Pokémon TCG: Expanded Deck Tech - 2 Lists with Trevenant VMax (2025 Upgrades)

Greetings! Today, we'll explore a few Expanded lists centered around a certain dark, spooky Pokémon: Trevenant VMax, which has been somewhat forgotten.

Without further ado, let's dive right in!

Trevenant V EVS 13's second attack, Shadow Claw, deals 120 damage and forces the opponent to discard a card from their hand.

Its VMax form, Trevenant VMAX EVS 14, deals 40 damage for each Supporter in the opponent's discard pile with its first attack, Missing in the Forest.

Relicanth TEF 84 stands out because of its ability, Memory Dive, which allows your evolution Pokémon to use attacks from their previous forms. Like so, Trevenant VMAX EVS 14 can use the Shadow Claw attack from its base form.

Decklist

Deck Structure

Arceus & Dialga & Palkia TAG TEAM-GX: Early Game Energy Source + Buffs

The idea is to use this Pokémon's GX attack, Altered Creation (M), as soon as possible. For one Metal energy, this GX attack makes your Pokémon deal 30 extra damage for the rest of the match. However, if you also use one Water energy (W), you'll get one extra Prize card each time you knock out an enemy Pokémon. Please note you can't use more than one GX attack per match.

As this list doesn't play basic Water or Metal energies, you'll have to use Double Dragon Energy ROS 97 to use this attack.

Once you do, though, this is what will happen:

If you knock out a "baby" Pokémon, you'll get 2 Prize cards instead of 1!

If you knock out a Pokémon ex, EX, GX, V, or a VStar Pokémon, you'll get 3 Prize cards instead of 2!

If you knock out a TAG TEAM-GX, VMax, or VUnion Pokémon, or a Mega Evolution Pokémon ex, you'll get 4 Prize cards instead of 3!

Finally, with Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX's main attack, Ultimate Ray, you'll deal 150 damage and attach 3 Basic Grass Energy sv2 278 from your deck to your Trevenant V EVS 13 and Trevenant VMAX EVS 14.

Recursive Pokémon

Recursive "Rule Box" Pokémon

Tapu Lele-GX GRI 60a's ability, Wonder Tag, lets you get any Supporter from your deck when you move it from your hand to your bench.

Squawkabilly ex PR-SV 160's ability, Squawk and Seize, lets you discard your hand and get 6 new cards when you play it from your hand to your bench on turn 1.

Teal Mask Ogerpon ex PRE 12 is essential because of its ability, Teal Dance. It lets you attach 1 Basic Grass Energy sv2 278 from your hand to it and then draw 2 cards. With it and Energy Switch SUM 117, you'll get the 3rd energy you need to use Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX CEC 156's attack on the first few turns.

Kricketune V BST 6 lets you draw until you have 4 cards in hand if it is your active Pokémon. If it is on your bench, you may draw up to 3 cards.

Latias ex SSP 76 lets you retreat your basic Pokémon for free.

Trainers

Supporters

Guzma & Hala CEC 193 is essential in the first few turns, as it supports Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX CEC 156. Its second effect lets you get 1 stadium, 1 tool, and 1 special energy (like Double Dragon Energy ROS 97) from your deck if you also discard 2 cards from your hand.

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

Xerosic's Machinations SFA 64, also from Scarlet & Violet, is an excellent control card. It sabotages the opponent, as it discards cards from their hand until they only have 3.

Stadiums

Collapsed Stadium shortens the bench from 5 slots to 4, so it's another way to control the opponent. When you play it, you can also discard recursive ally Pokémon that can become vulnerable in the future but preserve your main elements.

Tools

Spirit Mask sabotages the opponent's hand. If Trevenant attacks while it has this tool attached, they'll have to discard a card.

ACE SPEC

Decklist

Deck Structure

Recursive Pokémon

Recursive "Baby" Pokémon

Budew PRE 4's attack prevents the opponent from playing items on their following turn.

Oranguru SUM 113's ability draws until you have 3 cards in hand. You can use it once per turn.

Rillaboom SHF 13 is the most important recursive Pokémon in this list. It is the main engine because of its ability, which lets you get 2 Basic Grass Energy sv2 278 from your deck and attach them to any of your Pokémon.

Trainers

Supporters

As we've mentioned before, these cards came in the Scarlet & Violet block and are quite useful.

You'll use Arven sv3 186 to get Battle VIP Pass FST 225 from your deck. In turn, this card will let you get 2 basic Pokémon from your deck and put them on your bench. The idea is to get Grookey TWM 14 and eventually evolve it into Rillaboom SHF 13. This card will also help you put Oranguru SUM 113 in play faster and start drawing cards.

Iono sv2 185 both puts more cards in your hand and sabotages the opponent's hand, depending on when you use it.

Xerosic's Machinations SFA 64 has a control/disruptive effect, as we mentioned before.

Stadiums

Path to the Peak CRE 148 basically disables enemy Rule Box Pokémon. As this list doesn't use many Pokémon like this and the

few that it does are "single prize" Pokémon ("baby" Pokémon), this card will always give you an advantage.

Turffield Stadium RCL 170 lets you get evolution Grass Pokémon from your deck. It's a great way to get Grookey TWM 14, Thwackey SHF 12, and Rillaboom SHF 13, particularly as you need to set them up as soon as possible. You can also use it to get Trevenant VMAX EVS 14, which isn't as difficult to set up.

Tools

ACE SPEC

Trevenant V EVS 13 and Trevenant VMAX EVS 14 have always stood out and shown a lot of potential.

Up until recently, we only used Memory Capsule VIV 155 in this list. Some players used Shining Celebi PR-SM SM79, but it was quite restrictive. This changed when Relicanth TEF 84 came along in Temporal Forces, as it made this strategy more accessible to the public.

The first list in this article is a bit limited because it relies a lot on recursive "Rule Box" Pokémon, which are a bit vulnerable and give many Prize cards to the opponent. On the other side, it is more aggressive because it plays ADP. It attaches energies faster, deals a lot more damage, and draws extra Prize cards, so it's quite well-rounded.

The second list is particularly interesting because of Budew PRE 4, which is great in control strategies. It is also part of the Grass archetype, so it is even better.

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

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!