Highlights
- In this article, we take a look at the ex cards available in Pokemon TCG’s Scarlet & Violet 151 expansion, ranking them all from worst to best.
- Many have great potential but take too long to set up and can be easily disrupted.
- Others can deal significant damage given the right conditions.
Since its release back in 1999, the Pokemon TCG has released thousands of cards across almost 100 sets. The latest expansion to hit shelves is a huge fan throwback to the original 151 Pokemon, bringing fans a chance to play with their favorite classic Pokemon once again.
Scarlet & Violet 151 is composed of all original Pokemon from the Red and Blue games, taking the card game back to the Kanto region and giving some of your favorite cards brand-new ex versions to match their power. Let’s take a look at all the cool new ex cards dropping in 151 and see which one will help you be a Pokemon master.
12 Kangaskhan ex
There’s just not quite enough here coming from Kangaskhan to make it worth running in most decks. Kangaskhan ex’s first attack costs only one energy and draws you three cards but doesn’t do any damage.
The second attack Kangaskhan ex brings to the table is a bit of a gamble, as it deals 100 damage up to four times, depending on how many times you flip heads on a coin. There’s the potential to deal anywhere between 0 and 400 damage, making it a little too unreliable.
11 Jynx ex
Loaded with two attacks, Jynx ex might seem solid but takes too long to set up and can be easily disrupted. Jynx’s Icy Wind attack costs triple Water Energy, dealing 120 damage while instantly putting your opponent’s active Pokemon asleep.
Jynx ex’s Heart-Stopping Kiss attack follows, also costing a total of three energy but instead of dealing damage it knocks out your opponent’s active Pokemon if it’s asleep. But it requires your opponent’s Pokemon to stay asleep, and you might just knock them out from the damage anyway.
10 Ninetales ex
Pokemon that require a little bit of setup can be exceptionally powerful, and Ninetales ex has potential if you dedicate the deck to it. Ninetales can slowly whittle your opponent’s active Pokemon down in HP with its Heat Wave attack, dealing 30 damage while leaving it burned.
Ninetales ex’s second attack is where the power is at; Mirrored Flames deals 80 damage normally, but if you and your opponent both have the same number of cards in hand, Mirrored Flames deals an impressive 220 damage. Cards like Judge and Iono force you and your opponent to shuffle cards away and draw four, all but guaranteeing you’ll have the same amount in hand when you go to attack.
9 Venusaur ex
The big green boy is back in Scarlet & Violet 151, this time with a beefy amount of HP and a way to keep your Pokemon in play even through devastating attacks. The Tranquil Flower ability lets Venusaur heal 60 damage from one of your Pokemon so long as it’s in the active spot.
Then, for three energy you can deal an impressive 150 damage with Venusaur’s Dangerous Toxwhip attack to your opponent’s active Pokemon, leaving them poisoned and confused afterward, finishing them off with poison damage between turns and making it more difficult for them to attack you back.
8 Charizard ex
There are plenty of powerful Charizard cards in the Pokemon TCG, and while this Charizard ex might not top the ranks, it still deals a good amount of damage. Its first attack Brave Wing normally deals just 60 damage, but if your opponent’s active Pokemon already has damage on it, it’ll deal a huge 160 damage for just one Fire Energy.
Charizard’s next attack, Explosive Vortex, deals an even more staggering 330 damage but requires you to discard three Fire Energy from it to use it. Since it costs four Fire Energy to use, it can set you back a fair amount during a match.
7 Golem ex
With an impressive 330 HP, Golem ex has some of the highest HP from the set, losing only to Venusaur ex and tied with Charizard ex and Blastoise ex. Golem’s Dynamic Roll attack costs only one Fighting Energy, dealing 50 damage and setting up for a powerful 1-2 punch.
The next attack you would do with Golem ex deals an extra 120 more damage after using Dynamic Roll, letting you deal 170 with it, or a massive 300 damage with Rock Blaster, which normally only deals 180 on its own.
6 Blastoise ex
The original Water-type starter Pokemon, Blastoise ex is a defensive machine thanks to its Solid Shell ability. Solid Shell prevents 30 Blastoise from taking 30 damage from any attack, regardless of where it is on the board.
Then with its Twin Cannons attack, you can deal a massive 280 damage by discarding two Water Energy from your hand or just 140 if you only discard one. It only costs two Water Energy to use Twin Cannons, making it an efficient damage dealer.
5 Zapdos ex
Any Pokemon with free retreat costs is pretty good, and with its Voltaic Float ability, you can retreat Zapdos ex for free anytime you want. You can use this ability to swap it in and out of the active spot, taking down any target you want especially with how powerful its attack is.
Multishot Lightning deals a somewhat weak 120 damage to your opponent’s active Pokemon but then dishes out an extra 90 damage to another Pokemon on your opponent’s bench. Combine it with cards like Boss’s Orders to rearrange the board and take down two Pokemon at the same time.
4 Arbok ex
Control decks can be a little strange in the Pokemon TCG, but Arbok ex can make sure you keep your opponent on the backstep with its attacks. Bind Down deals an okay 70 damage, but locks them in place, not letting your opponent retreat it to save them.
Then with its Menacing Fangs, you deal a much more respectable 150 damage but also force your opponent to discard two cards. Ripping your opponent’s hand apart can be particularly good with cards like Judge and Iono, forcing them to decrease their hand sizes and then make them decide which cards they want to keep most.
3 Wigglytuff ex
Known for their impressive defense and HP, Wigglytuff ex doesn’t disappoint. Normally this Normal-type Pokemon has 250 HP, but as soon as you attach a Special Energy to it, it gains an additional 100 HP with its Expanding Body ability.
Now that you have a solid defender in your active spot, you can use its Friend Tackle ability to deal either 90 damage or 180 damage if you’ve played a Supporter card from your hand this turn. With plenty of cards to manipulate the board, you can keep knocking out your opponent’s Pokemon with very little setup.
2 Alakazam ex
One of the strangest and most powerful cards from recent expansions is Alakazam ex. Its first attack, Mind Jack, deals anywhere between 90 and 270 damage depending on how many benched Pokemon your opponent hands.
The truly unique attack is with Dimensional Hand, which deals 120 damage but can be used even if Alakazam is on the bench. This weird attack lets you stick a more defense-focused Pokemon in the active spot and lets you whittle your opponent away from the bench.
1 Mew ex
Drawing cards is one of the most important elements in the Pokemon card game and Mew ex does this better than most. With its Restart ability, you can draw cards until you have three cards in hand once on each of your turns.
Once you have enough cards in hand, you can start using Mew’s Genome Hacking ability. For three Energy of any color, you can use any attack that your opponent’s Active Pokemon has, and forcing your opponent to swap out their active Pokemon from cards like Boss’s Order lets you pick and choose which attack you want.