Pokémon Deck Tech: Alakazam ex Wall
Alakazam ex from the Scarlet and Violet 151 set does something no other card in the Pokemon TCG has ever done before: It can attack from the bench. While it only does 120 damage with the Dimensional Hand attack, it can do so with much more protection than other attackers. When paired with Pokemon with powerful defensive abilities, it becomes very difficult to deal with.
While the Abra line is the star of the deck, the real focus and strategy comes from the support. This deck runs Xatu for card draw and energy acceleration. Likewise, Water Veil Manaphy acts as a layer of protection to prevent your opponent from sniping Alakazam ex. These will remain on the bench unless something goes wrong.
For the active spot, I have 3 options: Mimikyu, Klefki, and Espathra ex. Each of these add protection and disrupt the opponent in different ways. Mimikyu is the most basic and the default option for your active spot. The Safeguard Ability prevents damage from ex or V Pokémon, which can shut down several decks immediately. Klefki’s Mischievous Lock turns off Abilities on other basic Pokémon. This hurts Miraidon and anything relying on the Lost Box engine for setup.. Espathra ex has a similar ability to the Stadium card Pokemon League Headquarters. While PLH only effects basic Pokémon, Dazzling Gaze effects anything your opponent has in the active spot.
Trainer cards are what you would expect to act as support. There are plenty of Rare Candies, Ultra Balls, Battle VIP Passes, basically the same cards found in most decks. This runs several cards to switch your active Pokemon to help mitigate the effects of Boss’s Orders. I run Old Cemetery to potentially add extra damage, since Alakazam ex does relatively little on its own.
The yearly rotation is coming up soon, and many cards need to be replaced. The aforementioned Battle VIP Pass and Old Cemetery will be replaced, as will Escape Rope and Fog Crystal. Buddy Poffin will replace Battle VIP Pass easily, and will be more effective in the end. Old Cemetery can switch out for Pokemon League Headquarters just to make it more difficult for certain decks to attack. Any other legal switching card will substitute for Escape Rope without issue. Fog Crystal is a little trickier, since it offers a lot of utility for the deck. In place of the 4 in the deck, 1 Lost Vacuum, 1 Tulip, 1 Professor’s Research, and a Jirachi is what I would use. Maybe a Cancelling Cologne in case you find yourself facing an opposing Mimikyu.
When it comes time to play, the strategy is very simple. Put the most difficult thing for your opponent to deal with in the active spot, evolve to Alakazam ex as quickly as possible, and then start hitting for 120 damage every turn while hiding behind other Pokemon. Don’t be afraid to attack with your defending Pokemon if the situation calls for it. Klefki can get rid of an annoying Tool card, while Mimikyu can be a source of decent damage if you can’t get Alakazam quickly. Espathra ex is a secondary attacker and is capable of decent damage. If you have extra energy, don’t be afraid to attach it to a waiting Espathra ex, especially if your other Pokemon are set up.
While this is, essentially, a gimmick deck, it is a unique gimmick that requires specific cards to counter. While it isn’t a meta deck, it can hold up surprisingly well. Best of all, the cards needed are widely available, making it an inexpensive secondary deck to play for fun at locals. With further refinement, it could even become a dark horse deck for league cups and challenges.