Pokemon TCG Pocket: Best Crobat ex deck guide

With the release of Pokemon TCG Pocket Wisdom of Sea and Sky, players are seeing a significant shift, thanks to the introduction of 241 new cards. As the ninth expansion and the start of the A4 series, this set brings a heavy focus on the Johto region, blending nostalgia with competitive potential.

Among the standout cards, Crobat ex has emerged as a low-energy, high-pressure force in the Darkness-type category. For players looking to build around it, this guide breaks down the optimal decklist and strategies that make Crobat ex such a threat.

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Best Pokemon TCG Pocket Crobat ex deck guide: Cards you need

Card	Quantity
Zubat	2
Golbat	1
Crobat ex	2
Nihilego	2
Darkrai ex	1
Dark Pendant	2
Poison Barb	2
Rare Candy	2
Professor's Research	2
Poke Ball	2
Red Card	1
Cyrus	1

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Best Pokemon TCG Pocket Crobat ex deck guide: Startegy breakdown

All Crobat ex variants in the game (Image via The Pokemon Company)

1) Crobat ex

• HP: 170
• Move: Venomous Slash
• Move Damage: 70
• Move Effect: Poisons your opponent.
• Move Cost: 1 Darkness

With 170 HP and an efficient attack cost of just 1 Darkness Energy, Crobat ex is a deceptively powerful card. Its main attack, Venomous Slash, does 70 damage and leaves the opposing Active Pokemon Poisoned, inflicting an additional 10 damage between turns.

To ramp up the pressure, attach a Dark Pendant to Crobat ex. This newly added tool punishes opponents by forcing them to shuffle a random card from their hand into their deck if they hit Crobat.

With chip damage adding up and constant pressure applied, Crobat ex becomes the core annoyance this deck is built around.

2) Darkrai ex

• Ability: Nightmare Aura - Deals 20 damage to your opponent’s Active Pokemon everytime a Darkness Energy is attached.
• Move: Dark Prism
• Move damage: 80
• Move Cost: 2 Darkness and 1 Colorless Energy

While Crobat ex holds the early game, Darkrai ex is your clean-up crew. Its ability, Nightmare Aura, punishes every Dark Energy attachment by dealing 20 damage to the opponent’s Active Pokemon. As you gradually build Darkrai on the bench, you're also chipping away at your opponent’s HP.

Once Crobat ex has done its job or starts to weaken, you pivot to Darkrai ex with Dark Prism, a solid attack dealing 80 base damage for 2 Darkness and 1 Colorless Energy.

Darkrai ex and Nihilego (Image via The Pokemon Company)

3) Nihilego

• Ability: More Poison - Poison now does +10 damage to the opposing side.

What makes this deck stand out is its cumulative poison damage. Enter Nihilego, a bench-sitter with the More Poison ability, which adds +10 damage to poison effects. Running two copies means a poisoned Pokemon is taking a total of 30 damage each turn.

This synergizes perfectly with Crobat ex and Poison Barb. The poison damage stacks quickly and wears down even the tankiest of opponents.

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Best Pokemon TCG Pocket Crobat ex deck guide: Essential Support cards

Best supporting cards in this deck (Image via The Pokemon Company)

• Dark Pendant: Best used with Crobat ex. If your opponent attacks, they’ll lose a random card in their hand.
• Poison Barb: Attach it to your Active Pokemon to Poison opposing attackers after they hit you. Best to attach it to Darkrai ex.
• Rare Candy: Essential for evolving Zubat straight into Crobat ex. Time it right to get Crobat out early and start pressuring.
• Professor’s Research: Draw 2 cards.
• Poke Ball: Digs out a Basic Pokemon.
• Red Card: A classic disruption tool. Forces your opponent to reshuffle and draw only 3 cards, potentially breaking their momentum.
• Cyrus: An excellent utility card for targeting already weak Benched Pokemon and forcing them into the Active Spot where they can be finished off.

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This Crobat ex build is all about relentless pressure, disruption, and passive damage stacking. It's not a brute-force deck but rather a slow burn, chipping away at the opponent’s health and resources while they struggle to stabilize.

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