Metagross

What Metagross looks like when you open the box

Across the 54 lists we counted, this deck runs 14 to 21 Pokémon, 20 to 30 Trainers and 11 to 22 Energy. Its attacks are paid for in Metal.

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

The bit they tack on the end, « CRI », is a set code: Chaos Rising. They spell it out because several cards share that name, and this deck plays that particular printing.

Look at the Energy: 11 to 22 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.

It takes a while to set up. Metagross 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: 20 to 30 cards out of 60, against a median of 31 across the 125 decks we track. Inside that, 6 to 13 Supporters, and the rule there is strict — one a turn, even if you are holding three. The 7 to 20 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.

How Metagross actually wins

Metagross attacks with Metallic Hammer. It needs 4 Energy, 3 Metal and 1 Colorless attached, and it has 180 HP. Watch the damage box: "150+" is not a total. Here is what the card prints, word for word: "You may discard 3 {M} Energy from this Pokémon and have this attack do 150 more damage."

The cost of Metallic Hammer 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. Metang, which the list runs 4 of, has an Ability called Metal Maker: it looks at the top of your deck and attaches the Energy it finds there. An Ability costs you nothing: not your attack, not your card for the turn. 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. Beldum has to climb two steps before it becomes Metagross, and an evolution asleep at the bottom of your deck does you no good at all. The list has that covered. Genesect ex, which the list runs 2 of, has an Ability called Metallic Signal: it goes into your deck for an evolution. Careful, though: only 52 of the 54 lists bring it, so it is a choice, and players are still arguing about it.

There is another trick in this list, and the whole of it happens in one turn. Team Rocket's Petrel goes into your deck for a Trainer card and puts it in your hand. Precious Trolley is one, and it puts as many Basic Pokémon as you like onto your Bench in one go. A full Bench on turn one is what decides the game in a deck with lines to build. One rule to know: Precious Trolley is an ACE SPEC card. You are allowed just ONE ACE SPEC in your whole deck, so a second copy is never coming, and taking this one means giving up every other. One detail that matters: Team Rocket's Petrel is a Supporter, so that turn you play no other Supporter. Items all still go through. And if Team Rocket's Petrel will not show up, Team Rocket's Transceiver goes and gets it: 40 of the 54 lists bring it for exactly that.

Here is the detail that quietly loses games. To pull Metagross 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.

Not one ex Pokémon in the core, and only 26 of the 125 decks we track are in that position. It is a hidden advantage: every knockout your opponent takes is worth a single Prize, so they need 6, where 3 would do against a deck stuffed with ex cards.

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

Pokémon	HP	Attack	Damage	Cost	Weakness	Retreat
Close MetagrossStage 2	180	Metallic Hammer	150+		Fire ×2	3
Close MetangStage 1	100	Beam	60		Fire ×2	2

The core: the 3 cards every list runs

These 3 cards appear in all 54 lists, without a single exception. That is 23 of the 60 slots. The other 37 are decided player by player.

Look at how those 23 slots break down: 0 Trainers, 6 Pokémon, 17 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: Metang (2 to 4), Metagross (2 to 3) and Metal Energy (11 to 22). Add those spreads up and you get 14 copies the 54 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 Metang	TEF 114	Pokémon	leaves
2–3	Close Metagross	CRI 61	Pokémon	stays
11–22	Metal Energy	MEE 8	Energy	stays

The 97 cards that change from list to list

97 cards fight over the 37 slots that are left: 8 above three lists in four, 67 below one in four, and the percentage on each row says how many players took it.

The most agreed on first: Genesect ex at 96 %, Boss's Orders at 96 % and Buddy-Buddy Poffin at 93 %, plus 5 more above 75 %. Add those to the core and you have the common build.

The dividing line runs through Heatran, at 52 %: 28 of 54 players took it, 26 put something else there. The ones who run it bring 1 copy. Right at the bottom of the table, Judge (13 lists out of 54) and Kieran (13 lists out of 54).

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
96 %52/54	Close Genesect ex	1–3	BLK 67	Pokémon
96 %52/54	Close Boss's Orders	1–3	MEG 114	Trainer
93 %50/54	Close Buddy-Buddy Poffin	1–4	TEF 144	Trainer
91 %49/54	Close Energy Recycler	1–3	DRI 164	Trainer
89 %48/54	Close Team Rocket's Petrel	1–4	DRI 176	Trainer
85 %46/54	Close Night Stretcher	1–2	ASC 196	Trainer
85 %46/54	Close Ultra Ball	1–4	MEG 131	Trainer
80 %43/54	Close Precious Trolley	1	SSP 185	Trainer
74 %40/54	Close Team Rocket's Transceiver	2–4	DRI 178	Trainer
72 %39/54	Close Beldum	2–4	TEF 113	Pokémon
69 %37/54	Close Fezandipiti ex	1	ASC 142	Pokémon
61 %33/54	Close Special Red Card	1	CRI 82	Trainer
57 %31/54	Close Gravity Mountain	1–2	SSP 177	Trainer
56 %30/54	Close Shaymin	1	DRI 10	Pokémon
54 %29/54	Close Brave Bangle	1–2	WHT 80	Trainer
52 %28/54	Close Heatran	1–2	TWM 123	Pokémon
46 %25/54	Close Meowth ex	1	POR 62	Pokémon
44 %24/54	Close Philippe	1–2	CRI 79	Trainer
41 %22/54	Close Brock's Scouting	1–4	JTG 146	Trainer
39 %21/54	Close Lillie's Determination	1–4	MEG 119	Trainer
35 %19/54	Close Air Balloon	1–2	ASC 181	Trainer
35 %19/54	Close Jumbo Ice Cream	1–4	PFL 91	Trainer
31 %17/54	Close Beldum	2–4	CRI 59	Pokémon
31 %17/54	Close Mega Skarmory ex	1–2	POR 55	Pokémon
31 %17/54	Close Rare Candy	1–4	MEG 125	Trainer
31 %17/54	Close Pokégear 3.0	1–3	SVI 186	Trainer
30 %16/54	Close Piplup	1–4	PFL 27	Pokémon
30 %16/54	Close Empoleon ex	1–3	PFL 70	Pokémon
26 %14/54	Close Drilbur	1–2	PBL 46	Pokémon
26 %14/54	Close Mega Excadrill ex	1	PBL 65	Pokémon
24 %13/54	Close Judge	1–4	POR 76	Trainer
24 %13/54	Close Kieran	1–2	TWM 154	Trainer
24 %13/54	Close Switch	1	MEG 130	Trainer
22 %12/54	Close Full Metal Lab	1–4	TEF 148	Trainer
22 %12/54	Close Battle Cage	1–2	PFL 85	Trainer
20 %11/54	Close Poké Pad	1–2	POR 81	Trainer
17 %9/54	Close Prinplup	1–2	PFL 28	Pokémon
13 %7/54	Close Regigigas	1–2	PRE 86	Pokémon
13 %7/54	Close Hero's Cape	1	TEF 152	Trainer
11 %6/54	Close Psyduck	1	ASC 39	Pokémon
11 %6/54	Close Team Rocket's Factory	1–3	DRI 173	Trainer
11 %6/54	Close Magnetic Metal Energy	1–2	CRI 85	Energy
9 %5/54	Close Iron Defender	1–2	MEG 118	Trainer
9 %5/54	Close Black Belt's Training	1	JTG 143	Trainer
7 %4/54	Close Mega Kangaskhan ex	1–4	MEG 104	Pokémon
7 %4/54	Close Lana's Aid	1	TWM 155	Trainer
7 %4/54	Close Xerosic's Machinations	1	SFA 64	Trainer
6 %3/54	Close Cinccino ex	1–2	CRI 73	Pokémon
6 %3/54	Close Minccino	1–2	CRI 72	Pokémon
6 %3/54	Close Budew	1	ASC 16	Pokémon
6 %3/54	Close Dialga	1	MEG 95	Pokémon
6 %3/54	Close Mega Mawile ex	1	MEG 94	Pokémon
6 %3/54	Close Team Rocket's Kangaskhan ex	1	ASC 162	Pokémon
6 %3/54	Close Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex	1	TWM 64	Pokémon
6 %3/54	Close Hassel	1	TWM 151	Trainer
6 %3/54	Close Morty's Conviction	1–2	TEF 155	Trainer
6 %3/54	Close Secret Box	1	TWM 163	Trainer
6 %3/54	Close Tool Scrapper	1	ASC 212	Trainer
4 %2/54	Close Bastiodon	1–3	PBL 62	Pokémon
4 %2/54	Close Shieldon	1–3	PBL 61	Pokémon
4 %2/54	Close Orthworm ex	1–2	SCR 110	Pokémon
4 %2/54	Close Flutter Mane	1	TEF 78	Pokémon
4 %2/54	Close Genesect	1	SFA 40	Pokémon
4 %2/54	Close Team Rocket's Articuno	1	DRI 51	Pokémon
4 %2/54	Close Antique Armor Fossil	1–3	PBL 72	Trainer
4 %2/54	Close Hilda	1–2	WHT 84	Trainer
4 %2/54	Close Lumiose City	2	POR 77	Trainer
4 %2/54	Close Handheld Fan	1	TWM 150	Trainer
4 %2/54	Close Lacey	1	SCR 139	Trainer
4 %2/54	Water Energy	2–3	MEE 3	Energy
2 %1/54	Close Kyurem	2	SFA 47	Pokémon
2 %1/54	Close Archaludon ex	1	SSP 130	Pokémon
2 %1/54	Close Cramorant	1	TWM 58	Pokémon
2 %1/54	Close Duraludon	1	PFL 74	Pokémon
2 %1/54	Close Lillie's Clefairy ex	1	JTG 56	Pokémon
2 %1/54	Close Metang	1	CRI 60	Pokémon
2 %1/54	Close Munkidori	1	TWM 95	Pokémon
2 %1/54	Close Steven's Skarmory	1	DRI 142	Pokémon
2 %1/54	Close Zamazenta	1	DRI 146	Pokémon
2 %1/54	Close Dawn	2	PFL 87	Trainer
2 %1/54	Close Energy Search	2	POR 72	Trainer
2 %1/54	Close Fossil Quarry	2	PBL 76	Trainer
2 %1/54	Close Heavy Baton	2	TEF 151	Trainer
2 %1/54	Close Academy at Night	1	SFA 54	Trainer
2 %1/54	Close AZ's Tranquility	1	CRI 76	Trainer
2 %1/54	Close Ciphermaniac's Codebreaking	1	TEF 145	Trainer
2 %1/54	Close Community Center	1	TWM 146	Trainer
2 %1/54	Close Cook	1	TWM 147	Trainer
2 %1/54	Close Crispin	1	SCR 133	Trainer
2 %1/54	Close Explorer's Guidance	1	TEF 147	Trainer
2 %1/54	Close Haban Berry	1	PRE 111	Trainer
2 %1/54	Close Jamming Tower	1	TWM 153	Trainer
2 %1/54	Close Mega Signal	1	MEG 121	Trainer
2 %1/54	Close Redeemable Ticket	1	JTG 156	Trainer
2 %1/54	Close Rosa's Encouragement	1	POR 84	Trainer
2 %1/54	Close Unfair Stamp	1	TWM 165	Trainer
2 %1/54	Close Prism Energy	3	ASC 216	Energy

The most common Metagross list, all 60 cards

Here they are in full, ready to build. 23 slots come from the core, the cards all 54 lists run. The remaining 37 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 20 more cards to reach 60. The whole thing comes to 16 Pokémon, 27 Trainers and 17 Energy.

One thing to know before you build it: the 54 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: 16
4 Metang TEF 114
2 Metagross CRI 61
2 Genesect ex BLK 67
4 Beldum TEF 113
1 Fezandipiti ex ASC 142
1 Shaymin DRI 10
1 Heatran TWM 123
1 Meowth ex POR 62

Trainer: 27
2 Boss's Orders MEG 114
1 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144
2 Energy Recycler DRI 164
4 Team Rocket's Petrel DRI 176
2 Night Stretcher ASC 196
2 Ultra Ball MEG 131
1 Precious Trolley SSP 185
4 Team Rocket's Transceiver DRI 178
1 Special Red Card CRI 82
1 Gravity Mountain SSP 177
1 Brave Bangle WHT 80
1 Philippe CRI 79
1 Brock's Scouting JTG 146
4 Lillie's Determination MEG 119

Energy: 17
17 Metal Energy MEE 8

Total Cards: 60

How many different cards Metagross needs, and how long it will last

You need 100 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 54 lists bring an ACE SPEC, and that is where they part ways: 43 took Precious Trolley, 7 took Hero's Cape and 3 took Secret Box. The flex table shows you all 4. 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 Precious Trolley 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: Metang. The core table marks it. In copies, that is 4 of the 23 slots the core fills. Which day it lands, we do not know yet.

What Metagross struggles against

The attackers in this deck are Weak to Fire, so they take DOUBLE damage from that type. 13 of the 125 decks we track attack in exactly that type.

Concretely, here is what is waiting for you: Dragapult ex / Blaziken ex, Ethan's Typhlosion and Ceruledge ex, plus 10 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 13 decks out of the 125 we track. The other 112 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.