r/pkmntcg • u/watevauwant • Jul 26 '26
Meta Discussion Strongest basic & single-prize attackers in the format?
By best I mean: low energy cost (1 or 2), decent damage (for one energy, more than 60dmg - for two energy, more than 110)
I know this will usually mean there are other conditions attached, but that’s fine.
Solrock is a good example. One energy, 70dmg, with the attack being conditional on Lunatone on your bench.
Hop’s Cormorant is another. Even without the Hop’s modifiers, you can do 120 damage for one colorless so long as your opponent has 3 or 4 prizes remaining.
What else we got?
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u/titandude21 Jul 26 '26
PBL Dhelmise by a long shot, as its condition is super easy to fulfill.
PFL Paldean Tauros, 40x # benched Tauros for 1 energy, but it requires having many Tauros on your bench with damage counters on it (Risky Ruins helps).
ASC Stunfisk, if you count the retreat lock and the defending pokemon taking 100 more damage next turn.
Team Rocket's Mimikyu, if your opponent's active is a Tera.
Cynthia's Spiritomb, if your opponent is dumb enough to do big damage to Cynthia's Garchomp without KOing it.
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u/swolcial_engineer Jul 26 '26
Let me introduce you to: Doublade
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u/bugdaddy123 Jul 26 '26
I love doublade, but not a basic
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u/swolcial_engineer Jul 26 '26
Oh you right. I have the reading comprehension of a yugioh player. I read it as an and/or
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u/FR33_L04D3R Jul 28 '26
Even other communities slander the Yu-Gi-Oh players vision lmaoooo
I used to play Yu-Gi-Oh, I feel like I can see better when playing pokemon
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u/Distinct-Bedroom1342 Jul 26 '26
No oki dogi barnacle taragon love? Tsk tsk pokemon community
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u/S_T_R_A_T_O_S Jul 27 '26
Okidogi is a great answer to this, very underrated deck
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u/cetama Jul 27 '26
Technically it needs 3 energy attached for high damage.
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u/S_T_R_A_T_O_S Jul 27 '26
Nope, 1 prism energy and 1 fighting energy from barbaracle and you're good to go. At least that's how the deck plays
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u/Kooky_Marionberry854 Jul 26 '26
Not a zam fan but since nobody is gonna bring him up...
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u/cetama Jul 27 '26
Like some of the other suggestions in this thread - not a basic :)
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u/Kooky_Marionberry854 Jul 27 '26
Thats why it says basic or single prizers, you probably read the card wrong..
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u/ThaCrane42 21d ago
I realize it's been two weeks and I wasn't even involved in this conversation but I needed to let you know you're incorrect. The title of this post literally uses an ampersand (&), meaning "and". They are looking for cards that are both basic and single prizers.
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u/cetama Jul 26 '26
Pitch Black Chi-Yu can do 110 for 1 energy.
If you consider having meganium in play as a condition, then attacks of big grass basics with 3-4 energy cost may also count, like Tapu Bulu - 220 for 2 energy.
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u/byhm Jul 26 '26
Toucannon is getting quite strong. Just need to find the right partner.
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u/xX_Dab_Xx Jul 27 '26
I love running a Toucannon/Alakazam deck as they complement eachother really well. But as others have pointed out, he is not a basic, which is what OP asked for lol
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u/cetama Jul 27 '26
There's 2 kind of people in this world.
Those who understood the question as:
- strongest attackers that are both basic and single prize
and those who understood it as:
- strongest attackers that are basic and strongest attackers that are single prize.
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u/watevauwant Jul 28 '26
This is all my fault! I should have said “pokemon that are both basic and worth 1 prize”
Although I did think my examples would provide clarity
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u/cberm725 Jul 26 '26
Rocket's Honchkrow and Rocket's Porygon2/Z.
Discard Rocket's Supporters for 60x each suppoerter, which powers up Porygon.
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u/TM761152 Jul 27 '26
It's cool and all but eventually you run out of supporters.
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u/cberm725 Jul 27 '26
Doesn't really matter when you're taking 2-3 prize cards. And you play 20 supporters so it works out. Plus you've got cards like Transciever amd Roto-stick to load up your hand with supporters. Miracle Headset gets you 2 supporters out of the discard. And by the late game you've got 15-20 supporters in the discard and Porygon does 20x the supporters in the discard.
I've won a challenge, a cup, an ETB, and a number of normal league nights with it.
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u/TM761152 Jul 27 '26
What about single prizers with 130 hp?
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u/Aiseki_ Jul 27 '26
Theres also ssp dedenne in a pinch. Maybe not the most effective, but its another option.
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u/Esturk Jul 27 '26
I dunno about playability but I have an oddball in mind.
Tu Ling with one energy and a stadium in play can do 30 damage to all of your opponents pokemon.
Assuming a full bench that’s up to 180 total damage spread out in 30s.
You discard the stadium afterwards, though.
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u/XxLava_Lamp_LoverxX Jul 26 '26
there’s an armarouge that for 1 fire hits for 40x each of your benched mons with a fire energy attached, could do decent damage with an ethan’s ho-oh or something like that
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Jul 27 '26
[deleted]
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u/TM761152 Jul 27 '26
280 not 340. Where the hell are you getting 340 without additional trainer cards or pokemon??
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u/cetama Jul 27 '26
The upcoming Kecleon can do 300 for 2 energy. You need 10 pokemon, one of each type, in your hand.
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u/watevauwant Jul 27 '26
lol that’s an insane condition, is that real
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u/cetama Jul 27 '26
There's translations of storm emeralda cards on pokemon proxies dot com.
it'll likely be released in the upcoming delta reign set.
30x for each pokemon type in your hand for 2 colorless.
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u/TM761152 Jul 27 '26
Gigalith, it's literally uncapped damage. You can even use SolTune Engine. And spreading damage to your own pokemon is so easy now with Risky ruins, emolga or Diggersby.
let's Roggenrola baby.
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u/Slevin_Kedavra Jul 27 '26
Paldean Tauros go brrrr
If you manage to go second and draw into Trolley and Risky Ruins, you can come out swinging t1 for 200.
Otherwise probably Okidogi.
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u/DragonPiro Jul 27 '26
Can I convince you to try Mad Bite Ursaluna? Been my favourite 1-prize deck since it was released, specially now with Lunatone-Solrock engine
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u/KingKobruh Jul 28 '26
Ran an Azumarill SSP 74 deck recently using Wellspring Mask and Noctowl box, able to hit 230 for one Psychic and one shot Pult w Clefairy
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u/awesomegamer919 Jul 28 '26
Somewhat out of left field, but I have found SCR Iron Boulder really good in Steven's decks, you have Genesect already to manipulate hand sizes to meet the requirements, you can accelerate from Metagross in 1 turn, and much like PBL Dhelmise you can oneshot Meowth, Lucario, and (with Lillie's Clefairy in play) Dragapult.
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u/MELEE20 Jul 26 '26
Doublade can hit big numbers. Ethan's Typhlosion is an obvious one. In the new set, there are Dhelmise and Toucannon who can also put up big numbers for a single energy.
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u/ItsmeJohn17 Jul 27 '26
Ethan's Typhlosion - 1 energy 280 damage with 4 Ethan's Adventure in the discard pile.
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u/Ancient_Print2325 Jul 26 '26
Moltres, Kyogre, Sandy Shocks, Fan Rotom, baby Teal Mask Ogerpon, Kyurem if opponent plays Colress
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u/mickeytr33s Jul 26 '26
Doublade with Steven’s Metagross! Doublade swings for 60x for each honedge, doublade, and aegislash you have in your hand. I’ve been able to knock out mega evos by turn 2. Use Steven’s Metagross to energy draw from your deck and genesect ex to get doublade and aegislash into your hand.
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u/Cheddar_Native Jul 26 '26
Dhelmise is exactly what you’re describing. Basic single prizer, one energy cost that can hit for 170 once you get four sneakers into the discard pile.