Mega Dragonite ex / Eelektrik

What Mega Dragonite ex / Eelektrik looks like when you open the box

Across the 6 lists we counted, this deck runs 17 to 22 Pokémon, 27 to 32 Trainers and 9 to 12 Energy. Its attacks are paid for in Lightning and Water.

On results pages and on stream you will see it written « dragonite-eelektrik ». Every card named in that label turns up in the tables below, which is what makes it a fair name for the deck.

Look at the Energy: 9 to 12 out of 60, exactly the median of the 119 decks we track. It draws neither too much nor too little, so this is not where its games are won or lost.

It takes a while to set up. Mega Dragonite ex is a Stage 2 Pokémon: you put down the baby, you evolve it, and then you evolve it again. Three cards stacked before anything attacks. That is what the hardest-hitting decks cost you, and it is also where they crack — a fast opponent can bury you before the line is standing.

Look at the Trainers: 27 to 32 cards out of 60, against a median of 31 across the 119 decks we track. Inside that, 10 to 15 Supporters, and the rule there is strict — one a turn, even if you are holding three. The 11 to 18 Items you can play all of in the same turn.

What Tools and Stadiums do — the two Trainer families we skipped here — and why the Energy count says so much: how to read a deck list.

What the cards in this deck's name actually do

Mega Dragonite ex and Eelektrik give this deck its name. Here is what is written on them.

Mega Dragonite ex is in all 6 lists, 3 copies of it. Its Ability is called Sky Transport, and here is what is printed on it, word for word: « Once during your turn, you may use this Ability. Switch your Active Pokémon with 1 of your Benched Pokémon. »

Eelektrik is in all 6 lists, 2 copies of it. Its Ability is called Dynamotor, and here is what is printed on it, word for word: « Once during your turn, you may attach a Basic {L} Energy card from your discard pile to 1 of your Benched Pokémon. »

How Mega Dragonite ex / Eelektrik actually wins

Mega Dragonite ex attacks with Ryuno Glide for 330. It needs 3 Energy, 1 Water and 2 Lightning attached, and it has 370 HP. And the number is not everything the card says. There is one more line printed under the attack, and it is the one everybody skips: "Discard 2 Energy from this Pokémon."

The cost of Ryuno Glide decides your first few turns. You only get to attach one Energy a turn, and that attack asks for 3. On your own attachments alone, your first real swing lands on turn 3. Except you are not on your own. Crispin, which the list runs 3 of, looks at the top of your deck and attaches the Energy it finds there. Eelektrik does the same job. That is where this deck buys its turns, and it is the first thing to look for in your opening hand.

Energy is not your only clock. Dratini has to climb two steps before it becomes Mega Dragonite ex, and an evolution asleep at the bottom of your deck does you no good at all. The list has that covered. Dragonair, which the list runs 3 of, has an Ability called Evolutionary Guidance: it goes into your deck for an evolution. Not whenever you feel like it, though. The card itself says when, so read it before you count on it.

Here is the detail that quietly loses games. To pull Mega Dragonite ex back to the Bench you have to discard 2 Energy attached to it. Retreating does not cost you your turn, you can step back and still swing right after. What it costs you is the 2 Energy you spent 2 turns attaching, and you start that climb again from nothing. Pack a card that moves it for free, or send it up knowing it stays up.

Mega Dragonite ex is a Mega Evolution ex, and that is the most expensive rule in the game: your opponent takes 3 Prize cards instead of one the turn it goes down. They need 6 to win the game, so 2 well-placed knockouts on that card beat you, where it would take 6 knockouts anywhere else on your Bench.

The attackers in the deck's core, with their best attack, its cost and their Weakness

Pokémon	HP	Attack	Damage	Cost	Weakness	Retreat
Close Mega Dragonite exStage 2	370	Ryuno Glide	330		none	2
Close DragonairStage 1	100	Tail Snap	60		none	2
Close EelektrikStage 1	90	Electric Ball	50		Fighting ×2	2
Close DratiniBasic	80	Headbutt	30		none	2

The core: the 11 cards every list runs

These 11 cards appear in all 6 lists, without a single exception. That is 37 of the 60 slots. The other 23 are decided player by player.

Look at how those 37 slots break down: 13 Trainers, 13 Pokémon, 11 Energy. Nothing stands out in that split. What sets this deck apart is how thick its core is: 37 of the 60 slots are the same for everybody, when half the 119 decks we track fix 30 or fewer. Fewer choices left to you than usual, and fewer ways to get them wrong.

9 of those 11 cards do not sit at the same count from list to list: Dragonair (1 to 4), Dratini (2 to 4) and Mega Dragonite ex (2 to 3), plus 6 more. Add those spreads up and you get 16 copies the 6 lists do not agree on, inside the core itself.

What "3 to 4" means in the copies column, what the "TWM 130" code under each name is for, and why we count dozens of lists instead of one: how to read a deck list.

The cards present in every list counted, with the number of copies

Copies	Card	Printing	Kind	Rotation
1–4	Close Dragonair	ASC 151	Pokémon	stays
2–4	Close Dratini	ASC 150	Pokémon	stays
2–3	Close Mega Dragonite ex	ASC 152	Pokémon	stays
2	Close Eelektrik	ASC 60	Pokémon	stays
2–3	Close Tynamo	ASC 59	Pokémon	stays
4	Close Lillie's Determination	MEG 119	Trainer	stays
2–4	Close Poké Pad	POR 81	Trainer	stays
2–4	Close Crispin	SCR 133	Trainer	leaves
2–3	Close Boss's Orders	MEG 114	Trainer	stays
4–6	Lightning Energy	MEE 4	Energy	stays
3–5	Water Energy	MEE 3	Energy	stays

The 47 cards that change from list to list

47 cards fight over the 23 slots that are left: 4 above three lists in four, 27 below one in four, and the percentage on each row says how many players took it.

The most agreed on first: Fezandipiti ex at 83 %, Ultra Ball at 83 % and Night Stretcher at 83 %, plus 1 more above 75 %. Add those to the core and you have the common build.

The dividing line runs through Mega Kangaskhan ex, at 50 %: 3 of 6 players took it, 3 put something else there. The ones who run it bring 2 copies. Right at the bottom of the table, Froakie (1 list out of 6) and Frogadier (1 list out of 6).

Why a card at 45 % is not a bad card, and what order to buy all this in: how to read a deck list.

The cards some lists run and others don't, most common first

Lists running it	Card	Copies	Printing	Kind
83 %5/6	Close Fezandipiti ex	1	ASC 142	Pokémon
83 %5/6	Close Ultra Ball	1–4	MEG 131	Trainer
83 %5/6	Close Night Stretcher	1–2	ASC 196	Trainer
83 %5/6	Close Rare Candy	1–4	MEG 125	Trainer
50 %3/6	Close Mega Kangaskhan ex	2	MEG 104	Pokémon
50 %3/6	Close Buddy-Buddy Poffin	3–4	TEF 144	Trainer
50 %3/6	Close Powerglass	2	SFA 63	Trainer
50 %3/6	Close Special Red Card	2	CRI 82	Trainer
33 %2/6	Close Dudunsparce	2	TEF 129	Pokémon
33 %2/6	Close Dunsparce	2	JTG 120	Pokémon
33 %2/6	Close Budew	1	ASC 16	Pokémon
33 %2/6	Close Latias ex	1	SSP 76	Pokémon
33 %2/6	Close Mega Eelektross ex	1	ASC 61	Pokémon
33 %2/6	Close Shaymin	1	DRI 10	Pokémon
33 %2/6	Close Team Rocket's Petrel	2–4	DRI 176	Trainer
33 %2/6	Close Air Balloon	1–2	ASC 181	Trainer
33 %2/6	Close Jumbo Ice Cream	1–2	PFL 91	Trainer
33 %2/6	Close Lana's Aid	1–2	TWM 155	Trainer
33 %2/6	Close Lumiose City	2	POR 77	Trainer
33 %2/6	Close Wally's Compassion	1–2	MEG 132	Trainer
17 %1/6	Close Froakie	2	CRI 20	Pokémon
17 %1/6	Close Frogadier	2	CRI 21	Pokémon
17 %1/6	Close Greninja ex	2	TWM 106	Pokémon
17 %1/6	Close Ninetales	2	CRI 9	Pokémon
17 %1/6	Close Vulpix	2	CRI 8	Pokémon
17 %1/6	Close Buneary	1	PFL 83	Pokémon
17 %1/6	Close Mega Lopunny ex	1	PFL 84	Pokémon
17 %1/6	Close Meowth ex	1	POR 62	Pokémon
17 %1/6	Close Stunfisk	1	ASC 62	Pokémon
17 %1/6	Close Tatsugiri	1	TWM 131	Pokémon
17 %1/6	Close Volcanion ex	1	JTG 31	Pokémon
17 %1/6	Close Team Rocket's Transceiver	4	DRI 178	Trainer
17 %1/6	Close Dawn	2	PFL 87	Trainer
17 %1/6	Close Hilda	2	WHT 84	Trainer
17 %1/6	Close Pokégear 3.0	2	SVI 186	Trainer
17 %1/6	Close Team Rocket's Factory	2	DRI 173	Trainer
17 %1/6	Close Battle Cage	1	PFL 85	Trainer
17 %1/6	Close Black Belt's Training	1	JTG 143	Trainer
17 %1/6	Close Grand Tree	1	SCR 136	Trainer
17 %1/6	Close Hero's Cape	1	TEF 152	Trainer
17 %1/6	Close Maximum Belt	1	TEF 154	Trainer
17 %1/6	Close Precious Trolley	1	SSP 185	Trainer
17 %1/6	Close Prism Tower	1	CRI 80	Trainer
17 %1/6	Close Secret Box	1	TWM 163	Trainer
17 %1/6	Close Unfair Stamp	1	TWM 165	Trainer
17 %1/6	Close Ignition Energy	3	WHT 86	Energy
17 %1/6	Fire Energy	2	MEE 2	Energy

What Mega Dragonite ex / Eelektrik costs to build, and how long it will last

You need 58 different cards to cover every version of this deck, 11 of which nobody argues about. We do not have card prices, so we are not going to put a number on it.

All 6 lists bring an ACE SPEC, and that is where they part ways: 1 took Grand Tree, 1 took Hero's Cape and 1 took Maximum Belt. The flex table shows you all 6. You are allowed ONE ACE SPEC card in your whole deck, so a single copy covers it whatever it costs. New to this deck? Take Grand Tree and watch what the others do with theirs before you switch.

Then there is time. 1 of the 11 core cards carries the letter H, the one that goes at the next rotation: Crispin. The core table marks it. In copies, that is 3 of the 37 slots the core fills. Which day it lands, we do not know yet.

What Mega Dragonite ex / Eelektrik struggles against

The attackers in this deck are Weak to Fighting, so they take DOUBLE damage from that type. 14 of the 119 decks we track attack in exactly that type.

Concretely, here is what is waiting for you: Mega Lucario ex, Mega Lucario ex / Hariyama and Cynthia's Garchomp ex, plus 11 more decks. The table below takes them one at a time, and those are the lists you practise against first before an event.

This table counts one thing, Weakness, and that comes to 14 decks out of the 119 we track. The other 105 do not attack into yours, and this table says nothing about them. You will still run into them.

Going the other way, your attackers are Lightning and Water, and 26 of the decks we track have an attacker Weak to one of those: Festival Lead, Toucannon and Raging Bolt ex, among others. That is you doubling, for once. Second half of the table.