How to Master the Arceus EX Deck in Pokémon Pocket: Real Strategies That Win Games

Why I Chose the Arceus EX Deck-and the Struggles That Taught Me

After racking up over 50 matches with the new Arceus EX deck in Pokémon TCG Pocket’s “Sagesse entre Ciel et Mer” set, I can promise: piloting it to a consistent 70% win rate takes more than just luck. Despite what the decklists online make it look like, this deck has quirks-drawing Arceus on time is clunky, baby Pokémon play surprisingly differently, and the deck flows are unique. I struggled hard during my first dozen games, often bricking my hand or getting KO’d before Arceus could come online. But with practical, deliberate adjustments, I found a groove that really works for ladder and casual tourneys. Here’s how you can shortcut my learning curve and out-play the competition.

Setting Up: Key Cards & Decklist Choices That Make or Break Games

The biggest breakthrough came when I stopped treating Arceus EX like a “wait and see” late-game card. You need it active and fueled quickly, but not at the cost of bricking your starting hands-or missing out on the baby Pokémon’s utility. Here’s my exact list for context, with two copies each of the must-haves:

• Arceus EX (2x): Your core attacker, immune to status thanks to Éclat de Légende.
• Pichu (2x): Opens with free setup, no energy needed, can replace Poké Ball as your fixer. Absolutely prioritize it in opening hands.
• Zeraora (2x): Unmatched for first-turn energy acceleration using its Flash Fulgurant ability.
• Plumeline (2x): Protection versus EX attackers—use for stalling, buying turns, and blocking hitters like Pikachu EX.
• Elemental Exchange (2x), Poké Ball (2x): For consistency, but be careful not to dilute your Arceus draws. Don’t get greedy here.
• Cape géante: Bulks up fragile Pokémon—insane value against rush decks.
• Giovanni, Morgane, Hélio, Dame du Centre Pokémon, Guzma, Professor’s Research (2x): Supporters that save bad hands, disrupt, and keep tempo high.

I wasted several matches trying to jam in extra utility Trainers, but this made opening hands far too inconsistent. The winning tweak was trimming dead cards and ensuring my mulligan rate dropped—if you keep opening dozens of non-playable hands, you need to cut back on non-basics and dead draws.

Opening Plays: How to Mulligan and Establish Board Presence

Your goal from turn one is getting either Pichu or Zeraora down immediately. In my first weeks, I would keep “okay” hands featuring Poké Ball or Elemental Exchange hoping to fix things—but this rarely works unless you have a basic guarantee. Now, I hard-mulligan for any hand with at least one of: Arceus EX, Pichu, or Zeraora. Don’t be afraid to throw back soft hands—this deck snowballs only when your setup is strong.

• If you start with Pichu: Use it for setup instead of burning search resources, especially since it needs no energy.
• If you open Zeraora: Use Flash Fulgurant turn one to attach an extra energy, ideally to Arceus if you can get it onto the board right away.
• Don’t overcommit to Plumeline unless you know your opponent is on EX-heavy lists. I lost count of games where I played Plumeline early for no gain since my opponent simply ignored it until they could KO with another attacker.

Setting the stage for Arceus as early as possible is everything. If you whiff it, prioritize thinning your deck with Professor’s Research or Elemental Exchange and use Poké Ball—at worst, setting up Zeraora will buy you time.

Powering Up Arceus EX: Energy Acceleration Tricks

One of my biggest early mistakes was underestimating how fast you need to ramp Arceus to pop off his big attack. Zeraora’s Flash Fulgurant is your primary engine, but don’t underestimate “manual” attaches from hand—especially on crowded boards. Here’s my typical sequencing now:

• First turn: Attach energy to Zeraora if needed.
• Use Zeraora’s ability to move extra energy to Arceus.
• On your next turn, attach again to Arceus manually. If you’ve drawn/gotten Elemental Exchange, fish for the energy you need and also thin out dead trainers.
• Prioritize benching a second Arceus when you can—if your first gets KO’d before it attacks, you need a fallback start at all costs.

By my tenth match, I realized if you don’t have three energy on Arceus by turn three, you’re essentially playing catch-up. Elemental Exchange provides a much-needed fix when you start falling behind, but it’s not reliable every game—don’t bank on it!

Maximizing Attacks: Board Management and Damage Output

Once Arceus EX is online, your priority shifts to board math—how many bench Pokémon you have, and how much incremental damage you can guarantee. I struggled at first, often holding back on filling my bench fearing “gust” effects from Guzma or similar disruption moves. But the breakthrough came when I realized Arceus almost always needs a full or nearly full bench to maximize his ability-based damage and reach those critical OHKOs.

• Bench anyone you safely can—babies, backup attackers, even a sacrificial Plumeline if needed.
• Keep at least one spot open for flexibility, but don’t let a sparse board leave your main Arceus swinging for only 90 when 130+ would win the game.
• Watch for opponent’s disruption—if you sense a Guzma or similar, be ready to clean up with Pichu or Zeraora after a KO.

A major pitfall: Don’t anchor all your energy on a single Arceus unless absolutely safe. Split attachments across two attackers if you sense incoming KO threats—the deck can recover, but not if you go all-in and whiff a response the next turn.

Defending Against the Meta: Arceus EX’s Unique Strengths (and Real Weaknesses)

I used to get steamrolled by decks like Pikachu EX and aggressive meta lists, but once I plugged in the anti-EX tech (Plumeline, and leveraging Arceus’ Éclat de Légende immunity), the tables turned. Here’s how I handle typical matchups now:

• Versus Pikachu EX/Tokorico EX: Lead with Plumeline; bait their attacks into it first, then bring in Arceus once their outs are exhausted.
• Versus status/control builds (Nostenfer EX, Typhlosion): Drop Arceus early—his immunity makes him an incredible wall here. Don’t waste bench space on babies unless you need to reset the status lock.
• Versus fast energy decks: Prioritize tempo—get Zeraora out and keep energies moving quickly. Never pass a turn without a manual energy attach if possible, even if the route seems awkward.

The real “cost” of Arceus EX power is setup time. Against hyper-fast decks, don’t get greedy with board fills or elaborate combos—sometimes, raw tempo is all that stands between you and an early loss. On the flip side, don’t make my mistake of discarding too many babies early—they are also how you recover late, providing a surprise wincon when your board looks thin.

Pro-Tips and Advanced Combos I Wish I Knew From Game One

• If you dead-draw Arceus or miss early energy, use Pichu aggressively as a pseudo-search to buy time—its ability replaces the need for Poké Ball in a pinch.
• Don’t burn all Supporters too early—I lost matches top-decking Dames du Centre when what I really needed was late-game draw or a gust effect; space them out.
• Split your evolutions: Rare Candy (if you run it for other lists) can enable a sudden Arceus, but only if your basics survive. Plan your board around evolution opportunities, not just immediate damage.
• Reevaluate your hand after every KO—check what’s left in deck versus prizes. Sometimes, I won games I thought I’d lost by pivoting my strategy post-KO thanks to knowing what was left.
• Keep an eye on deck-out: With aggressive thinning, it’s possible to “draw yourself out” in grindy matches; always leave live draws in deck for mid- and late-game responses.

Common Pitfalls: What Made Me Lose Matches and How to Avoid Them

• Forgetting to prioritize energy acceleration early (Zeraora must hit the board turn one or two).
• Overcommitting to the bench and losing everything to a “catch” turn.
• Underestimating Arceus’ setup time, then being too slow to recover.
• Getting greedy with combo pieces (I once tried to hold “perfect” combos in hand and died before accessing them).
• Poor thinning decisions—don’t toss away multi-purpose Trainers until you’re sure you won’t need them in a few turns.

Summary: Why This Deck Is Worth Mastering (And What to Expect)

The real magic of this Arceus EX build is how it lets you outplay meta staples and win tough matchups by smart sequencing and exploiting deck-specific immunities. Yes, setup is awkward, and yes, you’ll occasionally brick a hand or mis-sequence an acceleration turn. But the deck’s resilience—especially if you follow my tips above—means a 70% win rate is possible, even against seasoned players.

If you’re willing to learn the deck’s quirks, optimize your openers, and respect the power (and delay) of Arceus’s big swings, you’ll enjoy one of the most rewarding ladder/tournament experiences in Pokémon Pocket right now. Stick with it, fine-tune your list, and don’t let a bad early streak knock your confidence. If I could turn my early frustration into a win streak, so can you.