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Dragapult Dusknoir

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Dragapult ex spreads damage with Phantom Dive, and Cursed Blast adds 130 anywhere without attacking. Phantom Dive plus Dusknoir is 330 in one turn: trade 1 Prize for a big ex's 2 or 3.

Difficulty: HardPrizes: Dragapult ex gives 2; each Cursed Blast gifts 1

Your turn-2 goal

  • Budew Active on turn 1 so Itchy Pollen locks their Items.
  • 3–4 Dreepy and a Duskull on the Bench from Buddy-Buddy Poffin.
  • Drakloak in play using Recon Directive every turn.
  • Fire and Psychic Energy spread across several Drakloak with Crispin, ready for Phantom Dive.

Your attackers

Dragapult exPhantom Dive

200 + 6 counters on their Bench

Your main attack every turn. Use the counters to KO or set up Benched Basics.

DusknoirCursed Blast

13 counters anywhere; Dusknoir is KO'd

Add 130 to finish a big ex (200 + 130 = 330) or snipe a 130-HP Pokémon on the Bench.

DusclopsCursed Blast

5 counters anywhere; Dusclops is KO'd

Finish small targets: 50 plus 2 Phantom Dive counters KOs a 70-HP Basic, plus 4 KOs a 90-HP Stage 1.

MunkidoriAdrena-Brain

Move 3 of your counters to theirs

Needs Darkness Energy. Adds 30 each turn in slow games and heals your Dragapult.

Fezandipiti exCruel Arrow

100 to any Pokémon

Finish a Benched target when Dragapult is out of Energy. It gives up 2 Prizes.

Key decisions

  • Every Cursed Blast is a Prize for them. Use it when it takes 2 or 3 Prizes, removes their engine, or ends the game.
  • Do the math before you Blast. Phantom Dive 200 + Dusknoir 130 = 330; + Dusclops 50 = 250; + Dusclops 50 and Adrena-Brain 30 = 280.
  • Spread your Energy. Phantom Dive needs exact Fire and Psychic; use Crispin to charge several Drakloak so one Hammer or KO doesn't stop you.
  • Fall behind on purpose. A Cursed Blast puts you behind on Prizes, which turns on Rosa's Encouragement: 2 Energy from the discard onto Dragapult ex.
  • Save one Dusknoir for the end. A late 130 often turns a Phantom Dive turn into a 2-KO, game-ending turn.

Common mistakes

  • Blasting early for a 1-for-1 trade with nothing more to gain.
  • Forgetting Cursed Blast happens on your turn: it doesn't turn on your Flip the Script or Unfair Stamp.
  • Leaving Dusknoir Active: retreat 3 and Shadow Bind costs 3 Energy.
  • Playing your Team Rocket's Watchtower without thinking: it also shuts off your own Meowth ex.

Versions

Standard 2-2-1

4-4-3 Dragapult, 2-2-1 Dusknoir, Rare Candy, Dawn, Rosa's Encouragement, Munkidori, Team Rocket's Watchtower and Jamming Tower. Balanced against ex decks.

Heavy Dusknoir

Thicker Dusknoir line with Hilda, more Rare Candy and Neo Upper Energy. More Cursed Blasts and Bench snipes, fewer Dragapult.

Disruption

Adds Crushing Hammer, Risky Ruins and Judge. Strips Energy and damages every Basic they Bench; best against slow setups. Risky Ruins also hits your Basics.

Matchups

Dragapult Dusknoir vs Dragapult

An uphill mirror: their Crushing Hammer and Munkidori grind your attackers down. You win by turning Dusknoir into a one-turn KO on Dragapult ex (200 + 130 = 330) while keeping Energy spread so Hammer can't stall you.

Their plan

  • 4 Crushing Hammer + Boss's Orders: Phantom Dive needs Fire and Psychic, so one heads can cost you a full attack.
  • Phantom Dive: 200 KOs Dusknoir (160) in the Active Spot; the 6 Bench counters KO Duskull (60) or Dreepy (70) once Risky Ruins has hit them.
  • Risky Ruins + 2 Munkidori: Duskull enters at 40 and Dreepy at 50; each Adrena-Brain moves 3 counters, 60 a turn with both.
  • Budew locks your Items on turns 1-2: Buddy-Buddy Poffin, Rare Candy and Ultra Ball. Dawn and Crispin still work.

Your prize plan

  1. Build several Drakloak first. Use Crispin to put Fire and Psychic on more than one, so a Hammer heads never leaves you without Phantom Dive.
  2. Snipe their engine cheaply. Dusclops' Cursed Blast (50) plus 4 Phantom Dive counters KOs a Drakloak (90); a Dreepy at 50 from Risky Ruins needs only Dusclops.
  3. KO Dragapult ex in one turn. Their Phantom Dive can't KO your healthy 320 HP Dragapult ex; yours plus Dusknoir's 130 does 330. You give 1 Prize for 2.
  4. Use falling behind. After a Cursed Blast, Rosa's Encouragement reattaches 2 Energy to a Dragapult ex; Special Red Card cuts their hand once they reach 3 Prizes.

Against an Active Dragapult ex (320 HP)

Phantom Dive200
Phantom Dive + Dusclops' Cursed Blast250
Phantom Dive + Dusclops + Adrena-Brain280
Phantom Dive + Dusknoir's Cursed Blast330 · KO

Don't

  • Loading all your Energy on one Dragapult ex: Crushing Hammer plus Boss's Orders on an empty Drakloak stalls you for a turn.
  • Spending Dusknoir's 130 on a Drakloak you can finish with Dusclops and 4 Phantom Dive counters. Save Dusknoir for the 2-Prize KO.
  • Benching Duskull early under Risky Ruins: it sits at 40 and Phantom Dive's counters KO it for free. Bench it when you can evolve it.

Key turn

  • The first Dragapult ex exchange: they need 120 extra damage to KO yours; you need only Dusknoir. Have Dusknoir on the Bench before they hit first.
  • The turn after a Hammer heads: Rosa's Encouragement (when behind) or a second charged Drakloak keeps Phantom Dive going.

If they play…

Dudunsparce ex

Tenacious Tail does 60 per ex you have in play. Keep Meowth ex and Fezandipiti ex off the Bench unless you use them that turn.

Shaymin

Flower Curtain stops Cruel Arrow on their non-ex Bench, but Phantom Dive and Cursed Blast place counters, so they still work.

Team Rocket's Watchtower

Your Meowth ex loses Last-Ditch Catch. Find Supporters with Drakloak's Recon Directive, or replace the Stadium with Risky Ruins or Jamming Tower.

Dragapult Dusknoir vs Basic Box

An even race decided by Lillie's Clefairy ex: while it is in play your Dragons are weak to Psychic. Remove it, then trade Cursed Blast for their 3-Prize Mega Kangaskhan ex.

Their plan

  • Rapid-Fire Combo: Mega Kangaskhan ex hits 200 +50 per heads. A healthy Dragapult ex (320) survives anything short of 3 heads; Dusknoir (160) never does.
  • Fairy Zone (Lillie's Clefairy ex) makes your Dragons weak to Psychic: Latias ex's Eon Blade becomes 400 and Knocks Out Dragapult ex.
  • Bench snipes: Cruel Arrow (100) and Torrential Pump (120 to the Bench) Knock Out Dreepy, Drakloak, Duskull or Dusclops before they evolve.
  • Run Errand is an Ability: it keeps drawing them 2 cards even under Budew's Itchy Pollen.

Your prize plan

  1. Lillie's Clefairy ex first (190). Boss's Orders + Phantom Dive (200) Knocks it Out, or on the Bench: Cursed Blast (130) + 6 Phantom Dive counters = 190.
  2. Mega Kangaskhan ex is 3 Prizes. Phantom Dive 200 + Dusknoir's Cursed Blast 130 = 330 ≥ 300: you give up 1 Prize to take 3.
  3. Pre-damage the 210s. One counter on a Benched Latias ex or Ogerpon ex turns the next Phantom Dive into a KO; Dusclops (50) does the same for Raging Bolt ex (240).
  4. Six Prizes = Kangaskhan + Clefairy + one more ex. Spend the second Cursed Blast only on the turn it closes the game.

Against an Active Mega Kangaskhan ex (300 HP)

Phantom Dive200
Phantom Dive + Dusclops's Cursed Blast250
Phantom Dive + Dusknoir's Cursed Blast330 · KO
Phantom Dive + Dusknoir, with Hero's Cape (400 HP)330

Don't

  • Benching Meowth ex or Fezandipiti ex you don't need this turn: each is 2 easy Prizes for Boss's Orders or Cruel Arrow.
  • Leaving Dragapult ex Active with Clefairy ex and a charged Latias ex in play: Eon Blade does 400.
  • Using Cursed Blast on a 1-Prize Chien-Pao or Enamorus: you trade a Prize for a Prize.

Key turn

  • The turn Clefairy ex hits the Bench. Knock it Out right away; after that their Psychic attackers hit Dragapult ex for normal damage.
  • Kangaskhan KO turn: keep Dusknoir ready on the Bench so Phantom Dive + Cursed Blast takes all 3 Prizes at once.

If they play…

Hero's Cape

Kangaskhan goes to 400 HP and 330 no longer Knocks it Out. Jamming Tower turns the Tool off.

Chien-Pao

Snow Sink discards your Stadium: don't count on Team Rocket's Watchtower staying to shut off Run Errand.

Koraidon ex

Impact Blow (200) doubles on Meowth ex and Fezandipiti ex, both weak to Fighting: keep them off the Bench.

Dragapult Dusknoir vs Slowking

An even game. Their turn-2 Trifrost wipes your small Pokémon; Lillie's Clefairy ex makes their copied attacks hit Dragapult ex double. Survive the spread, remove Clefairy, then cash in Kangaskhan for 3 Prizes.

Their plan

  • Trifrost (copied by Slowking): 110 to 3 Pokémon. Knocks Out Dreepy, Drakloak, Duskull, Dusclops, Budew and Munkidori; Dusknoir (160) survives.
  • Fairy Zone makes Dragapult ex weak to Psychic: copied Trifrost hits it for 220, Metallic Hammer for 300, Latias ex's Eon Blade for 400.
  • Thunder Raid (Zeraora, copied): 210 to a Benched Pokémon ex. Knocks Out your Fezandipiti ex (210) or Meowth ex (170).
  • Run Errand: Mega Kangaskhan ex draws 2 every turn from the Active Spot.

Your prize plan

  1. Turn 1: Budew Active. Itchy Pollen stops Wondrous Patch, Ultra Ball, Poké Pad and Switch while you build Drakloaks.
  2. Lillie's Clefairy ex next (190). Boss's Orders + Phantom Dive (200), or Cursed Blast 130 + 6 counters on the Bench. Without it, Dragapult ex only takes 110 from Trifrost.
  3. Mega Kangaskhan ex = 3 Prizes. Phantom Dive 200 + Dusknoir's Cursed Blast 130 = 330 ≥ 300.
  4. Slowking (120) dies to every Phantom Dive. Put the 6 counters on Benched Slowpoke (80) so Dusclops (50) finishes one next turn.

Against an Active Mega Kangaskhan ex (300 HP)

Phantom Dive200
Phantom Dive + Dusclops's Cursed Blast250
Phantom Dive + Dusknoir's Cursed Blast330 · KO

Don't

  • Three small Pokémon on the Bench into their turn 2: Trifrost takes 3 Prizes. Bench only what you evolve next turn.
  • Benching Fezandipiti ex or Meowth ex when they can copy Thunder Raid: 210 to the Bench Knocks Out either.
  • Spending Cursed Blast on a lone Slowking: they have 3, and you hand them a Prize for 1.

Key turn

  • Their first Trifrost. Face it with at most 2 small Pokémon on the Bench (or Shaymin down); losing 3 at once costs 3 Prizes and your Drakloak draw.
  • Risky Ruins: a Slowpoke Benched under it sits at 60, so Phantom Dive's 6 counters Knock it Out. They answer with Academy at Night.

If they play…

Brave Bangle

Metallic Hammer adds 30 to an Active ex: with Clefairy ex in play that is 360 and Knocks Out Dragapult ex.

Annihilape

Ghostly Blow: 100 Active plus 5 counters on the Bench. Finishes Pokémon you left damaged.

Shaymin (yours)

Flower Curtain stops Trifrost damage to your Benched Pokémon without a Rule Box. Bench it before their turn 2.

Dragapult Dusknoir vs N's Zoroark

An uphill race: N's Zoroark ex draws a lot and reaches 320 on your Dragapult ex with two damage boosts. Take away those boosts and knock out each Zoroark ex in one turn with Phantom Dive + Cursed Blast.

Their plan

  • Night Joker copies N's Zekrom's Rampaging Thunder: 250. With Black Belt's Training (+40) and Adrena-Brain (30) or Binding Mochi (+40), that's 320-330: a KO on Dragapult ex.
  • Powerful Rage (N's Reshiram): 20 for each counter on the attacking Zoroark. A Zoroark ex that survived your 200 hits back for 400.
  • Your Duskull line is weak to Darkness: a copied Virtuous Flame does 340 to an Active Dusknoir, and even Shred (140) KOs an Active Dusclops.
  • Team Rocket's Watchtower turns off your Meowth ex.

Your prize plan

  1. Early: Budew, then pick off N's Zorua (70). 2 Phantom Dive counters + Dusclops's Cursed Blast (5) KO it on the Bench before it becomes a 280 HP ex.
  2. Remove their damage boosts: Munkidori (110) dies on the Bench to 6 Phantom Dive counters + Dusclops. Without it, Rampaging Thunder needs two boosts at once to reach 320.
  3. Every Zoroark ex in one turn: Phantom Dive + Dusknoir's Cursed Blast is 330, or Phantom Dive + Dusclops + Adrena-Brain is exactly 280.
  4. Cheap 2-Prize KOs: Pecharunt ex (190) and Meowth ex (170) fall to Phantom Dive alone. Boss's Orders them when no Zoroark is in range.

Against an Active N's Zoroark ex (280 HP)

Phantom Dive200
Phantom Dive + Cursed Blast (Dusclops)250
Phantom Dive + Cursed Blast (Dusclops) + Adrena-Brain280 · KO
Phantom Dive, after 6 counters from an earlier Phantom Dive + Adrena-Brain290 · KO
Phantom Dive + Cursed Blast (Dusknoir)330 · KO

Don't

  • Leaving a Zoroark ex at 200 damage while they have N's Reshiram on the Bench: Powerful Rage then hits for 400.
  • Using Cursed Blast on a 1-Prize Pokémon when it doesn't stop their next KO: each one hands them a Prize.
  • Benching Meowth ex while their Watchtower is in play: no Ability, just 2 Prizes for them.

Key turn

  • The turn they can first reach 320 (Black Belt's Training plus Mochi or Munkidori). If Munkidori is already gone and Jamming Tower is up, your Dragapult ex survives the 250.
  • The Zoroark ex KO that leaves them at 3 Prizes: follow with Special Red Card to cut their hand.

If they play…

Binding Mochi

Your Jamming Tower turns it off: Rampaging Thunder then needs both Black Belt's Training and Adrena-Brain to KO Dragapult ex.

Yveltal

Clutch stops your Active from retreating. Don't promote Dusknoir (retreat 3) into it.

N's Darmanitan

Flamebody Cannon does 90 to the Active and 90 to a Benched Pokémon: Drakloak and Dusclops (90) fall.

Dragapult Dusknoir vs Dhelmise

Hide 'n' Sneak blanks your spread on most of their board, and with Lillie's Clefairy ex in play Dhelmise KOs Dragapult ex. KO Clefairy ex fast and spend counters only on Pokémon without Hide 'n' Sneak.

Their plan

  • Vengeful Anchor: 170 for one Psychic once 4 Hide 'n' Sneak Pokémon are in their discard. It KOs Dusknoir (160), Drakloak, Munkidori and Meowth ex (170).
  • Lillie's Clefairy ex: Fairy Zone makes your Dragon Pokémon weak to Psychic, so Vengeful Anchor hits Dragapult ex for 340 and KOs it.
  • Hide 'n' Sneak: Phantom Dive's Bench counters, Cursed Blast and Adrena-Brain do nothing to Shuppet, Banette, Poltchageist or Sinistcha.
  • Matcha Spin (6 in discard) puts 4 counters on all your Pokémon: Budew is KO'd, Duskull drops to 20, and Fezandipiti ex falls into Vengeful Anchor range.

Your prize plan

  1. KO Lillie's Clefairy ex first. Phantom Dive (200) KOs it Active; on the Bench, 6 Phantom Dive counters plus Dusknoir's 130 make exactly 190. That's 2 Prizes.
  2. Aim counters at Dhelmise and Dunsparce. A Benched Dhelmise (140) dies to Dusknoir's 130 plus 1 counter; Dunsparce (70) to Dusclops' 50 plus 2.
  3. Hit Active Dhelmise for Weakness. Phantom Dive KOs it; Fezandipiti ex's Cruel Arrow does 200 to it Active and survives a 170 Vengeful Anchor.
  4. Make each Prize count. They are a 1-Prize deck: don't spend Cursed Blast on a 1-for-1 unless it removes Clefairy ex or wins the game.

Against Lillie's Clefairy ex (190 HP)

Cruel Arrow, on the Bench100
6 Phantom Dive counters + Dusclops' Cursed Blast, Bench110
Phantom Dive, Active200 · KO
6 Phantom Dive counters + Dusknoir's Cursed Blast, Bench190 · KO

Don't

  • KOing Shuppet, Banette or Poltchageist when another target exists: each one in the discard moves them toward Matcha Spin (6) and Spiritomb (13).
  • Leaving Dragapult ex Active while Lillie's Clefairy ex is in play and you can't remove it: one Vengeful Anchor takes 2 Prizes.
  • Benching Meowth ex for a Supporter without need: Vengeful Anchor's 170 KOs it for 2 Prizes.

Key turn

  • The turn Lillie's Clefairy ex comes down: KO it on your next turn with Phantom Dive or Boss's Orders, or with 6 counters plus Dusknoir while Phantom Dive hits the Active.
  • Legacy Energy: the first KO on the Pokémon holding it gives you 1 Prize fewer. Spend that KO on a 1-Prize Dhelmise, not on a 2-Prize ex.

If they play…

Spiritomb

Spiritual End quadruples counters on 2 of your Pokémon at 13 Hide 'n' Sneak in discard. It has 60 HP: 6 Phantom Dive counters KO it on the Bench.

Patrat

Watchful Eye stops Adrena-Brain from moving counters. Dusclops' 50 plus 2 Phantom Dive counters KOs Patrat (70) on the Bench.

Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex

Blood Moon (240) gets cheaper as you take Prizes and KOs Dusknoir or Fezandipiti ex. Phantom Dive plus Dusknoir (330) KOs its 260 HP.

Sources