isn't ready yet.

Its GX attack, Horror House, prevents your opponent from playing any cards from their hand on the following turn. As such, it is a control tool. If you attach a Basic Psychic Energy sv3pt5 207 to it and use its extra effect, you and your opponent will draw until you have 7 cards in hand. Keep in mind you can only use GX effects once per match.

Furthermore, its attack, Poltergeist, deals 50 damage for each trainer in your opponent's hand, including supporters, stadiums, items, and tools!

"Baby" Pokémon Attackers

Flutter Mane PRE 43's ability, Midnight Fluttering, prevents the opponent from using abilities on their active Pokémon while Flutter Mane is your active Pokémon. Its attack also deals 90 damage and gives you 2 damage counters to put on benched enemy Pokémon however you like.

Giratina PR-SM SM151's ability, Distortion Door, is particularly interesting. If Giratina is in your discard pile, you can use this ability to return it to your bench and put 1 damage counter on 2 benched enemy Pokémon.

Blacephalon CEC 104 gives you 4 damage counters to put on enemy Pokémon however you like. If your opponent has exactly 3 Prize cards left, you get to put 13 damage counters instead of 4!

Recursive Pokémon

Xatu

Its ability lets you attach one Basic Psychic Energy sv3pt5 207 from your hand to one of your benched Pokémon. If you do, you'll draw 2 cards too.

Trainers

Supporters

Guzma & Hala CEC 193 lets you get a stadium, a tool, and a special energy from your deck. For instance, you can get Old Cemetery CRE 147, Spell Tag LOT 190, and Horror Psychic Energy RCL 172.

Arven sv3 186, from Scarlet & Violet, lets you get an item and a tool from your deck.

Acerola's Premonition BRS 129 is essential for Mimikyu VMAX BRS 69. You'll get 13 damage counters if you play both of them together.

Raihan EVS 152 lets you get one basic energy from your discard pile and attach it to 1 Pokémon. It also lets you get any card from your deck as long as one of your Pokémon was knocked out on the previous turn.

Stadiums

Old Cemetery CRE 147 sabotages the enemy board, particularly if the opponent isn't playing Psychic Pokémon. Whenever they attach an energy from their hand to a non-Psychic Pokémon, that Pokémon will get 2 damage counters.

Dimension Valley PHF 93 discounts the cost of your Psychic attacks by 1.

Tools

Forest Seal Stone SIT 156's VStar ability lets you get any card from your deck.

Spell Tag LOT 190 gives you 4 damage counters to put on enemy Pokémon however you like when the Psychic Pokémon it is attached to is knocked out.

Technical Machine: Devolution sv4 177 is great against decks that rely on stage 1 and 2 Pokémon because it returns to the opponent's hand their highest-HP Pokémon. With it, you can knock out multiple "evolutions" at once.

ACE SPEC

Special Energy

This special energy is great with damage counters. When the Pokémon it is attached to is knocked out, it puts 2 damage counters on the opponent's active Pokémon.

Decklist

Deck Structure

"Baby" Pokémon Attackers

Its attack, Flying Flip, deals 20 damage to each enemy Pokémon with one Double Colorless Energy GRI 166.

Recursive Pokémon

"Rule Box" Pokémon

Its ability, Wonder Tag, lets you get a supporter from your deck when Tapu Lele enters play on your bench.

Recursive "Baby" Pokémon

Mew UNB 76 protects your benched Pokémon. It'll essentially protect your support Pokémon.

Dusknoir BCR 63 lets you move damage counters on enemy Pokémon and thus makes it harder for the opponent to heal them.

Trainers

Supporters

Stadiums

Tools

This list plays Float Stone BKT 137 instead of the other tools our first list plays. You should attach it to Dusknoir BCR 63 because this Pokémon needs 3 energies to retreat. It is great against "stall" effects that could prevent this Pokémon from moving.

ACE SPEC

The biggest issue these decks face is that Mimikyu VMAX BRS 69 doesn't have a lot of HP. Because of this, you should focus on dealing as much damage as possible, preferably from the very first turns. This will make up for this weakness and end matches much faster.

Another detail is that you can use Strange Timepiece MEG 128 on this list, but you'll have to take some time to develop an efficient "defensive strategy" for Mimikyu VMAX BRS 69 with it. We can go over this in our next article, if you'd like.

Finally, the Psychic archetype always plays "staples" that improve strategies centered around "spread effects". For instance, this includes recursive Pokémon like Lunala CEL 15 and Aegislash BKP 62, which double the number of damage counters you put on Pokémon. These Pokémon are an interesting way to complement this strategy.

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

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!