How to counter Darkrai ex and Magnezone

As strong as the above cards are, they are absolutely vulnerable to counterplay. Grass-type decks can shake off Darkrai ex’s perpetual chip damage thanks to cards like Erika and the passive healing of Shaymin’s Fragrant Flower Garden ability. Exeggutor ex is a standout, boosting a whopping 160 HP while also inflicting 40 or 80 damage per turn at the cost of just one Grass Energy. Since Darkrai ex and Weavile ex are both weak to grass, cards like Celebi ex can be especially threatening with average luck.

Fighting-type decks also offer some attractive counterplay options, despite being relatively niche in the current competitive landscape. In fact, player JeremiahTheGreat caused a stir in the recent Hooglandia & Spragels Open Tournament by building a deck around Aerodactyl ex and Lucario, which was the only non-Darkrai ex team to crack the top eight. Aside from those picks, Hitmonlee is practically tailor-made to counter stall strategies with Stretch Kick, which completely bypasses walls like Druddigon. Magnezone and Weezing are both weak to fighting attacks too.

Regardless of your deck’s type, Sabrina and Cyrus really help against Darkrai ex and Magnezone. Because these two Pokémon need to spend their first turns setting up, you can seriously put your opponent on the backfoot by causing disruptions in the early game. For instance, as long as you know you can get a hit on either of the two monsters by drawing them out with Sabrina, they’ll be vulnerable to your Cyrus card later to finish the job with a strong attack. Remember, while your opponent wants to start with a wall to hide their Darkrai ex behind, they won’t always start the game with the right cards. If you see an opening to hit Darkrai ex early, you can set up for a KO later that can seal the game for you. Your opponent is specifically counting on you to never claim those two points!