In the world of Pokemon TCG Pocket, Darkrai EX is regaining its status as a high-tier deck choice once more. After June’s Eevee Grove miniset, this robust Darkness-type Pokemon slipped down the competitive ladder. But recent trends indicate that it might be making a comeback to the top tier of the metagame, although exactly how long it will remain there is uncertain.
Numerous supporters contend that the Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Darkrai ex is the most overpowered card currently in circulation. Despite numerous expansions intended to dethrone this Darkness beast, it persists. Some speculate that its current resurgence may be its final hurrah on the PvP stage, suggesting that the card is on the verge of slipping into mid-tier status and will soon lose its dominant position with the arrival of the next set.
If you aim to create an effective Darkrai EX setup in the present Pokemon TCG Pocket game environment, you’ve come to the perfect spot! We’ve gathered the top three decks that work best with the Darkness-type card. These decks are ranked from the most suitable for the current meta, to the most budget-friendly, and the one that offers the most enjoyable play experience. Here’s all you need to understand about Darkrai EX and its top-performing decks.
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Darkrai ex Card Overview
- HP: 140
- ATK DMG: 80 (20 Passive DMG)
- Text [Ability]: Nightmare Aura – Whenever you attach a Darkness-type Energy from your Energy Zone to this Pokemon, do 20 damage to your opponent’s Active Pokemon.
- Type: Darkness
- Stage: Basic
- ATK Costs: Three (On Colorless, two Darkness)
- Retreat Cost: Two
- Weakness: Grass
- Expansion: Space-Time Smackdown
Top-Meta Deck: Darkrai ex + Nihilego
- Energy: Darkness
- Strategy: Stall and Chip DMG
- Archetype: Poison
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delay, inflict minor damage, build up two powerful attackers, and deliver the final blow to your opponent. However, unlike regular 20-point chip damage, Nihilego amplifies this by dealing 50 points instead.
Nihilego’s skill “More Poison” amplifies the harm caused by the Poison Special Condition, boosting it by 10 points. This means that if you play two Nihilego cards and your opponent’s Active Pokemon is poisoned, they will endure 30 damage per turn rather than the standard 10 damage.
Working together, Nihilego, Darkrai ex, and Giratina ex significantly enhance the potency of an already formidable team. While Giratina ex remains the main damage dealer, it now inflicts additional 50 points of damage, bringing its total to a staggering 180. However, this strategy requires you to afflict your opponent with poison; if they manage to thwart your poisoning effect, the Nihilego cards essentially lose their effectiveness.
Darkrai ex Nihilego Play Strategy
- Use a copy of Darkrai ex or Giratina ex as a staller.
- If you have to open with Nihilego, boost its HP with a Giant Cape.
- Try to poison the opponent using the Poison Barb Pokemon Tool. You can also use Nihilego’s New Wave move for the same effect.
- Assign all zone Energy to Darkrai ex to deal cheap damage.
- Set up two Nihilego cards on the board; they don’t need to be charged on the Bench.
- Use Giratina ex’s self-charging move to prepare for its ultimate attack.
- Once ready, activate Darkrai ex or Giratina ex and start knocking out the opponent’s cards.
Best Budget Variant: Darkrai ex + Giratina ex
- Energy: Darkness
- Strategy: Stall and Chip Damage
- Archetype: Control
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In simpler terms, the classic DarkTina configurations continue to hold strategic importance (meta-relevance). As many gamers already possess the required cards, these deck layouts are now seen as cost-effective choices within the current competitive scene.
DarkTina’s approach has remained relatively consistent since its introduction. Essentially, you use one Pokemon to delay your opponent while simultaneously developing Darkrai ex and Giratina ex on the field.
Now, you have improved options for your Trainer Cards that enhance the synergy between Darkness and Psychic type Pokémon. Instead of the previous Rocky Helmet, consider using a Poison Barb to boost your deck’s stalling ability. Additionally, adding Guzma can help neutralize your opponent’s Pokémon Tools.
DarkTina Play Strategy
- Open with a copy of Darkrai ex or Giratina ex.
- Set up additional copies of both Pokemon on the Bench.
- Allocate zone Energy to Darkrai ex to deal chip damage.
- Charge up Giratina ex on the Bench using its ability.
- Use healer and buffer Supporters like Pokemon Center Lady and Giant Cape to stall with your starter Pokemon.
- Once ready, switch to Giratina ex and start eliminating enemy cards.
Most Fun to Play: Darkrai ex + Umbreon
- Energy: Darkness
- Strategy: Poison DMG
- Archetype: Midrange
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The Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Eevee Grove expansion brought about a number of enjoyable decks centered around the Darkness element, chiefly because Umbreon was added to it. This Darkness-typed Pokemon harmonizes flawlessly with Darkrai ex and Nihilego, which have since become synonymous with this deck archetype.
It would be optimal if your lineup featured an Umbreon in the active position, a Darkrai ex on the bench, and two Nihilego cards in the open spots. Umbreon can inflict 40 damage with a single Energy attached, helping to reduce your opponent’s HP right from the start. Equip Umbreon with a Poison Barb to trigger Nihilego’s skill, potentially adding up to 30 additional damage points. With Darkrai ex offering 20 damage per turn from its bench position, your overall damage potential can reach as high as 90 per turn.
One potential rephrasing could be: This deck has one main disadvantage – its moderate average damage output. It deals a significant 90 damage early on, but encounters difficulty against decks that employ stalling tactics and bring out powerful Pokemon with high HP and damage capabilities as the game progresses. Nevertheless, the latest Darkrai ex and Umbreon combinations continue to be among the most engaging Darkness-type decks to play due to their harmonious interactions when they function optimally.
Darkrai ex Umbreon Play Strategy
- Open with Eevee.
- Use the new Eevee’s card-drawing move to pull the cards you need.
- Evolve into Umbreon and charge it up.
- Place two Nihilego cards on the Bench.
- Fill the last open spot with a Darkrai ex.
- Allocate zone Energy to Darkrai ex to deal chip damage.
- Equip Umbreon with a Poison Barb and try to poison the opponent.
- If everything goes as planned, you’ll deal up to 50 chip damage per turn, or 90 if you also use Umbreon’s attack.
Most Effective Darkrai ex Counters
According to recent PvP data, it seems that Buzzwole ex decks are proving to be the top counters for Darkrai ex. The Ultra Beast, along with Celesteela and Pheromosa, has managed an average win rate of 64%, which is quite remarkable.
Alternative strategies that effectively challenge Darkrai ex involve the latest Charizard ex and Sylveon ex combinations, as well as the meta-defying Greninja-Oricorio and Silvally-Oricorio decks, which have been around in earlier releases.
Compared to PvP win rates, the Greninja-Oricorio team appears as a potent opponent for Darkrai ex, triumphing in about 80% of their encounters against the Darkness-type creature. However, it falls short of Buzzwole ex on lists that rank top counters because it’s not as frequently used. Essentially, Buzzwole ex has proven to be more reliable across a greater number of battles, earning it the preferred position as a counter.
Darkrai ex Performance Report (Eevee Grove Era)
- Win Rate: ~ 54%
- Meta Share: ~ 8%
- Tournament Appearance: ~ 300
As a gamer, I’ve noticed a comeback of Darkrai ex decks in the competitive scene after a short dip post the Eevee Grove set release. The revival seems to be fueled by a new ally – Nihilego from the Extradimensional Crisis set. This Ultra Beast is giving Darkrai ex the edge it needs to compete with the current top-tier decks, making it the second most popular setup in the game right now.
In the world of Pokemon TCG Pocket, the Greninja-Sylveon duo is dominating the current meta, accounting for approximately 12% of all games played. Darkrai ex isn’t far behind this Water-Psychic combo, but it’s uncertain if Darkrai ex will continue to hold its ground in the upcoming weeks.
The statistics for Darkrai ex, as shown here, have been influenced by recent competitions. These numbers might vary slightly when you access this information later.
The Future of Darkrai ex Decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket
It appears that Nihilego has rekindled interest in the infamous DarkTina setup, but it remains unclear if Nihilego’s synergy will maintain the relevance of Darkrai EX and Giratina EX at their current high level within the meta. At present, these cards are among the top-tier options alongside powerful decks, but this might be due to many players not actively focusing on using Darkrai EX or its deck configurations yet.
If the team composed of Darkness-Psychic cards causes trouble once more, the current meta (short for metagame) has a broader selection of strategies to counter them. A new Charizard ex squad seems designed specifically to dismantle decks centered around Darkrai ex. The duo of Greninja-Sylveon ex also demonstrates strength against decks reliant on the Darkness type, particularly those featuring Darkrai ex. Furthermore, Oricorio anti-meta decks can swiftly knock DarkTina off its leading position in the metagame.
It’s possible that the next big expansion for Pokemon TCG Pocket could either resurrect or advance the strategy used in Darkrai ex decks. We’ve observed this pattern with the introduction of Nihilego, and it might occur again. In the upcoming months, we’ll be intrigued to find out if Darkrai ex will move to the Pokemon TCG Pocket Hall of Fame or maintain its popularity among emerging decks as it has in recent times.
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2025-07-05 16:35