Volkner’s Lightning Mastery: The Ultimate Pokemon TCG Pocket Guide!

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The Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) Pocket edition has unveiled a number of fresh Supporter cards, each boasting distinct skills capable of influencing the game’s dynamics. One card that particularly catches the eye is Volkner, who exhibits an exceptional harmony with the Lightning-type deck archetype.

Despite his significant potential, Volkner has been somewhat underestimated in the current game metagame, possibly because non-Lightning decks are currently dominating. However, if you’re interested in giving him a try, we’ve gathered three top-performing deck templates designed around him. Before delving into them, let’s briefly discuss what Volkner does in Pokemon TCG Pocket.

  • An Overview of Volkner

    • Type: Supporter
    • Ability: Choose one of your Electivire or Luxray. Attach two Lightning-type Energy from your discard pile to that Pokemon.
    • Set & Pack: Space-Time Smackdown; Dialga Packs
    • Variants: Two-diamond, two-star
    • Rules: You may only play one Supporter card during your turn.

Volkner entered the game of Pokemon TCG Pocket, specifically with the Space-Time Smackdown expansion. His ability allows you to position him on either Luxray or Electivire on the battlefield, regardless if they’re in the Active Spot or not. Upon being played, he scours the Discard Pile for two discarded Lightning Energy cards, attaching them to the Pokemon underneath him.

Abandoned Energy is a term for Energy that gets utilized or misplaced during the game. There are three possible ways to relinquish Energy: knockouts, withdrawals, and offensives – these could be initiated by you or your competitor.

During a game, you can find out how many Discarded Energy you have and what their types are by simply touching the area next to your deck labeled as the Discard Pile. The details will then show up at the top of the discarded cards.

Best Deck Shells for Volkner

Volkner necessitates you to incorporate either Electivire or Luxray (or a combination of both) in your deck, as his ability functions solely with these cards. Considering this restriction, we propose the following three optimal deck structures for him: Electivire and Magnezone, Luxray and Yanmega ex, and Electivire and Luxray. Here’s how each configuration operates:

1) Electivire & Magnezone – This setup focuses on the synergy between Electivire’s “Ramming Smash” ability that allows it to deal extra damage for each Energy attached to it, and Magnezone’s “Super Conductor” ability that doubles the amount of damage done by attacks with Electric or Metal Energy.

2) Luxray & Yanmega ex – This deck emphasizes the combination of Luxray’s “Bite” attack, which allows you to search your deck for a Basic Pokémon and add it to your hand, and Yanmega ex’s “Predator’s Instinct” attack, which lets you discard an Energy card attached to one of your opponent’s Active Pokémon.

3) Electivire & Luxray – This configuration utilizes both Electivire’s “Ramming Smash” and Luxray’s “Bite” attacks for versatility in dealing damage and manipulating the game state. The two cards can also support each other by providing additional Energy for one another through item cards or special conditions.

Electivire & Magnezone with Volkner

Magnemite 2
Magneton 2
Magnezone 2
Electabuzz 2
Electivire 2
Volkner 2

Best Trainer Cards for the Shell

  • Cyrus
  • Sabrina
  • Lt. Surge
  • Dawn
  • Pokemon Communication

Among Volkner’s trustworthy combos, the Electivire and Magnezone pairing stands out. The strategy is simple: Have Magneton on standby on the bench, use Electabuzz in the active spot to generate energy, then evolve them into Magnezone and Electivire to dish out damage. If you’re running low on Lightning-type Energy for their attacks, Volkner can draw two from the discard pile.

In unison, Magnezone and Electivire can inflict a total of up to 230 damage. Volkner’s skill ensures their offense remains strong by restoring spent Energy resources. This enables you to consecutively perform powerful moves, typically requiring at least two turns to redo, in quick succession.

Luxray & Yanmega ex with Volkner

Shinx 2
Luxio 2
Luxray 2
Yanma 1
Yanmega ex 1
Volkner 2

Best Trainer Cards for the Shell

  • Leaf
  • X Speed
  • Erika
  • Cyrus
  • Sabrina
  • Pokemon Communication

Yanmega EX harmoniously complements Volkner decks. Although it belongs to the Grass type, it only needs Colorless Energy for its attacks, allowing you to construct the deck with Lightning-type Energy without worrying about powering up Yanmega EX. Simultaneously, Luxray deals 120 damage to any opponent’s Pokemon of your choice, and this pair can swiftly defeat opponents within a few turns.

The primary disadvantage of Luxray is that it exhausts all its energy after each assault, but it compensates for this by not requiring any retreat cost, making it an excellent companion for Yanmega ex. To implement this tactic, launch an attack with Yanmega ex’s 120-damage move, followed by switching Luxray onto the field on the subsequent turn. Use Volkner to reclaim two discarded energies, attach them to Luxray, and pick up another from the Energy Zone. This enables you to deliver another 120-damage attack right away.

A disadvantage of using Luxray as a shell (a strategy or set of cards) is that it takes a long time to build up its power. Since Luxray is a Stage 2 Pokémon, it may not always be able to enter the game quickly, which means having Pokemon Communication in its decks becomes crucial for maintaining consistency.

Electivire & Luxray with Volkner

Electabuzz 2
Electivire 2
Shinx 1
Luxio 1
Luxray 1
Volkner 2

Best Trainer Cards for the Shell

  • Cyrus
  • Sabrina
  • Pokemon Communication
  • Leaf
  • Lt. Surge
  • Giant Cape

Among Volkner’s initial strategies, one notable pairing was Electivire and Luxray. This combination stands out because it doesn’t require any exotic Pokémon, which makes it particularly effective against contemporary decks such as Darkrai EX and Magnezone configurations due to the absence of exotic elements in these matchups.

In this deck, your objective is to inflict maximum damage using the autonomous Electivire, while simultaneously strengthening Luxray on the sidelines to target and eliminate opponents’ benched Pokémon, particularly their EX cards, which fall within Luxray’s 120-140 damage range.

In this strategy, Volkner plays a crucial part. After your opponent has used Luxray’s attack and gotten rid of all their Energy, they might overlook Luxray as a threat and act carelessly. This is the perfect moment to introduce Volkner on your next turn. By recovering three Energies, you set up Luxray for another 120-damage attack. You capitalize on their overconfidence in this way.

Volkner’s Performance in Pocket’s Meta

At present, the preferred deck for Volkner typically features a Magnezone and Electivire structure, boasting a victory rate of approximately 47%. What makes this configuration intriguing is its effectiveness against one of the dominant decks from the previous expansion: Gyarados ex and Greninja.

In their most recent encounters, Volkner’s Magnezone and Electivire strategy has emerged victorious in about 62% of the games played against Gyarados and Greninja, a significant win rate.

From my perspective as a fan, it seems like things aren’t going Volkner’s way in the current meta. The surge of Darkrai EX (and its combinations with Magnezone and Greninja) has significantly reduced the visibility of many innovative decks, particularly those falling under the Lightning-type archetype.

Indeed, due to his adaptable and quickly activated ability, Volkner is certain to continue being a go-to Supporter in competitive decks within the Pokemon TCG Pocket game. We can anticipate even stronger strategies capitalizing on his abilities emerging in the coming time.

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2025-02-18 06:05