Hop's Zacian ex

What Hop's Zacian ex looks like when you open the box

Across the 69 lists we counted, this deck runs 12 to 22 Pokémon, 25 to 42 Trainers and 4 to 17 Energy. Its attacks are paid for in Metal.

On results pages and on stream you will see it written « hop-zacian ». 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: 4 to 17 out of 60, exactly the median of the 125 decks we track. It draws neither too much nor too little, so this is not where its games are won or lost.

Nothing here needs evolving — everything that attacks is a Basic Pokémon. Put it down, charge it, swing. That is as fast as the game gets, and it makes those turns where you draw nothing far less painful.

Look at the Trainers: 25 to 42 cards out of 60, against a median of 31 across the 125 decks we track. Inside that, 6 to 18 Supporters, and the rule there is strict — one a turn, even if you are holding three. The 8 to 21 Items you can play all of in the same turn. It also brings up to 6 Stadiums, and 3 of the 125 decks we track bring that many or more. Only one Stadium sits on the table at a time: the one you play sends the one already there to the discard pile.

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.

How Hop's Zacian ex actually wins

Hop's Zacian ex attacks with Brave Slash for 240. It needs 4 Energy, 3 Metal and 1 Colorless attached, and it has 230 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: "During your next turn, this Pokémon can't use Brave Slash."

The cost of Brave Slash decides your first few turns. You only get to attach one Energy a turn, and that attack asks for 4. On your own attachments alone, your first real swing lands on turn 4. Except you are not on your own. Philippe, which the list runs 4 of, digs Energy out of your discard pile and puts it back on one of your Pokémon. That is where this deck buys its turns, and it is the first thing to look for in your opening hand.

Here is the detail that quietly loses games. To pull Hop's Zacian 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.

Hop's Zacian ex carries the "ex" suffix, and your opponent takes 2 Prize cards instead of one when Hop's Zacian ex falls. They need 6 to win: 3 well-placed knockouts on that card beat you, where it would take 6 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 Hop's Zacian exBasic	230	Brave Slash	240		Fire ×2	2
Close Hop's SnorlaxBasic	150	Dynamic Press	140		Fighting ×2	4

The core: the 5 cards every list runs

These 5 cards appear in all 69 lists, without a single exception. That is 15 of the 60 slots. The other 45 are decided player by player.

Look at how those 15 slots break down: 11 Trainers, 4 Pokémon, 0 Energy. Trainers outweigh everything else put together, which is the mark of a deck that goes and fetches its cards rather than waiting to draw them.

5 of those 5 cards do not sit at the same count from list to list: Hop's Snorlax (1 to 3), Hop's Zacian ex (2 to 4) and Hop's Choice Band (3 to 4), plus 2 more. Add those spreads up and you get 10 copies the 69 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
1–3	Close Hop's Snorlax	JTG 117	Pokémon
2–4	Close Hop's Zacian ex	JTG 111	Pokémon
3–4	Close Hop's Choice Band	JTG 148	Trainer
2–4	Close Postwick	JTG 154	Trainer
1–4	Close Boss's Orders	MEG 114	Trainer

The 103 cards that change from list to list

103 cards fight over the 45 slots that are left: 7 above three lists in four, 76 below one in four, and the percentage on each row says how many players took it.

The most agreed on first: Hop's Bag at 99 %, Lillie's Determination at 97 % and Switch at 88 %, plus 4 more above 75 %. Add those to the core and you have the common build.

The dividing line runs through Night Stretcher, at 57 %: 39 of 69 players took it, 30 put something else there. The ones who run it bring 2 copies. Right at the bottom of the table, N's Zorua (17 lists out of 69) and N's Zoroark ex (17 lists out of 69).

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
99 %68/69	Close Hop's Bag	1–4	JTG 147	Trainer
97 %67/69	Close Lillie's Determination	2–4	MEG 119	Trainer
88 %61/69	Close Switch	1–3	MEG 130	Trainer
83 %57/69	Close Ultra Ball	1–4	MEG 131	Trainer
77 %53/69	Close Special Red Card	1–2	CRI 82	Trainer
75 %52/69	Close Secret Box	1	TWM 163	Trainer
75 %52/69	Metal Energy	4–15	MEE 8	Energy
71 %49/69	Close Team Rocket's Petrel	1–4	DRI 176	Trainer
68 %47/69	Close Philippe	1–4	CRI 79	Trainer
67 %46/69	Close Hop's Cramorant	1–2	JTG 138	Pokémon
65 %45/69	Close Latias ex	1–2	SSP 76	Pokémon
62 %43/69	Close Poké Pad	2–4	POR 81	Trainer
58 %40/69	Close Meowth ex	1–2	POR 62	Pokémon
57 %39/69	Close Night Stretcher	1–3	ASC 196	Trainer
43 %30/69	Close Magnetic Metal Energy	1–2	CRI 85	Energy
41 %28/69	Close Energy Search	1–2	POR 72	Trainer
39 %27/69	Close Buddy-Buddy Poffin	1–4	TEF 144	Trainer
38 %26/69	Close Air Balloon	1–2	ASC 181	Trainer
36 %25/69	Close Hop's Phantump	2–4	ASC 95	Pokémon
36 %25/69	Close Hop's Trevenant	2–3	ASC 96	Pokémon
35 %24/69	Close Pokégear 3.0	1–4	SVI 186	Trainer
32 %22/69	Close Telepathic Psychic Energy	1–4	POR 88	Energy
30 %21/69	Close Fezandipiti ex	1	ASC 142	Pokémon
29 %20/69	Psychic Energy	1–4	MEE 13	Energy
28 %19/69	Close Judge	1–3	POR 76	Trainer
28 %19/69	Close Brock's Scouting	1–2	JTG 146	Trainer
26 %18/69	Close Cyrano	1–2	SSP 170	Trainer
25 %17/69	Close N's Zorua	2–4	JTG 97	Pokémon
25 %17/69	Close N's Zoroark ex	2–4	JTG 98	Pokémon
25 %17/69	Close Hop's Dubwool	1	JTG 136	Pokémon
25 %17/69	Close Hop's Wooloo	1	JTG 135	Pokémon
25 %17/69	Close Surfer	1–2	SSP 187	Trainer
23 %16/69	Close Mist Energy	1–4	TEF 161	Energy
20 %14/69	Close Kieran	1–2	TWM 154	Trainer
19 %13/69	Close Crispin	1–2	SCR 133	Trainer
19 %13/69	Close Hilda	1–3	WHT 84	Trainer
17 %12/69	Close Lillie's Clefairy ex	1	JTG 56	Pokémon
17 %12/69	Close Crushing Hammer	2–3	POR 71	Trainer
17 %12/69	Close Colress's Tenacity	1	SFA 57	Trainer
16 %11/69	Close Black Belt's Training	1	JTG 143	Trainer
16 %11/69	Close Pokémon Center Lady	1	MEG 123	Trainer
16 %11/69	Close Enriching Energy	1	SSP 191	Energy
16 %11/69	Close Ignition Energy	1	WHT 86	Energy
14 %10/69	Close Munkidori	1–4	TWM 95	Pokémon
14 %10/69	Close Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex	1	TWM 141	Pokémon
14 %10/69	Close Shaymin	1	DRI 10	Pokémon
13 %9/69	Close Patrat	1	CRI 70	Pokémon
13 %9/69	Darkness Energy	2–5	MEE 7	Energy
10 %7/69	Close Mega Mawile ex	1	MEG 94	Pokémon
10 %7/69	Close Psyduck	1	ASC 39	Pokémon
10 %7/69	Close Hassel	2	TWM 151	Trainer
9 %6/69	Close Froslass	2–3	TWM 53	Pokémon
9 %6/69	Close Snorunt	3	ASC 46	Pokémon
9 %6/69	Close Dusclops	2	PRE 36	Pokémon
9 %6/69	Close Duskull	2–3	PRE 35	Pokémon
9 %6/69	Close Ruffian	1	JTG 157	Trainer
7 %5/69	Close Dudunsparce	3	TEF 129	Pokémon
7 %5/69	Close Explorer's Guidance	2–4	TEF 147	Trainer
7 %5/69	Close Energy Switch	1	MEG 115	Trainer
6 %4/69	Close Dunsparce	3	JTG 120	Pokémon
6 %4/69	Close Genesect	1	SFA 40	Pokémon
6 %4/69	Close Yveltal	1	MEG 88	Pokémon
6 %4/69	Close Carmine	1–3	TWM 145	Trainer
4 %3/69	Close Duraludon	3	SCR 106	Pokémon
4 %3/69	Close Archaludon ex	2	SSP 130	Pokémon
4 %3/69	Close Beldum	2–4	TEF 113	Pokémon
4 %3/69	Close Mega Kangaskhan ex	1–2	MEG 104	Pokémon
4 %3/69	Close Metang	2–4	TEF 114	Pokémon
4 %3/69	Close Archaludon	1	SCR 107	Pokémon
4 %3/69	Close Dusknoir	1–3	PRE 37	Pokémon
4 %3/69	Close Mega Froslass ex	1	ASC 47	Pokémon
4 %3/69	Close Gwynn	2	PBL 78	Trainer
4 %3/69	Close Iris's Fighting Spirit	1	JTG 149	Trainer
4 %3/69	Water Energy	2	MEE 11	Energy
4 %3/69	Close Prism Energy	1–2	ASC 216	Energy
3 %2/69	Close Genesect ex	1–2	BLK 67	Pokémon
3 %2/69	Close Metagross	1–2	CRI 61	Pokémon
3 %2/69	Close Mega Skarmory ex	1	POR 55	Pokémon
3 %2/69	Close Team Rocket's Transceiver	4	DRI 178	Trainer
3 %2/69	Close Team Rocket's Venture Bomb	3–4	DRI 179	Trainer
3 %2/69	Close Rare Candy	1–3	MEG 125	Trainer
3 %2/69	Close Naveen	1	POR 79	Trainer
3 %2/69	Close Precious Trolley	1	SSP 185	Trainer
3 %2/69	Close Prime Catcher	1	TEF 157	Trainer
3 %2/69	Close Unfair Stamp	1	TWM 165	Trainer
3 %2/69	Close Xerosic's Machinations	1	SFA 64	Trainer
1 %1/69	Close Drakloak	3	TWM 129	Pokémon
1 %1/69	Close Dreepy	3	TWM 128	Pokémon
1 %1/69	Close Dunsparce	3	TEF 128	Pokémon
1 %1/69	Close Dragapult ex	2	TWM 130	Pokémon
1 %1/69	Close Pikipek	2	PBL 66	Pokémon
1 %1/69	Close Tatsugiri	2	TWM 131	Pokémon
1 %1/69	Close Toucannon	2	PBL 68	Pokémon
1 %1/69	Close Trumbeak	2	PBL 67	Pokémon
1 %1/69	Close Fan Rotom	1	SCR 118	Pokémon
1 %1/69	Close Pokémon Catcher	4	POR 82	Trainer
1 %1/69	Close Energy Recycler	2	DRI 164	Trainer
1 %1/69	Close Risky Ruins	2	MEG 127	Trainer
1 %1/69	Close Battle Cage	1	PFL 85	Trainer
1 %1/69	Close Lana's Aid	1	TWM 155	Trainer
1 %1/69	Close Repel	1	MEG 126	Trainer
1 %1/69	Close Rescue Board	1	TEF 159	Trainer
1 %1/69	Fire Energy	3	MEE 10	Energy

The most common Hop's Zacian ex list, all 60 cards

Here they are in full, ready to build. 15 slots come from the core, the cards all 69 lists run. The remaining 45 come from the table just above, working down it: the cards the most players chose, each at its most common copy count, until the total lands on 60.

This list is nobody's list in particular. It takes, slot by slot, what the most people played, under the guardrails a judge would hold you to: never more than four copies of a card, and one ACE SPEC. Behind the core it took 24 more cards to reach 60. The whole thing comes to 12 Pokémon, 39 Trainers and 9 Energy.

One thing to know before you build it: the 69 lists we counted are all from players who came in the top twenty of their tournament. Nobody publishes the lists of the players who lost. So what you have in front of you is what the players finishing near the top bring most often.

The text under the table is the one the game expects: copy it, paste it into the deck manager, and the list builds itself.

Why we only read lists from players who came in the top twenty of their tournament, and what that changes about every percentage on this page: how to read a deck list.

Pokémon: 12
2 Hop's Snorlax JTG 117
2 Hop's Zacian ex JTG 111
1 Hop's Cramorant JTG 138
1 Latias ex SSP 76
1 Meowth ex POR 62
2 Hop's Phantump ASC 95
2 Hop's Trevenant ASC 96
1 Fezandipiti ex ASC 142

Trainer: 39
4 Hop's Choice Band JTG 148
4 Postwick JTG 154
3 Boss's Orders MEG 114
2 Hop's Bag JTG 147
4 Lillie's Determination MEG 119
1 Switch MEG 130
4 Ultra Ball MEG 131
1 Special Red Card CRI 82
1 Secret Box TWM 163
1 Team Rocket's Petrel DRI 176
4 Philippe CRI 79
2 Poké Pad POR 81
2 Night Stretcher ASC 196
1 Energy Search POR 72
2 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144
1 Air Balloon ASC 181
2 Pokégear 3.0 SVI 186

Energy: 9
4 Metal Energy MEE 8
1 Magnetic Metal Energy CRI 85
1 Telepathic Psychic Energy POR 88
3 Psychic Energy

Total Cards: 60

How many different cards Hop's Zacian ex needs, and how long it will last

You need 108 different cards to cover every version of this deck, 5 of which nobody argues about. The rest is where lists differ from one another, and that is where you have room to choose.

All 69 lists bring an ACE SPEC, and that is where they part ways: 52 took Secret Box, 11 took Enriching Energy and 2 took Precious Trolley. The flex table shows you all 5. 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 Secret Box and watch what the others do with theirs before you switch.

Then there is time, and the answer is a good one: not one of the 5 core cards carries the letter H, the one that goes at the next rotation. This deck walks through the change whole.

What Hop's Zacian ex struggles against

The attackers in this deck are Weak to Fire and Fighting, so they take DOUBLE damage from those types. 25 of the 125 decks we track attack in exactly those types.

Concretely, here is what is waiting for you: Mega Lucario ex / Hariyama, Dragapult ex / Blaziken ex and Cynthia's Garchomp ex, plus 22 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 25 decks out of the 125 we track. The other 100 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 Metal, and 16 of the decks we track have an attacker Weak to one of those: Dhelmise, Marnie's Grimmsnarl ex / Froslass and Mew ex, among others. That is you doubling, for once. Second half of the table.