All You Need To Know About Build and Strategy
Raging Bolt ex – the primal, Ancient relative of Raikou – made its TCG debut in Temporal Forces earlier in 2024. After taking a while to find a footing in competitive play, it can now put its neck on the line and claim to be well-entrenched among the favoured competitive builds.
That is partly due to the introduction of Teal Mask Ogerpon ex to the TCG, which acts as the ideal foil for the hard-hitting Raging Bolt ex while also helping to stave off the threat other top builds pose.
Together, they act as the figureheads of this deck, which has built momentum over the months since May. We now see this in real-time, with the official Pokémon channel reporting that this build accounted for almost 12% of all decks used on day two of the Pokémon Worlds TCG tournament in Honolulu.
With that in mind, it is essential to ask how these two popular cards pair to deliver such tenacious knockout potential. What are they doing to shoulder in on the stronghold decks such as Charizard ex hold on the meta? And most importantly, how do you play Raging Bolt ex?
Table of Contents
Deck List
The deck has evolved a lot since the early inception of Raging Bolt ex, which certainly felt less meta-relevant; Twilight Masquerade was a turning point for its fortunes. Now, it boasts a max consistency build that can deliver knockout potential with pace and panache from turn one in the match.
With its uncapped attacking power, Raging Bolt ex is one of the most potent attacking cards in the game and naturally becomes your main avenue to taking Prize Cards. The rest of the deck largely circles this sauropod-like paradox Pokémon, facilitating the conditions needed to launch its signature attack.
While there is no set way to play Raging Bolt ex, there are many options for manipulating energy cards (with even more coming in Stellar Crown), and several secondary attackers that can join the cavalry. Here, we take a look at a solid basis for this build…
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Your MO with this archetype is to get the 240HP Raging Bolt ex into your active spot as soon as possible (ideally in your first turn), and support it by adding additional versions of the Ancient card to your bench.
Once in play, the idea is to attach as many Lightning and Fighting Energy cards to Raging Bolt ex as possible to ready its attack, Bellowing Thunder. Bellowing Thunder does x70 damage for each basic Energy card you discard from your Pokémon. In essence, there is no Pokémon in the meta that Raging Bolt ex cannot knock out with this attack.
But, of course, this strategy requires you to accelerate Energy cards to your Pokémon (not just Raging Bolt ex) as soon as possible and get it in a favourable position – especially since the dragon-type attacker has a reasonably hefty retreat cost (Switch Cart can help).
Enter Teal Mask Ogerpon ex. Another vital card in this archetype, the 210HP Teal Mask Ogerpon ex perfectly compliments Raging Bolt ex, and is one you should be looking to get onto your bench as soon as possible in the match. This is because you can use its ability, Teal Dance, to attach a basic Grass Energy from your hand to your Teal Mask Ogerpon ex once per turn. If you do, you may draw one card from your deck. The secondary draw effect is useful, but the former effect of Energy acceleration is vital.
For example, if you had a Raging Bolt ex in your active spot on your first turn and then played multiple Teal Mask Ogerpon ex onto your bench, you could use Bellowing Thunder, discard the Grass Energy cards they accelerate, and do up to 210 damage in a sweeping first turn move. This play – simple and effective as it is – can allow you to steal a march on your opponent, knock out one of their Pokémon as they set up, and take a Prize Card.
Teal Mask Ogerpon ex can also be a helpful attacker, with Myriad Leaf Shower doing 30+ damage for each Energy attached to both active Pokémon. The attack requires three Grass Energy, giving it a base damage of 90 (plus whatever your opponent has in play).
Among the secondary attackers, you have Sandy Shocks – another Ancient Pokémon that benefits from having multiple Energy cards in play. This single Prize Card option has the attack Magnetic Burst, which does a base damage of 20, with the potential to do an additional 70 damage if three or more Energy cards are in play. This makes it a possible 90 damage attack that can help pick off weaker targets.
Along with these Ancient forms, you also have the Future Paradox Pokémon Iron Bundle. This water type attacker isn’t included to deal out colossal damage but rather to bring useful situational benefits with its ability, Hyper Blower. This ability can be used once per turn when Iron Bundle is on your bench and forces your opponent to switch their active Pokémon with one of their benched Pokémon. In exchange for this Escape Rope/Boss’s Orders style effect, you must discard Iron Bundle and all attached cards. However, it can be worth it if it flushes out a Pokémon that you can knock out with your Raging Bolt ex. Easy Prize Cards, right?
As we continue through the options, we also come across Squawkabilly ex, which is a common cog in builds in the TCG. In this deck, Squawkabilly ex is there to support with its ability, Squawk and Seize, which allows you to discard your hand and draw six cards once per turn. Synergising with this ability is its often underrated attack, Motivate, which, for one Colourless Energy, allows you to attach two basic Energy cards from your discard pile to one of your benches Pokémon while also doing 20 damage (it all helps). It’s a neat way to recycle cards and resupply Raging Bolt ex.
The final Pokémon here, Radiant Greninja, is a card that thrives in the standard format. Its ability, Concealed Cards, allows you to discard one Energy card from your hand in order to draw two cards. It’s another method for stockpiling those Energy cards in the discard pile ahead of playing Professor Sada’s Vitality.
In this build, your Trainer cards also feed into the entire strategy set up with your Pokémon – almost all of which centre around discarding Energy cards or cards from your hand somehow.
With your discard pile stocked, you have the perfect situation to use Professor Sada’s Vitality. This Supporter card allows you to choose up to two Ancient Pokémon and attach a basic Energy card from your discard pile to each of them. If you do, you may draw three cards. Again, this continues that Energy acceleration from deck to Pokémon, to discard pile…and back again.
Another card feeding into this cycle is Earthen Vessel – an item card which can only be played if you discard another card from your hand (by now, you realise this is ideal). Earthen Vessel allows you to search your deck for two basic Energy cards, reveal them, put them into your hand, and shuffle your deck. It’s a quick fire way to dig for those much needed Energy cards that can help to multiply the power of Raging Bolt ex's attack.
In this not-so-exhaustive list of Trainers cards, we also have the item card Energy Retrieval, which allows you to put two basic Energy cards from your discard pile back into your hand. This deck operates on the basis that Energy cards only temporarily occupy the discard pile; they are just waiting to be used once more.
And in modern day meta, you can’t have a deck without an ACE SPEC card. This build opts for Prime Catcher, which allows you to switch one of your opponent’s benched Pokémon with their active Pokémon, with the proviso that you do the same. That’s the benefit of having multiple Raging Bolt ex waiting on the sidelines, ready to attack.
Deck Upgrades
This deck continues to evolve as ever, with competitive players trailing out various complimentary cards as there is no one-size-fits-all approach to bringing the best out of Raging Bolt ex.
Chief among these variations is the inclusion of Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex. This card is vital for buying time, stalling for a turn or negating the threat of cards like Charizard ex and Mimikyu. That is because its ability, Cornerstone Stance, prevents damage from attacks done to Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex if the attacking Pokémon has an ability. And as you have Fighting Energy cards in the deck, you can even load up this Pokémon to do damage when you are biding time with its attack, Demolish.
Another option is using Mew ex, which usually comes in place of Iron Bundle. Mew ex brings drawing benefits with its ability, Restart, which allows you to draw until you have three cards in your hand. This can help replenish after discarding Energy cards while avoiding the need to play a Supporter card.
While not a radical overhaul, some players will use Ultra Ball in the Raging Bolt ex deck too. This is because Ultra Ball allows you to search your deck for a Pokémon and add it to your hand if you discard two cards. Again, it plays neatly with the deck's intentions.
Finally, there's the optional use of Bravery Charm, which is sometimes included to bulk out Raging Bolt ex and take it to 290HP. This just gives the Ancient attacker a little bit more leeway to take hits.
All in all, this deck has grown in popularity and carved out a competitive place in the TCG by harnessing the potential of the various Ogerpon cards. Perhaps there are ways you would add your spin to it too…
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