Honestly, if you've spent more than twenty minutes in the ranked ladder of Pokémon TCG Pocket, you've probably felt that sudden, sinking feeling in your stomach. You see it. Your opponent flips their active card, and it’s a lone Articuno ex. No Staryu. No Froakie. Just a bird and a dream. Then comes the Misty.
Head. Head. Head.
Before you’ve even attached your first energy, your board is getting shredded by a turn-one Blizzard. It’s the ultimate "high-roll" experience. Some people call it the "18-Trainer" deck. Others call it a "troll build." Whatever you call it, Articuno ex is the most polarizing card in the game right now.
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Why Articuno ex is Basically a Slot Machine
Most decks in Pokémon Pocket are about "the engine." You want to set up your Gardevoir to feed Mewtwo, or you want to get Pikachu onto a full bench. Articuno ex doesn't care about your engine. It is the engine, the fuel, and the driver all at once.
With 140 HP, it’s a tanky Basic Pokémon. That’s more than enough to survive most early-game hits. But the real reason this card lives rent-free in everyone's head is the Blizzard attack. For three Water energies, you do 80 damage to the active Pokémon and 10 damage to every single benched Pokémon.
80 damage is a specific number. It’s the "two-shot" threshold for almost every major EX in the game. You hit a Mewtwo ex twice? It’s gone. You hit a Pikachu ex twice? It’s gone. And while you're doing that, those 10-damage pings to the bench are quietly ruining your opponent’s math.
The Infamous "18-Trainer" Strategy
You’ll see a lot of people running Articuno ex alongside Starmie ex. That’s the "stable" version. It’s good. It’s consistent. But the version that actually breaks people’s spirits is the Solo Articuno build.
Basically, you run exactly two copies of Articuno ex and nothing else in terms of Pokémon. The other 18 cards are Items and Supporters. Why? Because it guarantees you start with Articuno in the active spot every single time.
- Misty is your Best Friend/Worst Enemy: You need those coin flips. If you hit two heads on turn one, you’re attacking immediately. If you whiff? Well, you’re just sitting there like a frozen turkey.
- The Item Spam: Since you have so much deck space, you run everything. Poké Ball to find your second Articuno. Potion to keep the first one alive. Giovanni to push Blizzard’s damage to 90 (which is huge for hitting specific KOs).
- The Disruption: Most players are now running Sabrina or Cyrus to force the opponent to switch. Imagine your opponent finally gets their heavy hitter ready, and you just Sabrina it back to the bench while your Blizzard pings it for the win.
It's risky. Kinda feels like gambling. But when it hits, it’s arguably the fastest win condition in the game.
The Starmie ex Pivot (For People Who Like Sleep)
If you don't like the idea of losing a game because a coin landed on Tails once, you've probably looked at the Articuno-Starmie core. This is the "meta" Water deck.
Starmie ex is arguably a better card in a vacuum. It hits for 90 for only two energy. That’s efficient. In this deck, Articuno ex often acts as the "closer" or the "wall." You start with Articuno because it has more HP (140 vs Starmie’s 130). You soak up some hits, maybe get a Blizzard off, and then use an X Speed or a Leaf to retreat into a fresh Starmie ex to finish the job.
It’s less "explosive" than the solo build, but way more likely to win a long game.
The Pikachu Problem
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Pikachu ex. Articuno is a bird. Birds are weak to electricity. It’s a bad time.
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In a match against a Pikachu deck, you’re playing on hard mode. A fully powered Pikachu ex hits for 90 damage. Because of Articuno’s weakness, that becomes... well, a lot more than 90. Basically, Pikachu can one-shot your Articuno if they get a little help from Giovanni.
How do you beat it? You have to be faster. You have to use Misty to get that Blizzard going before they can fill their bench. If you can’t get a turn-one or turn-two attack off, honestly, you might as well concede and save yourself the five minutes.
Is Articuno ex Still Top Tier?
The meta shifted a bit with the Space-Time Smackdown and Mythical Island expansions. New cards like Giratina ex have shown up with massive HP pools that make Articuno’s 80 damage feel a bit like a tickle.
Even so, Articuno hasn't gone anywhere. The consistency of the "18-Trainer" build means it will always be a ladder favorite for people who want quick games. It’s also a great counter to decks that rely on small, squishy basics like Ralts or Charmander. One Blizzard can put those tiny Pokémon in "dead on the bench" territory very quickly.
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Real Talk: Tips for Winning More
- Don't over-Misty: If you already have two energies on Articuno and it’s turn two, maybe don't risk the Misty if you don't need to. A "Tails" on the first flip is a wasted Supporter for the turn.
- The Potion Math: 140 HP is the magic number. If your opponent hits for 70, you're in trouble. A well-timed Potion puts you back at 90+ HP, forcing them to hit you three times instead of two.
- Giovanni is Key: Don't underestimate the +10 damage. Turning 80 into 90 is the difference between a KO and leaving a Starmie ex with 10 HP left to retreat and ruin your day.
If you’re just starting out, prioritize the Mewtwo Booster Packs. That’s where Articuno lives. You’ll need two copies of the ex version to make the deck viable. Don't bother with the regular Articuno; the paralysis is nice, but it lacks the board-wide pressure that makes the ex version a legend.
Next Steps for Your Deck
If you have your two Articuno ex cards, your next move is to fine-tune your Trainer lineup. Look into adding Cyrus to disrupt your opponent's bench or Giant Cape to boost Articuno's HP to a massive 160. That extra 20 HP makes it almost impossible for Pikachu ex to one-shot you, which might just give you the one turn you need to flip the match.