Standard Deck Tech: Mew VMax + Charizard ex Terastal (Japanese Deck PreRotation)

As the 2024 rotation is near, I decided to bring some decks so we can say our goodbyes to a few of the most iconic cards in block ”E”.

In this article, I’ll show you a Japanese list with Mew VMAX FST 114 and Charizard ex sv3 125 that is quite exotic. This Charizard acts as a “counter” to Psychic decks and possible ”mirror matches”. It is also an excellent attacker and speeds up your energies.

Decklist

Mew VMax: The Main Attacker

We use Mew VMAX FST 114 to use its first attack, Cross Fusion Strike, which copies one of your benched Fusion Strike Pokémon’s attacks, and costs only two colorless energies that can be acquired in the following ways:

1) With Double Turbo Energy BRS 151, but it forces you to lose 20 points of the total damage caused.

2) Or by using Charizard ex sv3 125’s Infernal Reign ability to guarantee two Fire energies.

Like so, we can copy two attacks.

1) Genesect V FST 185’s Techno Blast attack, which can deal 210 damage (without using Double Turbo Energy BRS 151 or 190 damage (using Double Turbo Energy BRS 151).

2) Mew V CRZ 60’s Psychi Leap attack is a way to defend yourself, that is, it deals minimal damage, but returns Mew VMAX FST 114 and all cards attached to it to your deck. This means you’ll return everything to your deck, and you won’t lose resources in case you need to retreat this Pokémon as a strategy some time.

Charizard ex: The Deck’s Exotic Battle Companion

It might seem weird to include this Pokémon in this deck, but Mew VMax is based entirely on copying precisely Fusion Strike-style Pokémon to maintain a wider array of attacks at your disposal.

However, recently, Urshifu decks (both Rapid Strike and Single Strike decks) have suddenly disappeared. Drapion V LOR 118 had the issue of being dependent on other Pokémon in play, and its damage also put damage counters on your benched Pokémon as a ricochet effect, which is quite dangerous.

So, including Charizard ex sv3 125 is a great option, despite exotic, for the following reasons:

1) Its Dark type hits Psychic decks’ weaknesses, particularly Gardevoir ex sv1 86 and the Mew VMAX FST 114 mirror.

2) It attaches three Basic Fire Energy sve 2 from your deck to your Pokémon and can therefore place two of them on Mew VMAX FST 114 and one on Charizard ex sv3 125 or the other way around.

It comes in mostly as a match “counter” in case your opponent is ahead in Prize Cards, that is, its attack, Burning Darkness, deals 180 base damage plus 30 extra damage in case your opponent has more Prize Cards than you. Assuming they (your opponent), have knocked out your Mew VMAX FST 114, your Charizard ex sv3 125 can now attack with 180 + 90 extra damage, totaling 270 damage at once for just two energies!

Recursive Pokémon

Pokémon to Draw Cards

Its ability, Fusion Strike System, allows you to draw cards according to the number of ”Fusion Strike” Pokémon in play - that means the more Genesect V FST 185 you have on the board (at least 3 of them and a Mew V CRZ 60 on your board), the more advantageous it will be for you.

Starting Hands

In this simulation, the starting hand is generous:

1) Place Charmander sv3pt5 4 as your active Pokémon and your Genesect V FST 185 on your bench. Play the two Battle VIP Pass FST 225, look for two Genesect V FST 185 with one, and with the other one look for a Mew V CRZ 60 and a Charmander sv3pt5 4 or two Mew V CRZ 60.

2) With this many Genesect V FST 185 and Mew V CRZ 60 in your hand, you’ll spend the basic Fire energy in your hand to retreat your Charmander sv3pt5 4 to the bench, and like so lower the cards in your hand and draw more cards with Genesect V FST 185’s abilities. Do not, in any case, play Path to the Peak CRE 148 recklessly because, even if it does disrupt your opponent, it also disrupts you due to your Genesect V FST 185’s ability lock.

In this other simulation, even if this hand has two Battle VIP Pass, there is an issue with the lack of Genesect V:

1) Place Genesect V FST 185 as the active Pokémon and play the two Battle VIP Pass FST 225 to look for 4 Pokémon: two Genesect V FST 185, one Charmander sv3pt5 4 and one Mew V CRZ 60.

2) You’ll always activate Genesect V FST 185’s ability at all times to until you draw everything you need. Like so, use Peony CRE 150 as the Supporter (meeting this card’s requirement of discarding two cards from your hand) to look for two Trainers in your deck. Of these Trainers, one will be Rare Candy PGO 69 to evolve the Charmander sv3pt5 4 on the board with the Charizard ex sv3 125 in your hand. The second Trainer, in the worst-case scenario, will have to find Forest Seal Stone SIT 156, to filter your deck better, save Genesect V FST 185 and promote Mew VMAX FST 114.

3) When Mew VMAX FST 114 is knocked out and gives your opponent three Prize Cards, Charizard ex sv3 125 will be your counter-attack, and you’ll need to be as aggressive as possible to turn the game back around.

Trainer Cards

Supporter to Look for Cards in your Deck

Supporters to Sabotage your Opponent’s Hand and Draw New Cards

Supporter to Catch Enemy Pokémon

Items to Look for Pokémon

Item to Filter your Deck

Item to Speed Up your Charmander’s Evolution into Charizard

Item to Sabotage your Opponent’s Stadiums and/or Tools

Item to Recycle Supporters

Item to Recycle Pokémon and Energies

Mobility Items

Tools

- Forest Seal Stone SIT 156 can only be attached to a Pokémon V to apply its VStar ability, whose effect searches for any card in your deck and places it in your hand.

- Vitality Band sv1 197 is useful to chip some damage and complement your total damage, such as, for instance, if Mew VMAX FST 114 is knocked out, your Charizard ex sv3 125 can now attack and deal 270 damage (180 base damage with an extra 90 damage from the Prize Cards your opponent got through Mew VMAX FST 114). In theory, it doesn’t defeat the format’s main Pokémon VStar, such as Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR CRZ GG67 and Arceus VSTAR CRZ GG70, which have 280 HP, but with the extra 10 damage this tool gives you, it can complement this damage.

Note: In this list, I’d swap out Vitality Band sv1 197 for Defiance Band sv1 169 (as I show you in my ”maybe board”).

Stadiums

- Town Store sv3 196 will search for tools in your deck more effectively, particularly to get Forest Seal Stone SIT 156 and equip it to Genesect V FST 185, which is essential for this Pokémon.

- Path to the Peak CRE 148 is useful to lock your opponent at a crucial moment in the game when you already have all the cards you need in your hands to play all your actions. It is important you don’t depend on Genesect V FST 185’s abilities to feel more comfortable playing it more consistently and wisely because it is a double-edged sword for you as well.

Special Energy

Favorable

- Against Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX BRS TG30 and Single Strike Urshifu VMAX BRS TG29 decks, when they are the attacking Pokémon in Lugia VSTAR SIT 211 decks (usually).

- Against Psychic decks such as Gardevoir ex sv1 86 and Alakazam ex PR-SV 50, besides ”mirror matches”, because of Charizard ex sv3 125.

- Against Lucario ex PR-SV 17 decks.

- Against Lucario VSTAR PR-SW SWSH214 decks.

Unfavorable

- Grass decks, such as Leafeon VSTAR CRZ 14, Venusaur ex sv3pt5 3, Froslass ex sv4 3.

- Gengar VMAX FST 157 decks because of Mew VMAX FST 114 and Genesect V FST 185.

- Darkness archetype decks (Dark Box) with Darkrai VSTAR ASR 99 and Roaring Moon ex sv4 124.

- Decks that use Umbreon VMAX EVS 95 against Mew VMAX FST 114.

- Scizor sv3 205 decks, which you can check out (https://pokemon.cardsrealm.com/en-us/articles/deck-tech-standard-scizor-cumulative-damage-based-on-opponents-abilities)(here). The reason is its attack, which deals damage based on the enemy Pokémon in play that use abilities. Our deck is full of these Pokémon, such as Genesect V FST 185 and Charizard ex sv3 125 itself.

It is a deck that should be tested before its cards rotate out. Charizard ex sv3 125, even though it seems a bit weird and “out of line” with what it is common to see in a Fusion Strike deck, makes up for your experience by bringing several uncommon uses, at least until its “stay” in the Standard format ends.

So, that is it. See you next time!