Mega Kangaskhan ex / Bouffalant

What Mega Kangaskhan ex / Bouffalant looks like when you open the box

Across the 88 lists we counted, this deck runs 10 to 22 Pokémon, 23 to 38 Trainers and 8 to 18 Energy. Its attacks do not ask for any particular type of Energy.

On results pages and on stream you will see it written « kangaskhan-bouffalant ». 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: 8 to 18 out of 60, when half the 125 decks we track run 11 or fewer. This one carries more than most, and you feel it at the table — it wants to load up a big Pokémon and swing hard, even if that means drawing a spare Energy now and then.

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: 23 to 38 cards out of 60, against a median of 31 across the 125 decks we track. Inside that, 7 to 19 Supporters, and the rule there is strict — one a turn, even if you are holding three. The 10 to 21 Items you can play all of in the same turn. It also brings up to 4 Stadiums, and 87 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.

What the cards in this deck's name actually do

Mega Kangaskhan ex and Bouffalant give this deck its name. Here is what is written on them.

Mega Kangaskhan ex is in all 88 lists, 4 copies of it. Its Ability is called Run Errand, and here is what is printed on it, word for word: « Once during your turn, if this Pokémon is in the Active Spot, you may use this Ability. Draw 2 cards. You can't use more than 1 Run Errand Ability each turn. »

Bouffalant is in all 88 lists, 2 copies of it. Its Ability is called Curly Wall, and here is what is printed on it, word for word: « As long as you have at least 1 other Bouffalant in play, all of your Basic {C} Pokémon take 60 less damage from attacks from your opponent's Pokémon (after applying Weakness and Resistance). The effect of Curly Wall doesn't stack. »

How Mega Kangaskhan ex / Bouffalant actually wins

Mega Kangaskhan ex attacks with Rapid-Fire Combo. It needs 3 Colorless Energy attached, and it has 300 HP. The damage box reads "200+": 200 to start with, and 50 more per heads you flip.

The cost of Rapid-Fire Combo 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 4 of, looks at the top of your deck and attaches the Energy it finds there. 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 Mega Kangaskhan ex back to the Bench you have to discard 3 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 3 Energy you spent 3 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 Kangaskhan 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 Kangaskhan exBasic	300	Rapid-Fire Combo	200+		Fighting ×2	3
Close BouffalantBasic	100	Boundless Power	130		Fighting ×2	2

The core: the 3 cards every list runs

These 3 cards appear in all 88 lists, without a single exception. That is 8 of the 60 slots. The other 52 are decided player by player.

Look at how those 8 slots break down: 2 Trainers, 6 Pokémon, 0 Energy. Pokémon dominate, which is unusual: this deck needs bodies on the board, and it depends on any single attacker less than it looks.

3 of those 3 cards do not sit at the same count from list to list: Mega Kangaskhan ex (2 to 4), Bouffalant (2 to 4) and Boss's Orders (1 to 4). Add those spreads up and you get 7 copies the 88 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
2–4	Close Mega Kangaskhan ex	MEG 104	Pokémon	stays
2–4	Close Bouffalant	SCR 119	Pokémon	leaves
1–4	Close Boss's Orders	MEG 114	Trainer	stays

The 122 cards that change from list to list

122 cards fight over the 52 slots that are left: 10 above three lists in four, 90 below one in four, and the percentage on each row says how many players took it.

The most agreed on first: Crispin at 95 %, Ultra Ball at 94 % and Night Stretcher at 93 %, plus 7 more above 75 %. Add those to the core and you have the common build.

The dividing line runs through Air Balloon, at 48 %: 42 of 88 players took it, 46 put something else there. The ones who run it bring 1 copy. Right at the bottom of the table, Meowth ex (20 lists out of 88) and Joltik (19 lists out of 88).

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
95 %84/88	Close Crispin	1–4	SCR 133	Trainer
94 %83/88	Close Ultra Ball	1–4	MEG 131	Trainer
93 %82/88	Close Night Stretcher	1–3	ASC 196	Trainer
86 %76/88	Close Jumbo Ice Cream	2–4	PFL 91	Trainer
86 %76/88	Close Ciphermaniac's Codebreaking	1–4	TEF 145	Trainer
84 %74/88	Close Mist Energy	1–4	TEF 161	Energy
82 %72/88	Close Munkidori	1–4	TWM 95	Pokémon
82 %72/88	Darkness Energy	1–5	MEE 7	Energy
77 %68/88	Close Pokégear 3.0	1–4	SVI 186	Trainer
76 %67/88	Close Team Rocket's Petrel	1–4	DRI 176	Trainer
72 %63/88	Close Bouffalant	1	SSP 151	Pokémon
70 %62/88	Psychic Energy	1–6	MEE 5	Energy
64 %56/88	Close Lillie's Determination	2–4	MEG 119	Trainer
64 %56/88	Close Energy Switch	1–4	MEG 115	Trainer
63 %55/88	Close Poké Pad	1–4	POR 81	Trainer
59 %52/88	Close Psyduck	1	ASC 39	Pokémon
59 %52/88	Close Switch	1–4	MEG 130	Trainer
57 %50/88	Close Hero's Cape	1	TEF 152	Trainer
56 %49/88	Close Latias ex	1–2	SSP 76	Pokémon
48 %42/88	Close Air Balloon	1–2	ASC 181	Trainer
47 %41/88	Close Lumiose City	2–4	POR 77	Trainer
45 %40/88	Close AZ's Tranquility	1–2	CRI 76	Trainer
45 %40/88	Close Special Red Card	1–2	CRI 82	Trainer
36 %32/88	Grass Energy	3–10	MEE 1	Energy
34 %30/88	Close Precious Trolley	1	SSP 185	Trainer
32 %28/88	Close Lana's Aid	1	TWM 155	Trainer
32 %28/88	Lightning Energy	1–4	MEE 4	Energy
28 %25/88	Close Team Rocket's Transceiver	1–4	DRI 178	Trainer
28 %25/88	Close Xerosic's Machinations	1–2	SFA 64	Trainer
27 %24/88	Close Team Rocket's Factory	1–4	DRI 173	Trainer
27 %24/88	Close Super Potion	1–2	JTG 158	Trainer
26 %23/88	Close Backtrack Badge	1–3	PBL 74	Trainer
23 %20/88	Close Meowth ex	1–3	POR 62	Pokémon
22 %19/88	Close Joltik	1–2	SCR 50	Pokémon
22 %19/88	Close Brock's Scouting	1–4	JTG 146	Trainer
20 %18/88	Close Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex	1	TWM 141	Pokémon
20 %18/88	Close Galvantula	1	SFA 2	Pokémon
17 %15/88	Close Lively Stadium	1–3	SSP 180	Trainer
16 %14/88	Close Mega Signal	1	MEG 121	Trainer
15 %13/88	Close Lillie's Clefairy ex	1–2	JTG 56	Pokémon
15 %13/88	Close Judge	1–2	POR 76	Trainer
15 %13/88	Water Energy	1–6	MEE 11	Energy
14 %12/88	Close Teal Mask Ogerpon ex	2–4	TWM 25	Pokémon
14 %12/88	Close Handheld Fan	1–2	TWM 150	Trainer
14 %12/88	Close Cyrano	1–2	SSP 170	Trainer
14 %12/88	Close Energy Search	1	POR 72	Trainer
14 %12/88	Close Glass Trumpet	1–3	SCR 135	Trainer
13 %11/88	Close Area Zero Underdepths	2–4	SCR 131	Trainer
11 %10/88	Close Smoochum	1–2	SSP 75	Pokémon
10 %9/88	Close Fezandipiti ex	1	ASC 142	Pokémon
10 %9/88	Close Prism Tower	2	CRI 80	Trainer
10 %9/88	Fighting Energy	2	MEE 14	Energy
9 %8/88	Close Chien-Pao	1	SSP 56	Pokémon
9 %8/88	Close Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex	1–2	TWM 64	Pokémon
9 %8/88	Close Tool Scrapper	1	ASC 212	Trainer
8 %7/88	Close Iron Leaves ex	1	TEF 25	Pokémon
8 %7/88	Close Raging Bolt ex	1	TEF 123	Pokémon
8 %7/88	Close Team Rocket's Articuno	1	DRI 51	Pokémon
7 %6/88	Close Team Rocket's Kangaskhan ex	1	ASC 162	Pokémon
7 %6/88	Close Poké Vital A	1	SFA 62	Trainer
6 %5/88	Close Shaymin	1	DRI 10	Pokémon
5 %4/88	Close Terapagos ex	2–3	SCR 128	Pokémon
5 %4/88	Close Pikachu ex	1	SSP 57	Pokémon
5 %4/88	Close Crushing Hammer	3–4	POR 71	Trainer
5 %4/88	Close Nighttime Mine	1–3	ASC 197	Trainer
5 %4/88	Metal Energy	2–6	MEE 8	Energy
5 %4/88	Close Prism Energy	2–4	ASC 216	Energy
3 %3/88	Close Fan Rotom	1–2	SCR 118	Pokémon
3 %3/88	Close Battle Cage	2–3	PFL 85	Trainer
3 %3/88	Close Gravity Mountain	1–2	SSP 177	Trainer
3 %3/88	Close Kieran	1	TWM 154	Trainer
3 %3/88	Close Light Ball	1	ASC 191	Trainer
3 %3/88	Close Wally's Compassion	1–4	MEG 132	Trainer
3 %3/88	Close Spiky Energy	3	JTG 159	Energy
2 %2/88	Close Hoothoot	2–3	SCR 114	Pokémon
2 %2/88	Close Noctowl	2–3	SCR 115	Pokémon
2 %2/88	Close Aurorus	2	POR 24	Pokémon
2 %2/88	Close Dudunsparce	2	TEF 129	Pokémon
2 %2/88	Close Dunsparce	2	JTG 120	Pokémon
2 %2/88	Close Ninetales	2	CRI 9	Pokémon
2 %2/88	Close Shuckle	2	MEG 11	Pokémon
2 %2/88	Close Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex	1	TWM 112	Pokémon
2 %2/88	Close Koraidon ex	1	ASC 121	Pokémon
2 %2/88	Close Mew ex	1	30C 66	Pokémon
2 %2/88	Close Patrat	1	CRI 70	Pokémon
2 %2/88	Close Bug Catching Set	4	TWM 143	Trainer
2 %2/88	Close Pokémon Catcher	1–4	POR 82	Trainer
2 %2/88	Close Transformation Tome	4	CRI 83	Trainer
2 %2/88	Close Antique Sail Fossil	2	POR 69	Trainer
2 %2/88	Close Lucky Helmet	2	TWM 158	Trainer
2 %2/88	Close N's Plan	1	BLK 83	Trainer
2 %2/88	Fire Energy	3–4	MEE 10	Energy
1 %1/88	Close Amaura	2	POR 23	Pokémon
1 %1/88	Close Bastiodon	2	PBL 62	Pokémon
1 %1/88	Close Dewgong	2	POR 19	Pokémon
1 %1/88	Close Mega Audino ex	2	ASC 172	Pokémon
1 %1/88	Close Seel	2	POR 18	Pokémon
1 %1/88	Close Shieldon	2	PBL 61	Pokémon
1 %1/88	Close Vulpix	2	TWM 26	Pokémon
1 %1/88	Close Vulpix	2	CRI 8	Pokémon
1 %1/88	Close Fossil Quarry	3	PBL 76	Trainer
1 %1/88	Close Antique Armor Fossil	2	PBL 72	Trainer
1 %1/88	Close Buddy-Buddy Poffin	2	TEF 144	Trainer
1 %1/88	Close Lucian	2	TWM 157	Trainer
1 %1/88	Close Misty's Vitality	2	PBL 80	Trainer
1 %1/88	Close Rare Candy	2	MEG 125	Trainer
1 %1/88	Close Black Belt's Training	1	JTG 143	Trainer
1 %1/88	Close Energy Recycler	1	DRI 164	Trainer
1 %1/88	Close Fennel	1	BLK 82	Trainer
1 %1/88	Close Gwynn	1	PBL 78	Trainer
1 %1/88	Close Jamming Tower	1	TWM 153	Trainer
1 %1/88	Close Lumiose Galette	1	POR 78	Trainer
1 %1/88	Close Morty's Conviction	1	TEF 155	Trainer
1 %1/88	Close Pokémon Center Lady	1	MEG 123	Trainer
1 %1/88	Close Powerglass	1	SFA 63	Trainer
1 %1/88	Close Scramble Switch	1	SSP 186	Trainer
1 %1/88	Close Secret Box	1	TWM 163	Trainer
1 %1/88	Close Team Rocket's Venture Bomb	1	DRI 179	Trainer
1 %1/88	Close Tera Orb	1	SSP 189	Trainer
1 %1/88	Close Wondrous Patch	1	PFL 94	Trainer
1 %1/88	Close Magnetic Metal Energy	2	CRI 85	Energy
1 %1/88	Close Telepathic Psychic Energy	1	POR 88	Energy

The most common Mega Kangaskhan ex / Bouffalant list, all 60 cards

Here they are in full, ready to build. 8 slots come from the core, the cards all 88 lists run. The remaining 52 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 21 more cards to reach 60. The whole thing comes to 13 Pokémon, 35 Trainers and 12 Energy.

One thing to know before you build it: the 88 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: 13
4 Mega Kangaskhan ex MEG 104
2 Bouffalant SCR 119
3 Munkidori TWM 95
1 Bouffalant SSP 151
1 Psyduck ASC 39
2 Latias ex SSP 76

Trainer: 35
2 Boss's Orders MEG 114
4 Crispin SCR 133
3 Ultra Ball MEG 131
2 Night Stretcher ASC 196
4 Jumbo Ice Cream PFL 91
2 Ciphermaniac's Codebreaking TEF 145
2 Pokégear 3.0 SVI 186
4 Team Rocket's Petrel DRI 176
4 Lillie's Determination MEG 119
1 Energy Switch MEG 115
1 Poké Pad POR 81
1 Switch MEG 130
1 Hero's Cape TEF 152
1 Air Balloon ASC 181
3 Lumiose City POR 77

Energy: 12
4 Mist Energy TEF 161
4 Darkness Energy MEE 7
4 Psychic Energy MEE 5

Total Cards: 60

How many different cards Mega Kangaskhan ex / Bouffalant needs, and how long it will last

You need 125 different cards to cover every version of this deck, 3 of which nobody argues about. The rest is where lists differ from one another, and that is where you have room to choose.

All 88 lists bring an ACE SPEC, and that is where they part ways: 50 took Hero's Cape, 30 took Precious Trolley and 6 took Poké Vital A. 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 Hero's Cape and watch what the others do with theirs before you switch.

Then there is time. 1 of the 3 core cards carries the letter H, the one that goes at the next rotation: Bouffalant. The core table marks it. In copies, that is 2 of the 8 slots the core fills. Which day it lands, we do not know yet.

What Mega Kangaskhan ex / Bouffalant struggles against

The attackers in this deck are Weak to Fighting, so they take DOUBLE damage from that type. 14 of the 125 decks we track attack in exactly that type.

Concretely, here is what is waiting for you: Mega Lucario ex / Hariyama, Cynthia's Garchomp ex and Mega Lucario 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 125 we track. The other 111 do not attack into yours, and this table says nothing about them. You will still run into them.

Going the other way, none of the 125 decks we track have an attacker Weak to your types. So you are not going to win trades on Weakness — you will have to win them on raw damage.