Power-creeping is a phenomenon that occurs in all TCGs at one point or another. As new sets of cards get released, more powerful ones will inevitably get introduced to add new and fresh elements into the game. To maintain balance, the power increase of cards is purposefully gradual.
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Though a gradual incline over a long period of time can lead to behemoths being born. EX variants of cards were introduced in thePokemonTCGin late 2011 and revolutionized the competitive scene. Their might makes any deck benefit from including them. NoPokemon TCGtrainer looking to make their mark on the world would be caught without at least a few of these powerhouse cards.
Updated on July 27, 2025, by Tom Bowen:Packing, purchasing, or trading powerful EX cards is certainly important, but so too is knowing how and when to actually use them. Choosing which deck to insert these powerful EX cards into can be vital, for example, while pairing them with the right supporting Pokemon can go some way to preventing opponents from countering them. Trainers should also take note of the weakness and resistance of each of their cards so that their power isn’t squandered, as losing an EX Pokemon card can often result in a loss of pride as well as a pair of precious prize cards.
15Mega Mewtwo EX
Much like in thePokemongames, Mewtwo possesses one of the very best Mega Evolutions in the TCG. Granted, the “10+” damage that its Psychic Infinity attack dishes out may seem pretty meager at first glance, but, more so than ever, that plus is actually incredibly important. With enough energy cards, in fact, the attack could in theory live up to its name when it comes to damage potential.
The thing that makes Psychic Infinity so deadly is that it considers not only the energy cards that are attached to Mega Mewtwo, but also those attached to the opposition’s active Pokemon. Given that most big attacks typically require at least three energy cards, a couple of Double Colorless Energy cards will allow players to dish out 220 damage, which should be enough to take down all but the tankiest of Pokemon in one fell swoop.
The fact that the attack isn’t affected by weakness is perhaps a little disappointing, particularly as resistance remains unaffected. Even so, that the attack effectively uses the opposition’s energy cards against them makes it somewhat unique and an excellent counter when up against powerful EX cards that encourage players to stack energy like Malamar or Mega Gardevoir.
14Mega Kangaskhan EX
Released in the Flashfire expansion, this card harkens back to some non-mega Kangaskhan cards;some of the best Normal-types. There are a few versions of Kangaskhan in the TCG where the damage of their attacks is based on coin flips. This card takes this pattern and super-sizes it.
Guaranteed 100 damage is nothing to sneeze at for regular opponents but is not particularly dangerous to opposing EX cards who usually boast 200+ HP. Wham Bam Punch has no ceiling for damage, making it one of the most dangerous attacks in the game, though, with only 30 bonus damage per successful coinflip, it is a gamble that may not pay off.
Since this card is Colorless, it can be inserted in almost any deck to offset a natural dominant weakness to anything except Fighting-type cards. It is especially effective in Colorless decks that are designed to search and play excessive amounts of energy cards so that Mega Kangaskhan EX can power up their sole move faster.
13Mega Gardevoir EX
With no damage cap for its attack, Mega Gardevoir EX from the Primal Clash expansion can unleash insane destruction. Including the 3 energy required for the attack, if the player puts merely 2Fairy energies on each of their 5 benched Pokemonand then mega-evolves Gardevoir, they can do close to 400 damage with no negative secondary effects.
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The downside of this, of course, is that this takes quite a while to set up and requires an awful lot of energy. However, with the ability to one-shot almost any Pokemon, it may be a strategy worth investing in. It provides options, which many players feel makes it one of the bestPokemonEX cards in the TCG.
Fairy-type decks, despite not being super viable since the inclusion of Fairy pokemon into this TCG’s Psychic-type, can still be dangerous with the right combinations. Mega Gardevoir EX backed up by trainer cards that allow for faster energy-searching can be a force of devastation.
12Malamar EX
Malamar may be a fairly underwhelming Pokemon in the games, but the Pokemon’s EX card from the XY Phantom Forces set is not to be trifled with. Granted, its HP is a little on the low side when compared to other EX cards, but what it lacks in defenses, it more than makes up for in the offensive department. Players will just need a little bit of luck if they’re to get the best out of it.
Malamar’s MAXamar attack allows players to flip a coin for each energy card attached to the Pokemon and will deal 60 damage for every head. With this in mind, a handful of energy cards and a little bit of luck can lead to the Pokemon dishing out some monstrous damage, allowing it to destroy the opposition in a single turn. Better still, the Pokemon has a trick up its sleeve to help it to set up.
The Hyper Hypnosis ability puts the opponent’s active Pokemon to sleep whenever the user attaches an energy card to Malamar. By exploiting this and bringing along a few double colorless energy cards, players can quickly set up and unleash MAXamar before the opponent’s Pokemon even has a chance to act. At the very least, it should be able to put a serious dent in its opponent’s HP.
11Shaymin EX
When looking for the best EX cards in thePokemonTCG, many players have a tendency to prioritize damage. In their defense, choosing a card that can dish out a lot of damage is incredibly important, but this is just one of the many important aspects that need to be considered when putting together a competitive deck.
Shaymin EX is a utility card and one of the very best at what it does. Its Set Up ability, which allows players to draw up to six cards into their hand when Shaymin is played from the player’s hand to their bench, is ridiculously useful and can really help to turn the tide in a tight battle.
What makes this ability all the more useful is Shaymin’s Sky Return attack. It only deals 30 damage, but it also returns Shaymin and all of the cards attached to it to the player’s hand, effectively allowing them to make use of Set Up indefinitely until they either run out of cards or Shaymin runs out of HP.
10Mega Blaziken EX
This fiery Pokemonneeds 2 turns to dish out its true damage, but it rarely needs more than that to bring down an adversary. Dealing 100 on its first attack turn and then a whopping 200 on the next means Mega Blaziken from the XY Black Star Promos expansion has one of the deadliest 2-turn combos in the game.
Furthermore, there is no discarding, self-damage, or other negative effects of Moonsault Blaze, which means one can keep up the momentum and pressure indefinitely. Mega Blaziken’s high HP comes in useful in this regard, with its bulkiness allowing it to outlast the opposition in most situations.
Mega Blaziken EX is clearly a card most suited to Fire-type decks, as it has excellent potential to burn foes to ash. While this pocket monster has a weakness to Water-type moves, the second turn use of Moonsault Blaze applies damage before weakness, and resistance modifiers are calculated, meaning that this move can help to counter the most common threat toFire-type decks.
9Dragonite EX
A lot of players prefer to have a designated retrieval card, but for those looking for something a little more versatile, Dragonite EX is a solid option. As well as being able to recover two basic cards from the player’s discard pile with its Pull Up ability, it can also hit like a truck, and, with 180 HP, is fairly sturdy to boot.
The reason that Pull Up can be useful is that a lot of the best EX cards are based onLegendary and Mythical Pokemonand are thus classed as Basic. Being able to hit the opposition for 130 HP after playing the card is a nice bonus, as too can Hyper Beam’s ability to discard one of the opposition’s active Pokemon’s energy cards.
Ultimately, the overall usefulness of Dragonite EX will depend largely on the rest of the player’s deck. If they already have a few decent options for card retrieval then they may be better served by a purely offensive card. However, those who value versatility should definitely consider including a copy of Dragonite EX in their deck.
8Mega Venusaur EX
True to thestrategies consistent among Grass-type pokemon for decades, Mega Venusaur EX from the XY expansion can literally put the opponent into a state of crisis. 120 damage is not the most that can be dealt from an EX Pokemon attack, but with a guaranteed chance to both paralyze and poison the foe, it is an incredible move to lock down a tricky enemy.
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On the opponent’s next turn, they will need to rely on luck, use up crucial trainer cards, or retreat — all of which put Mega Venusaur’s trainer at a strategic advantage with further potential to lock down even more opposing pokemon. Granted, the card is somewhat situational, but this is true of pretty much all of the bestPokemonEX cards.
Grass-type decks focusing on inflicting status conditions would be well suited to equip this mighty plant pokemon. There are even some regular Venusaur cards that have energy-manipulating abilities that can help increase the rate at which one charges up their active and benched pokemon for greatly useful efficiency.
7Mega Aggron EX
Thistank of a pocket monsteris another from the Primal Clash expansion. Its Megaton Slam is an attack that relies on a bit of luck to be fully effective in battle. With a potential for an additional 120 damage on top of a base 120 flat damage, Mega Aggron EX can one-shot almost any opponent; even other EX cards.
Since losing an EX Pokemon yields twice the amount of prize cards, a single coin flip may be worth trying despite the potential damage to one’s own benched pokemon. With this in mind, Mega Aggron EX is a great option for those with a riskier play style, though it’s far from a case of there being a risk of ruin.
Metal-type decks would be a nice home for this mega pokemon, as the same-type synergy could only benefit one’s playstyle. Playing Mega Aggron EX while one has a pokemon with a healing ability on their bench is a solid way to use Megaton Slam with fewer repercussions.
6Mega Ampharos EX
This Electric Pokemon from the Ancient Origins expansion is one of the most powerful of its type to be created. Its Exavolt attack gives its trainer the chance to do 50 more damage and a guaranteed chance to paralyze the foe at the cost of taking 30 damage.
The option for extra damage and applying a status effect makes Mega Ampharos EX a versatile powerhouse that can dish out big hits as well as lockdown a foe. Because of the recoil damage, it cannot do this indefinitely but will grant one plenty of chances to cause havoc to the opponent’s side.
Those seeking such power at the cost of a bit of chaos are recommended to insert this card intoa Lightning-type deck that embodies this reckless attack strategy. As mentioned before, and on every EX card, losing one of these powerhouses means that one loses more valuable prize cards than usual. To counter Mega Ampharos EX’s recoil damage, trainers should be sure to include both trainer cards that can heal pokemon as well as allies who have moves and abilities that can do so.
