Pokemon TCG Pocket: Giratina ex Guide (Decks, Strategies, Counters)

A day or two after Pokemon TCG Pocket launched the Shining Revelry set, Giratina ex’s new deck with Darkrai ex appeared in PvP. The duo quickly took over the metagame, though they were initially countered by the Arceus ex & Dialga ex meta. Despite this, Giratina ex is currently considered the most prominent card in the Shining Revelry era, holding the highest win rate (around 55%) among top-tier decks.

This guide provides an overview of Giratina ex, analyzes its performance in TCG Pocket’s PvP, and explains how to build a solid deck around its synergies. Whether you’re looking to become a Giratina ex player or simply want to give it a try, you’ll find everything you need to know about this incredible Pokemon here.

The Best Deck for Giratina ex

• Deck Energy Type: Darkness
• Deck Strategy: Stall and chip damage
• Key cards: Giratina ex, Darkrai ex, Druddigon, Cyrus, Iono, Rocky Helmet

The best deck for Giratina ex is a stall-and-snipe type of setup with Darkrai ex. The idea is to build up both Girtatina ex behind a staller card—usually Druddigun—while draining the enemy’s HP with Darkrai ex’s chip damage.

Giratina ex & Darkrai ex Decklist

Giratina ex 18-Trainer Alternative Deck

Since Giratina ex is a Basic Pokemon and can generate its own Energy, it fits well in a self-sufficient 18-Trainer deck. The strategy is to leverage both the zone and Giratina ex’s Energy to ramp it up by turn three or four. The rest of the deck consists of practical Trainer Cards that support this approach, either by maximizing damage or stalling and disrupting the opponent.

Here’s the full 18-Trainer decklist for Giratina ex:

How to Play Giratina ex Effectively

Here’s the ideal strategy:

1. Start with stalling. Druddigon is a perfect starter. You can buff it with a Rocky Helmet to maximize chip damage while holding the enemy back.
2. Build up Darkrai ex on the Bench. Give all the Dark Energy you get each turn to this Pokemon.
3. Build up Giratina ex. After using the Energy on Darkrai ex, end the turn by using Giratina ex’s ability, Broken-Space Bellow, which generates Psychic Energy for this Pokemon.
4. When it’s ready, switch Giratina ex into the Active Spot and hit the enemy with its 130-damage Chaotic Impact. You could use Red to counter the enemy’s Giant Cape or Potion.
5. While Giratina ex plays the role of the main damage dealer, keep adding Dark Energy to Darkrai ex to dish out an extra 20 damage each turn.

How to Counter Giratina ex

Giratina ex faces two potent counters: Gyarados ex & Manaphy and Dialga ex & Gholdengo. Both setups have a win rate of around 65% against Giratina ex and Darkrai ex decks, highlighting their dominance. Additionally, the Arceus ex & Dialga ex deck from the previous expansion can also be considered a strong counter, with a win rate of about 50% against Giratina ex setups.

Giratina ex’s Performance Report

• Meta Share: ~ 13.5%
• Win Rate: ~ 55%
• Tournament Appearance: ~ 2,000

Currently, Giratina ex’s alliance with Darkrai ex has one of the highest win rates in TCG Pocket’s meta. The only other deck as popular as this duo is the Arceus ex & Dialga ex setup from the Triumphant Light era. However, this is expected to change in the coming days, as Giratina ex’s meta share is rapidly increasing.

It could be argued that Giratina ex has revived the dreaded Bench-damage meta, first popularized by Darkrai ex & Magnezone lineups. While Darkrai ex deals long-range damage, the player can build up Giratina ex on the Bench without worrying about Energy distribution. This is similar to the role Magnezone once played, but because Giratina ex is a Basic Pokemon—not a Stage Two like Magnezone—it makes for a superior choice.

Systems

Released

October 30, 2024

Developer(s)

DeNA, Creatures Inc.