Pokémon TCG Pocket: "A" Series ex Card Ranking
By Charles
Deluxe Pack ex will almost certainty mark the end of the "A" series of Pokémon TCG Pocket as the game hits its first anniversary. With Mega Evolution Pokémon ex on the horizon, and an all-star cast of ex cards in the new pack, I decided to rank every single ex card in the game. I let Secluded Springs and Promo-A cards join in on the fun.
October 3, 2025
Shuckle ex (A4)
86.
85.
84.
83.
Bibarel ex (A2b)
Machamp ex (A1)
Lugia ex (A4)
Shuckle is by far the worst ex. Its ability doesn't make it a good wall card due to its poor HP, and the attack can barely be considered efficient in the days of Suicune and Sylveon ex.
Bibarel has some decent numbers, but the energy cost is much too high. If Double Colorless Energy ever gets added to Pocket, Bibarel ex might actually be a good card.
Machamp ex is consistent, but much too costly. Even within Genetic Apex, Starmie does just 30 less for one less energy on a Stage One with free retreat.
Lugia had the potential to be the biggest attacker in the game with help from Ho-Oh ex, but Ho-Oh is too awkward to make the strategy work. Either way, Snorlax ex is a better partner.
Dhelmise ex (A3)
82.
81.
80.
79.
Tinkaton ex (A2b)
Passimian ex (A3)
Lickilicky ex (A2)
This card just takes too much energy. Darkrai does well with 80 for 3 by doing passive damage while charging up, but this card just sits there for three turns.
A possible 160 damage is great, but this just takes too many resources. If you can consistently flip heads, the 170 HP might bring you to a win, but one tails and you're done for.
There just isn't much going on here. Offload Pass requires a Knock Out, and there aren't really any good Fighting-types that go well with this card.
Lickilicky is in a similar case to Bibarel, being way too expensive. However, the attack could do huge damage if you get lucky, so it's a little better.
Cresselia ex (P)
78.
77.
76.
75.
Lunala ex (A3)
Lanturn ex (A4)
Probopass ex (A2a)
Cresselia is the reverse of Darkrai, but it's ability isn't nearly as useful since you probably won't have very much damage while you're building up energy. Without the chip damage, 80 is too weak.
The ability is useful, especially in tandem with Giratina ex, but it takes up too much deck space. If this card was a Basic, I think it would see play.
This card is okay, but it's nothing special. The Special Conditions are strong, but it takes too much Energy. You're better off using Pikachu ex or Alolan Raichu.
With help from Dialga ex, Probopass can get enough Energy attached decently quickly. Taking less damage is also better than healing as it can prevent Knock Outs.
Ultra Necrozma ex (P)
74.
73.
72.
71.
Kingdra ex (A4)
Wishiwashi ex (A3)
Jumpluff ex (A4a)
The attack is awesome, but it takes too much Energy to set up. If you're going to use an Ultra Beast, go for Buzzwole or Guzzlord, since they have single-prize basics for support.
The damage is strong, but it's simply not worth setting up a Stage 2 for. The "no retreat" effect, seen before on Dhelmise, just isn't very good since Cyrus is everywhere anyway.
When Wishiwashi has a full Bench to work with, it just might be the best card in the game - but that's easier said than done. Three Energy isn't great either.
Jumpluff's attack is fantastic, but this is another card that gets ruined by Cyrus, Sabrina and Repel. Switching into Oricorio is a good strategy in theory, but the damage is too low.
Glaceon ex (A2a)
70.
69.
68.
67.
Blissey ex (P)
Venusaur ex (A1)
Lycanroc ex (A3a)
Glaceon has a great Ability and a decent attack, but it doesn't fit well into the fast-paced Pocket decks. Maybe one day, there will be a card that doubles damage on the opponent's Pokémon.
Blissey is a strictly better version of Bibarel, but it still costs too much to get running. This card will be deadly if DCE gets added.
Venusaur ex was the original tank card, but as the Energy acceleration options grow, Venusaur seems slower and slower. Serperior is an option, but even in the era of Rare Candy, two Stage 2s is unrealistic.
The attack is awesome, but Fighting acceleration isn't the best. You're better off going for Rampardos.
Arcanine ex (A1)
66.
65.
64.
63.
Blastoise ex (A1)
Mismagius ex (A2)
Alolan Dugtrio ex (A3a)
It has about the same power as Lycanroc, but its Fire typing gives it more options. This card works fairly well with Moltres ex.
Blastoise can do huge damage if you are able to set it up, especially with the help of Misty, but it's not consistent enough to do well.
Constant Confusion is very strong, but 70 damage is too weak to hold up an entire deck. Any Evolved Pokémon can steamroll this card. However, a Basic ex deck may struggle with bad flips.
Alolan Dugtrio can do huge damage for a low Energy cost, but it's too easy to miss Knock Outs with the relatively low damage per coin flip.
Alolan Muk ex (A3)
62.
61.
60.
59.
Lapras ex (P)
Wigglytuff ex (A1)
Lucario ex (A2b)
The fact that you can easily stack Special Conditions makes it better than Lanturn and Mismagius, but this card is still too unpredictable and doesn't deal an impressive amount of damage.
The numbers are decent for a Basic, which also means that you can set up multiple. Unfortunately, this card just doesn't stack up compared to top ex cards like Suicune.
Being able to use any Energy and benefitting from a strong Jigglypuff are great, but Wigglytuff is too reliant on coin flips to be a real threat.
Lucario's damage output is fantastic, but three Fighting Energy is too difficult to set up. Lucario places higher than Lycanroc since it can disrupt the opponent's Bench, especially now that there are Babies.
Pachirisu ex (A2)
58.
57.
56.
55.
Mewtwo ex (A1)
Infernape ex (A2)
Rayquaza ex (P)
Pachirisu can attack very quickly, allowing you to destroy your opponent before they can set up. The issue is that Pachirisu ex can't one-shot very much, so it either wins right away or loses slowly
Mewtwo ex used to be the best, but it's too slow now. However, if your opponent lets their guard down, Mewtwo still has the power wipe out your whole board.
This card shows how important Energy can be. This card should be better than Charizard A2b, but having to discard all of the Energy every turn means Infernape is too risky.
Rayquaza ex's Draco Meteor is much easier to pull off than Dragonite, since it's a Normal-Type Basic. However, it has less HP and gives 2 points.
Articuno ex (A1)
54.
53.
52.
51.
Yanmega ex (A2)
Marowak ex (A1)
Mew ex (A1a)
With help from Misty, Articuno ex can tear through your opponent from Turn 1. Unfortunately, in Fall 2025, the damage doesn't look so high anymore.
Yanmega has a great attack, but the fact that you need to keep replacing Energy means you can't really set up a second attacker. Yanmega is good, but not good enough that you only need one.
Marowak is the king of coin flips. Despite a higher risk, the higher reward makes it way better than Dugtrio ex. You can win with one Marowak if you flip double heads just once.
Mew's second attack is fantastic, allowing you to use expensive attacks for 3 of any Energy. It can also do chip damage while charging up, but being reliant on your opponent's strength is a big issue.
Celebi ex (A1a)
50.
49.
48.
47.
Moltres ex (A1)
Starmie ex (A1)
Exeggutor ex (A1a)
Celebi ex is one of the best attackers in the game, especially with help from Serperior, but it's difficult to set up a second Celebi for the end of the game. The whole point is to load Energy on the first.
Moltres has a great attack that is much better than Magby's, but Moltres is too much of a liability. You will need to waste at least one attachment and it could give up 2 points.
Starmie is an extremely efficient attacker, but it's just too annoying to set up for what is ultimately a simple effect. Even if the numbers are lower, the Basic ex cards are an all-in-one package.
Exeggutor is a great opener and can be a huge problem for your opponent in the first few turns. The issue is that it needs a big attacker to follow up, and Buzzwole ex already has its own special support.
Aerodactyl ex (A1a)
46.
45.
44.
43.
Skarmory ex (A4)
Zapdos ex (A1)
Paldean Clodisre ex (A1a)
Aerodactyl has a really unique Ability that can catch your opponent off guard, but most people keep their evolving Pokémon on the Bench anyways to protect them.
Skarmory's attack is fantastic for two Energy on a Basic, and with the Jasmine Trainer card, it can give your opponents a run for their money. However, this is another card that can't one-shot to save its life.
Zapdos is a great starter, but the fact that it can do up to 200 damage is very impressive. The issue is that it doesn't have a consistent attack that warrants a place in a deck now that there are so many options.
Thanks to Poison Barb and Nihilego, Clodisre can be a dangerous and efficient threat. However, reliance on Wooper or a Tool card means that Crobat is the better Poison card.
Gyarados ex (A1a)
42.
41.
40.
39.
Raichu ex (P)
Ho-Oh ex (A4)
Beedrill ex (A1a)
Gyarados has one of the deadliest attacks in the game, on top of being a 180 HP Stage 1. However, the amount of Energy needed and reliance on Misty doesn't work so well with the new and faster decks.
The brand-new Raichu ex does a great amount of damage and has plenty of Lightning support, but it can't Knock Out Giratina ex or Darkrai ex while damaging itself. Pikachu ex (A2b) is just better.
Ho-Oh ex has an awesome effect, allowing you to power up two attackers for the cost of one, but you're going to be a sitting duck (phoenix?) for the first few turns. It's too awkward and a 2-point liability.
Beedrill is a very fast Stage 2 attacker than can prevent your opponent from attacking entirely. However, only doing 80 damage per turn gives your opponent time to find a way through the Energy loss.
Umbreon ex (A1a)
38.
37.
36.
35.
Snorlax ex (P)
Crabominable ex (A4)
Poliwrath ex (A4a)
Umbreon has a very strong Ability, giving you a free Cyrus every single turn. This is yet another card that suffers from only dealing 80 damage, and there are still 3 Eeveelution ex cards that are better.
Snorlax ex feels almost impossible to defeat once it sets up, but that is easier said than done. It takes four Energy to attack and it's basically impossible to retreat.
Crabominable can put a huge amount of pressure on your opponent at the start of the game, especially thanks to its huge HP, but it takes resources that should be going to your Benched attackers.
Poliwrath is a great Stage 2 build up card, but it doesn't do enough damage and can't ramp up as quickly as Charizard ex (A2b). You also have to deal with having multiple Energy types.
Weavile ex (A2)
34.
33.
32.
31.
Charizard ex (A1)
Pidgeot ex (A1a)
Palkia ex (A2)
Weavile is absolutely devastating in the first few turns, but it runs out of steam too quickly. When your best partner is Darkrai ex, there isn't very high damage waiting in the back, either.
Charizard has the highest base damage in the game, but it's basically useless until you get enough Energy. You have to wait on the Bench, extremely vulnerable to your opponent's Trainer cards.
Pidgeot is better than Poliwrath since it can use any type of Energy. The variable damage isn't a big deal, since if your opponent has a low Bench size, they're still in trouble. Charizard (A2b) is still better.
Palkia has a very impressive finishing attack, but the high Energy cost makes it difficult to set up another attacker to get the first Knock Out. Misty is too inconsistent, and Vaporeon is too costly to set up.
Dialga ex (A2)
30.
29.
28.
27.
Pikachu ex (A1)
Gengar ex (A1)
Entei ex (A4a)
Dialga has good HP and a really amazing Energy acceleration attack, but most of the Pokémon that need lots of Energies are Stage 1 or 2. Needing to start with Dialga on top of setting up a Stage 2 isn't great.
Pikachu does great damage for an effect that is relatively easy to set up, but you're limited to Lightning Pokémon. Pikachu doesn't have an Ability to find Pokémon like Suicune, so maintaining 90 is tough.
All decks in TCG Pocket rely on Supporter cards like Professor's Research and Cyrus, so Gengar can really trap your opponent. 100 damage is great, but only if you can set up faster than your opponent.
Entei ex has a pretty awful attack, but its Ability is so fantastic that it still places very high. You will have so many cards to work with that 60 damage won't seem so bad.
Raikou ex (A4a)
26.
25.
24.
23.
Alolan Raichu ex (A3)
Donphan ex (A4)
Leafeon ex (A2a)
Although its damage potential is significantly lower, Raikou ex is better than Entei since it uses Lightning Energy. Raikou can be a starting attacker that sets up Magneton, Zeraora, and friends.
Alolan Raichu ex can crush Basic ex cards like Darkrai and Giratina, while benefitting from the same Lightning support as Raikou. Unfortunately Pikachu (A2b) is just better, since it's a Basic finisher instead of Stage 1.
Donphan can very naturally ramp up to huge damage at the start of the game, but it's really hard to have a second one ready by the time your opponent manages to beat the first one.
Leafeon wasn't great when it first released, but thanks to the new, more recent, Eeveelutions, Leafeon can help get lots of Energy on the board while only taking up one or two spots in a deck.
Wugtrio ex (A2b)
22.
21.
20.
19.
Primarina ex (A3b)
Flareon ex (A3b)
Gallade ex (A2)
Wugtrio ex is great since it only needs three Energies, can utilize Misty, and is only a Stage 1. Its high damage multiplier means that although it does less damage overall than the Dragons, it's more targeted.
Primarina can do a lot of damage very quickly thanks to its first attack, and can have the right numbers for the end of the game thanks to Hau, Lillie and Irida. However, it is very high maintenance.
With the help of Eevee Bag, Flareon has a very strong attack that can charge up very quickly thanks to its Ability. Sylveon can help you tie everything together, but the self-damage makes it very vunlerable.
Gallade ex has an energy-efficient attack that can deal with all of the big hitters, and the HP to be able to outpace smaller attacks. Relying on your opponent's attachments to do damage keeps it from being the best.
Pikachu ex (A2b)
18.
17.
16.
15.
Decidueye ex (A3)
Incineroar ex (A3)
Crobat ex (A4)
The better Pikachu ex has an amazing attack that works very well with Elemental Switch. You can keep it on the Bench with one Energy and then power it up at the last second for a huge finisher for low cost.
The damage this card deals isn't the best, but it's efficient and there's no running away. The deck can get rid of Cyrus for Erika and Leaf Cape. The only issue is that you aren't doing a whole lot of damage at first.
Incineroar is a very scary Stage 2 attacker since you can't chip away at it - unless you want to take 140 damage for three Energy. Unfortunately, it can't build up to attack as fast as Charizard.
This strategy is too luck-dependent to be the best, but with help from Nihilego, Crobat can destroy your opponent's Basics on Turn 2. If their best attacker is stranded Active, there's no way to win.
Dragonite ex (A3b)
14.
13.
12.
11.
Tapu Koko ex (A3a)
Arceus ex (A2a)
Eevee ex (A3b)
It can be difficult to switch Dragonite in and out of the Active to attack again next turn, but the damage is well worth it. If your opponent can't stop you from setting up, it's tough to lose.
Tapu Koko ex ties the Lightning cards together by doing chip damage and flooding the board with Energy. 90 damage isn't bad, either. One Retreat Cost also helps you move into Pikachu ex at the end.
Arceus has a solid attack that can take any Energy, allowing you to fit in support Pokémon like Crobat and Carnivine. The Ability is okay, but it means you're going to have to attach manually, which is awkward.
Eevee ex allows you to have four Basic Eevee, boosting the consistency of Sylveon, Espeon and friends to an absurd level. It allows much more flexibility and, while not powerful by itself, is a key card.
Solgaleo ex (A3)
10.
9.
8.
7.
Garchomp ex (A2a)
Guzzlord ex (A3a)
Charizard ex (A2b)
Solgaleo can be extremely hard to Knock Out since you can keep switching between them with the Ability. 120 damage is awesome for two Energy, so if you can get two on the board, you're all set.
Garchomp can put on huge pressure even with just one Energy. It can pick your best attacker off the Bench before it even gets to attack. The drawback is that the Defending Pokémon is free to attack you.
Guzzlord might be the scariest card in the game. An absolutely brutal first attack and Lusamine to charge up the second means that you have to play perfectly to take Guzzlord down. Bad flips keep it from the top.
The most brutal attacker ever seen in TCG Pocket, Charizard can pop up out of nowhere and hit 150 from Turn 3 onwards. By the time the first one is down, you just might have another ready.
Espeon ex (A4)
6.
5.
4.
Buzzwole ex (A3a)
Suicune ex (A4a)
Espeon is the perfect partner for Sylveon ex. Thanks to the Ability to have four Eevee, you can flood the board and simple switch between your Eeveelutions while you heal with Espeon's Ability. While we've seen that 80 damage isn't the best on an Evolved ex, Eevee bag can help ensure that Espeon can two-shot anything. Your opponent won't be able to say the same.
Buzzwole is a very efficient attacker thanks to Lusamine and its Ultra Beast friends. 120 damage for three Energy is awesome compared to Darkrai's 80, and access to Leaf Cape means that Buzzwole can be tough to revenge KO. While, in a vacuum, Buzzwole might not be quite as high on the list, it has to be ranked according to the other cards that exist in the game at the time.
The fact that this card isn't so different from Suicune V from the main TCG means shows how much potential this card has. It has the Ability of Raikou and Entei and the attack of Arceus. You can consistently hit 100 or 120 for just two Energy thanks to its Ability drawing cards. The only problem is that your opponent could leave the Bench empty and sweep with one attacker.
Sylveon ex (A3b)
3.
2.
1.
Darkrai ex (A2)
Giratina ex (A2b)
Sylveon ex completely changed the way decks were built by adding a huge draw power to the game. It's equivalent to drawing 6 cards on Evolution in the main TCG. This allows Stage 2 decks to be much more consistent and for the Eevee deck to be able to run through all 20 cards very quickly.
Even though Darkrai's stats aren't the absolute best, the pressure that you can put on your opponent from Nightmare Aura is too much to ignore, especially with Rocky Helmet. When used in combination with low-maintenance attackers, Darkrai can bring cheap, low-damage attacks in range of one-shot Knock Outs.
Giratina might be the best card in the game. The attack is too costly by itself, but the Ability allows it to fit into almost any deck. In a game where every card and attachment matters so much, being able to effectively double your speed at the start of a game is too good to pass up. An extremely low-maintenance 130 damage means Giratina pops up in all kinds of decks.
I hope you enjoyed my list! It was very difficult to rank some of the lower, less-used cards, so I used a Elo system on Java. It took a long time to run through every one-on-one, but I feel that it made my list less biased. There are some cards I never played with that I might not have ranked as highly otherwise. Thanks to Deluxe Pack ex, most of these cards are very easy to come by.
