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[Uriah]

Starmie ex decks hit hard and fast in Pokémon TCG Pocket, abusing cheap Hydro Splash, Misty flips and easy switches to bully basics, control prizes and snowball tempo in ranked play.

Anyone who has been queuing into ranked games lately has probably had a run of matches decided by Starmie ex. It looks fair at first glance, then you realise it bends the normal rhythm of the game. Two Water Energy for 90 with Hydro Splash is already pushed, but the zero retreat cost is what really warps things. You soak up a hit, pivot out for free, and suddenly your opponent's prize plan falls apart while you sit there browsing buy game currency or items in U4GM Pokemon TCG Pocket lists for upgrades.

Core Starmie ex shell

The version most players end up on is the Articuno ex build because it just feels smoother. You keep it tight: two Staryu, two Starmie ex, then two Articuno ex. Starmie jumps in early, trades into something big, then you retreat for nothing into Articuno and start firing off Blizzard Rush. It's a simple pattern that wins a lot of games. For Trainers, two Misty are almost mandatory. Yeah, flipping tails is rough, but when you hit heads you're threatening a turn two knockout that plenty of decks just can't patch up. I also like running two Giovanni because that extra 10 damage swings so many turns from "they live on a sliver" to "you're taking a prize."

Trainers, disruption and openings

After you lock in those core pieces, the rest of the list is about staying consistent while picking apart your opponent's plan. Two Professor's Research keep your hand moving so you don't stall out on evolutions or energy. Two Sabrina push awkward switches, dragging up a support piece or a half-baked attacker at the wrong time. A single Red Card can knock a greedy hand down to something clunky. I usually sneak in an X Speed as well, just in case paralysis would otherwise shut off that free retreat play pattern. In terms of gameplay, you're chasing explosive openers. You'll often mulligan hard for Staryu plus Misty because evolving on your second turn and hitting for 90 tends to roll over Fire or Ground lists before they can stabilise.

Handling matchups and tech choices

Even into tougher matchups like Pikachu ex, you still have tools. A couple of Potions sound old‑school, but they really mess with damage math and let Starmie survive one more swing than your opponent expected. If you want bigger numbers instead of speed, there's a Palkia ex variant that leans on Hydro Pump for late‑game pressure. It hits like a truck once the energy piles up, but you'll feel the deck slow down and sometimes that's enough for faster lists to sneak past you. Some players add Lumineon for bench sniping, which punishes those support Pokémon hiding out of the active spot. Budget builds often lean on Lapras ex for staying power or Greninja for chip damage across the bench, and they're fine as long as you keep the same idea in mind.

Why the strategy keeps winning

Under all the different partners and techs, the plan never really changes. You abuse that zero retreat cost, protect your energy from getting stranded on the wrong attacker, and keep pushing damage every turn until the other side runs out of answers. Starmie ex rewards clean sequencing more than flashy combos, so once you get used to the tempo it feels like you're always one step ahead of the average ladder opponent, especially if you've already sorted your extra Pokemon TCG Pocket Accounts.