Dialga ex Deck Guide: Accelerate Time and Dominate the Meta

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In the TCG Pocket, the ruler of time, Dialga, has made an appearance, enabling players to swiftly increase Energy production and leap forward in gameplay. This article offers a strategy for constructing what seems to be the most reliable Dialga deck in the present meta.

This guide provides a plan for building the most consistent Dialga ex deck currently available in TCG Pocket.

Dialga ex Card Overview

  • HP: 150
  • Move #1: 30 DMG (Two Metal Energy)
  • Move #2: 100 DMG (Two Metal + Two Colorless Energy)
  • Text: Take 2 Steel Energy from your Energy Zone and attach it to one of your Benched Pokemon.
  • Weakness: Fire
  • Retreat Cost: Two

Dialga EX functions as a boost card, allowing you to add two additional Steel Energy to your gameboard with its first attack. This makes it a beneficial energy supplier for both Steel and non-specific decks. Yet, its average hit points for an EX Pokémon and the necessity of being in the active position make it somewhat of a high-risk play.

The Best Deck for Dialga ex

Because Dialga-ex specializes in supplying energy to Steel Pokemon, it’s an excellent addition to the underperforming Melmetal deck. To construct a robust deck leveraging this synergy, consider incorporating Dialga-ex and Melmetal alongside these cards: Meltan, Leaf, Dawn, Skarmory, Giovanni, Giant Cape, Rocky Helmet, Poke Ball, and Professor’s Research (see the table below for suggested card quantities).

Dialga ex Deck
Dialga ex 2
Meltan 2
Melmetal 2
Skarmory 1
Rocky Helmet 1
Leaf 2
Dawn 2
Giovanni 2
Poke Ball 2
Professor’s Research 2
Giant Cape 2

Dialga ex Deck Synergies

  • If you go first, start with Skarmory and equip it with the Rocky Helmet to absorb damage, chip away the enemy’s HP, and stall.
  • Once Dialga ex has two Energies, switch it in. (If you go second, open with Dialga ex.)
  • Use Dialga ex’s ability to ramp up Melmetal on the bench.
  • If possible, retreat Dialga ex with Leaf and use Dawn to transfer its Energy to your active Pokemon, Melmetal.
  • Start dealing damage with Melmetal.
  • Equip Giant Cape to make Melmetal even tankier.

You can replace Skarmory with Mew ex.

How to Play Dialga Effectively

Here are some key points to keep in mind when playing Dialga ex:

  • Use Dialga ex for ramping, not damage. While it can hit for up to 100 damage, Dialga ex isn’t the best attacker. To maximize its value, focus on its Energy acceleration and switch it out once your primary attacker is ready.
  • Exploit free retreats with Dawn. The Leaf and Dawn combo allows you to transfer Dialga ex’s Energy to your Active Pokemon after retreating.
  • Have a backup plan for going first. One of Dialga ex’s biggest weaknesses is its reduced effectiveness when going first. Make sure your deck includes an alternative opener, like Skarmory, to compensate.

How to Counter Dialga ex

Refreshing the Fire-type deck featuring Charizard ex and Moltres ex offers a robust response to many Dialga ex configurations. To make this strategy even more effective, consider incorporating Shaymin and Dawn, as well as Pokemon Communication and Giant Cape, into the traditional Charizard ex and Moltres ex lineup.

In the current game setup, Darkrai EX is a dependable opponent for Dialga EX. Similarly, Gyarados EX and Greninja EX are also effective choices because they can disrupt Dialga EX’s field and hinder the opponent’s resource-building strategy.

Dialga ex Metagame Performance

To evaluate the metagame performance of Dialga ex in the Pokemon TCG Pocket tournaments with the highest player count, I examined an 8-event sample. According to my findings, Dialga ex is currently ranked around #20, falling behind its Space-Time Smackdown counterparts, Palkia ex and Darkrai ex, in terms of performance.

As a gamer, I’ve noticed an interesting trend in the recent Pokémon Pocket tournaments. In fact, none of the winners used a Dialga ex deck, while a whopping 75% of events were dominated by either a Palkia ex or Darkrai ex setup. Although this doesn’t mean Dialga ex is the absolute loser in the current meta, it certainly suggests that the Steel-type archetype still faces challenges when going up against top-tier decks in our games.

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2025-02-05 17:15