Sharpedo Toxtricity — Standard Strategy Guide

Archetype Overview

Sharpedo Toxtricity is a Darkness engine deck built around one attacker that gets stronger once it's damaged. Mega Sharpedo ex hits for 120, or 270 if it has any damage counters on it. Most of the rest of the list exists to damage it on purpose, power it up, and move it into the Active Spot in a single turn. RedwingPhoenix piloted this 60 to a Top 4 finish at TOURNAMENT OF DOOM! DINNER? on 2026-10-17, in a 358-player field.

The Plan

Your attacker sits on the Bench while the engine sets it up:

1. Charge and wound it. Toxtricity's Sinister Surge searches a Basic Darkness Energy from your deck, attaches it to a Benched Darkness Pokémon, and places 2 damage counters on that Pokémon. On Mega Sharpedo ex, one Ability use gives it half its attack cost and turns on the +150 at the same time. Add your manual attachment and Hungry Jaws is ready.
2. Pull it in. Pecharunt ex's Subjugating Chains switches a Benched Darkness Pokémon into the Active Spot. You don't need to retreat or play a Switch card, so whatever was Active is no longer a problem.
3. Use the drawback. Subjugating Chains Poisons the new Active Pokémon, and Binding Mochi gives a Poisoned holder's attacks 40 more damage to your opponent's Active Pokémon. A Mochi-equipped Sharpedo brought in by Pecharunt swings for 310.

Each piece fixes a problem the others create. Toxtricity's damage counters would hurt most attackers, but here they are what makes Hungry Jaws work. Poison is a cost on most Pokémon, but here it powers Mochi. Every step happens on the same turn, so the attacker never has to survive a turn in the Active Spot before it attacks.

Why the Plan Is Strong

• Large HP and free movement. Mega Sharpedo ex has 330 HP and a Retreat Cost of 0. Even with Toxtricity's 2 counters on it, it is hard to Knock Out in one hit, and you can always move it out of the Active Spot later.
• An attack that keeps you drawing. Greedy Fang does 70 and draws 2 for a single Energy. That gives you an early attack that refills your hand instead of spending it.
• Damage that doesn't depend on attacking. Munkidori moves up to 3 damage counters from one of your Pokémon to one of your opponent's. That lets you finish off a Benched target or bring something into range of a Hungry Jaws Knockout. Two details matter here:
  • Munkidori is Psychic, so Sinister Surge can't power it. Its Darkness Energy has to come from your manual attachment.
  • If you move counters off Sharpedo, leave at least one, or you lose the +150.
• Stadiums that only hurt your opponent. Team Rocket's Watchtower turns off the Abilities of Colorless Pokémon, and this list has none. Gravity Mountain gives Stage 2 Pokémon -30 HP, and this list has none either. Both Stadiums cost you nothing.
• Answers that scale as you fall behind. Pecharunt ex's Irritated Outburst does 60 for each Prize card your opponent has taken. Fezandipiti ex draws 3 after one of your Pokémon is Knocked Out. Special Red Card cuts your opponent down to a 3-card hand once they reach 3 or fewer Prize cards. When your opponent is ahead on Prize cards, the deck still has tools that grow stronger.

The Consistency Shell

The deck needs several Pokémon in play before the main turn works. You need a Stage 1 Toxtricity, at least one Stage 1 Mega Sharpedo ex, Pecharunt ex, and ideally Munkidori. The list is built to find all of them quickly:

• Bench setup: Buddy-Buddy Poffin fetches 70-HP Basics, which covers Carvanha, Toxel, and Tatsugiri. Toxel's Call for Family also benches two Basic Pokémon.
• Pokémon search: Ultra Ball finds any Pokémon. Poké Pad finds anything without a Rule Box, so it gets your Stage 1 Toxtricity and your support Pokémon.
• Supporters: Tatsugiri in the Active Spot looks at your top 6 cards for a Supporter. Lillie's Determination draws 8 while you still have all 6 Prize cards.
• Single-copy pieces: Team Rocket's Petrel and Secret Box turn one-of Trainers like Special Red Card and the Stadiums into cards you can actually find.
• Backup attacker: Yveltal is a Retreat Cost 0 Basic that can attack for 110 if your Sharpedo line is stalled.

Who Should Pick It Up

This deck suits players who like long, Ability-heavy turns and are willing to count damage counters precisely. In a single turn you might be:

• ordering three Abilities,
• deciding which Pokémon gets the manual Energy, and
• tracking where every damage counter sits.

If you'd rather do one big thing each turn without much thought, this is the wrong deck. If you enjoy setting up a turn where your own damage, your own Poison, and a free switch combine into one 310-damage attack, it rewards you well.

It's also reasonably accessible, at about $124 at TCGplayer market prices. It uses a single basic Energy type and has a clear engine you can learn in a few sessions. The hard part is the sequencing, not the cost.

Core Strategy & Game Plan

How the Deck Wins

The deck wins by Knocking Out a big Pokémon every turn from turn two onward with Mega Sharpedo ex. It does this using three engine pieces that each fix one part of Hungry Jaws. The base attack is 120 for two Darkness Energy. If Sharpedo has any damage counters on it, the attack does 150 more, for 270. If Sharpedo is Poisoned and holding Binding Mochi, it adds 40 more against the Active Pokémon, for 310. Every other card in the list exists to put that 310 into play quickly and repeatedly.

Those numbers decide the format's biggest targets (card data per TCGdex, accessed 2026-10-19):

• Mega Kangaskhan ex has 300 HP, so 310 Knocks it Out cleanly.
• N's Zoroark ex has 280 HP, so 310 Knocks it Out with room to spare.
• Dragapult ex has 320 HP. You need one extra damage counter from Munkidori.
• Mega Lucario ex has 340 HP. You need the full three counters from Munkidori.

The Engine and How It Interlocks

• Toxtricity solves both Energy and damage at once. Sinister Surge attaches a Darkness Energy from your deck to a Benched Darkness Pokémon and places 2 damage counters on it. Put that Energy on a Benched Mega Sharpedo ex and it gets one of its two Energy plus the damage that turns on the +150. Your manual attachment covers the second Energy. With both Toxtricity in play, you can fully power a fresh Sharpedo every turn without using your manual attachment at all.
• Pecharunt ex solves Poison and pivoting. Subjugating Chains swaps a Benched Darkness Pokémon into the Active Spot and Poisons it. That Poison is exactly what Binding Mochi needs. Sharpedo also has 0 Retreat, so your Active Spot is never stuck. You get only one Chains per turn no matter how many Pecharunt ex you have in play, so the extra copies are insurance, not extra value.
• Tatsugiri is your opening Active. Attract Customers only works from the Active Spot. Use it to find a Supporter, then Chains a Sharpedo in on top of it. That one move takes Tatsugiri out of the Active Spot, Poisons Sharpedo, and lets you attack, without spending a retreat.
• Munkidori makes up the shortfall. It is Psychic type, so Sinister Surge cannot power it. It needs your manual Darkness attachment. Its counters can push your damage past awkward HP totals or take a damaged Benched target off the board.

Adrena-Brain moves damage counters. If you move every counter off your Active Sharpedo, it loses the +150. Sinister Surge gives you exactly 2 counters, so move at most 1 off the attacker. Better yet, take them from another damaged Pokémon. A Surge attachment onto Fezandipiti ex or a Benched Pecharunt ex also creates damage counters you can move.

Posture: Proactive, With a Prize Problem to Manage

You are the beatdown deck. You want to start attacking first and keep the opponent reacting to a 330 HP attacker they have to answer every turn. The cost of that attacker is real. Mega Evolution Pokémon ex give up three Prize cards when Knocked Out (source: Scrydex Mega Evolution rules listing, accessed 2026-10-19). That means two Sharpedo Knock Outs end the game for your opponent.

Your plan has to cover that. Take two Prizes per turn with Boss's Orders on two-Prize Pokémon. Keep a backup Sharpedo charged on the Bench before the front one goes down. When your opponent is close to winning, switch to disruption. Judge shrinks their hand. Special Red Card becomes legal once they have three or fewer Prizes left. Team Rocket's Watchtower shuts off Abilities on Colorless Pokémon, and none of your Pokémon are Colorless, so it never hurts you. Your list has no Stage 2 Pokémon, so Gravity Mountain only ever shrinks your opponent's Pokémon.

The Ideal Game, Turn by Turn

1. Turn one: Start with Tatsugiri Active, or Pecharunt ex if you have nothing better. Use Buddy-Buddy Poffin to bench two of Carvanha and Toxel, and get Pecharunt ex onto the Bench. Play Lillie's Determination while you still have six Prizes left, so it draws 8. Attach Darkness Energy to a Carvanha. If you are going second, Toxel's Call for Family can fill any Bench spaces you still have open.
2. Turn two: Evolve into Toxtricity and Mega Sharpedo ex. Use Sinister Surge on the Benched Sharpedo, then attach Binding Mochi to it. Use Chains to bring it Active and Poisoned. Attack with Hungry Jaws for 310.
3. Turn three and on: Use Surge on the next Carvanha line or a Benched Sharpedo to build your backup. Charge Munkidori when the numbers call for it. Use Boss's Orders on whichever target keeps you ahead in the Prize race.
4. Late game: When your opponent has taken four or more Prizes, Pecharunt ex's Irritated Outburst does at least 240. That makes it a real closer if Sharpedo falls. Use Fezandipiti ex's Flip the Script after a Knock Out to refill your hand. Its Cruel Arrow can snipe a damaged Benched Pokémon for 100. Yveltal is your single-Prize attacker when giving up two or three Prizes would lose you the game.

What Breaks the Plan

The deck is only as fast as its turn-two evolution count. If you reach turn two without at least one Sharpedo and one Toxtricity ready to evolve, you are attacking for 70 with Greedy Fang just to draw two cards, and you lose your tempo lead. Prioritize Bench presence over everything else on turn one. Ultra Ball and Poké Pad exist to find the missing evolution pieces, so do not spend them on anything else until both lines are set up.

Card Choices & Breakdown

The Attacker: Sharpedo Line (3-3)

Mega Sharpedo ex is the reason the deck exists. Hungry Jaws costs two Energy and hits for 120, plus another 150 if Sharpedo has any damage counters on it. That makes 270 for two attachments. Add a Poisoned Binding Mochi carrier and it climbs to 310. Greedy Fang is the backup mode: it attacks for one Energy and draws 2 when you need to dig. Retreat 0 means a Sharpedo never strands you in the Active Spot.

The line is 3-3 rather than 4-4 because the search suite does the work. Ultra Ball fetches the Mega, and both Buddy-Buddy Poffin and Poké Pad find Carvanha. A fourth copy would cost a slot the engine needs more. Carvanha itself is a Basic you rarely want to attack with, so it should be benched off Poffin early.

The Engine: Toxtricity, Pecharunt ex, Binding Mochi

These three cards turn Sharpedo from a slow two-Energy attacker into a same-turn threat.

• Toxtricity (2-2 with Toxel): Sinister Surge pulls a Darkness Energy from the deck onto a Benched Darkness Pokémon and puts 2 damage counters on it. That is acceleration and Hungry Jaws enablement in one Ability. Surge a Benched Sharpedo and it's charged halfway and already "damaged."
  • Toxel earns its slot twice. It's a Poffin target, and Call for Family benches two Basics if you start with it Active.
  • The thin 2-2 is acceptable because Poké Pad finds either piece, since neither has a Rule Box. Ultra Ball covers you too.
• Pecharunt ex (3): Subjugating Chains switches a Benched Darkness Pokémon into the Active Spot and Poisons it. That gives you free pivoting plus the Poisoned status Binding Mochi needs.
  • Know the timing. Poison doesn't add counters until after your turn, so the counters that power Hungry Jaws this turn come from Surge, not from Chains.
  • You only get one Chains per turn no matter how many you have in play. Three copies is about never lacking one and having a replacement when it's targeted, not about stacking it.
  • Late, Irritated Outburst scales with Prizes your opponent has taken, which makes a spare Pecharunt a real closer.
• Binding Mochi (3): +40 to the Active Pokémon, but only while the holder is Poisoned. Chains guarantees that. It turns 270 into 310 and turns Yveltal's 110 into 150. Three copies lets you rebuild after a Mochi carrier is Knocked Out without spending a search card on it.

Support Pokémon

• Munkidori (2): Adrena-Brain moves up to 3 damage counters from one of your Pokémon to any opposing Pokémon. That cleans up Surge or Poison damage and converts it into 30 damage anywhere.
  • It's Psychic, so Surge can't power it. You must attach its Darkness Energy by hand.
  • When you move counters off a Sharpedo you plan to attack with, leave at least one on it, or Hungry Jaws loses its bonus.
• Tatsugiri (2): Attract Customers finds a Supporter from the top six, but only from the Active Spot. It's a Dragon, so Chains can't pull it out of the Active Spot, and you'll pay its Retreat 1 manually. It's the ideal turn-one starter and a Poffin target at 70 HP.
• Fezandipiti ex (1): Flip the Script draws 3 after you lose a Pokémon, so it refuels you after your opponent's KO. Cruel Arrow places 100 damage anywhere, which finishes Munkidori-softened Benched targets.
• Yveltal (1): A single-Prize attacker with Retreat 0.
  • It's Darkness, so Surge and Chains both work on it.
  • Clutch locks the Defending Pokémon in place for one Energy.
  • Psychic decks built on Dhelmise, Shuppet and Banette carry Darkness Weakness. Against them, Dark Feather and Hungry Jaws both hit for double.

Supporters

• Lillie's Determination (4): Draws 8 at six Prizes, which is exactly the window when you're assembling the engine. Four copies because this is your consistency.
• Boss's Orders (3): Your 270-310 damage only matters if it lands on the right target. Three copies, with Team Rocket's Petrel and Secret Box effectively acting as more.
• Judge (2): Hand disruption that also resets your own dead hand. Use it mid-game, not on turn one over Lillie's.
• Team Rocket's Petrel (1): Finds any Trainer, including Supporters. It becomes a fourth Boss's Orders, a Mochi, a Stadium, or Special Red Card as the turn demands.

Items

• Ultra Ball (4) / Buddy-Buddy Poffin (4) / Poké Pad (3): Eleven Pokémon searches split by role.
  • Poffin hits Carvanha, Toxel and Tatsugiri.
  • Pad covers every non-ex Pokémon.
  • Ultra Ball is the only one that reaches Mega Sharpedo ex, Pecharunt ex and Fezandipiti ex.
• Secret Box (1): Discard 3 to grab an Item, a Tool, a Supporter and a Stadium. That is typically Ultra Ball, Binding Mochi, Boss's Orders and Team Rocket's Watchtower, which is a full KO turn in one card.
• Night Stretcher (1): Recovers a Pokémon or a Basic Energy. A single copy is enough given the Energy count.
• Special Red Card (1): Only live once your opponent has 3 or fewer Prizes. It sends their hand to the bottom and gives them three cards. It's your late-game disruption when you're behind.

Stadiums

• Team Rocket's Watchtower (3): Removes Abilities from Colorless Pokémon. Every Pokémon in this list is Darkness, Psychic or Dragon, so it costs you nothing. It also displaces opposing Stadiums such as the Area Zero Underdepths that Basic Box lists play. Three copies keeps it on the table.
• Gravity Mountain (1): Stage 2 Pokémon get -30 HP, and you have none. It's a free answer to Stage 2 evolution decks that pulls bulky targets into Hungry Jaws range.

Energy

Ten Darkness Energy covers manual attachments to Sharpedo and Munkidori while leaving enough in the deck for two Toxtricity to Surge every turn. Track how many remain. A thinned deck turns off your acceleration before it turns off your attacks.

The Decklist

This is the 60 that took Top 4 at TOURNAMENT OF DOOM! DINNER? (2026-10-17) out of 358 players, piloted by RedwingPhoenix. Estimated cost is about $124 at TCGplayer market prices (approximate). Core slots carry the engine. Slots marked Flex are where you can tune.

Pokémon (19)

Trainer (31)

Energy (10)

Here is the damage math the list is built around. Surge on a Benched Mega Sharpedo ex places 2 damage counters. Chains then brings it Active Poisoned, and Binding Mochi sends Hungry Jaws to 310 against the Active.

Be careful with Munkidori. If Adrena-Brain moves the last counters off the Sharpedo you plan to attack with, it switches off the +150. Leave at least one counter behind.

The flex slots fall into two groups:

• Consistency: Tatsugiri, Team Rocket's Petrel, Secret Box and the third Poké Pad.
• Interaction: Judge, Special Red Card, Gravity Mountain and Yveltal.

Trim from whichever group your expected field punishes less.

Opening Hands & Setup

You can't throw back a clunky seven, so every opening is about converting whatever Basic you have into a turn-two board that can attack. This list runs 14 Basics and 11 Items that search for Pokémon, so most hands contain a path. Your job is to find it before you spend resources.

Strong vs. Weak Openings

A strong hand has three things:

• A Basic that can start Active without being a liability.
• At least one way to bench the engine: Buddy-Buddy Poffin, Ultra Ball, Poké Pad, or Secret Box.
• A Darkness Energy or Lillie's Determination.

The best seven is Tatsugiri Active with Poffin, Ultra Ball and an Energy. Poffin puts down Toxel and Carvanha. Ultra Ball grabs Pecharunt ex. Tatsugiri lines up your next Supporter.

A weak hand is a single Basic and no search. It is worst when that Basic is Fezandipiti ex, Carvanha, or a Toxel stuck Active. Your out is Lillie's Determination. While you still have all 6 Prize cards it draws 8 instead of 6, which makes it the strongest dig in the deck early. When the hand is bad, play it as soon as you're allowed. Don't burn Items first to "set up" a hand you're about to shuffle away.

Choosing Your Active

Turn-One Priorities

1. Toxel first. You run only two, and Toxtricity is how your attacker gets both its second Energy and its damage counters. Poffin or Poké Pad for Toxel before anything else.
2. Two Carvanha. One becomes this turn's Mega Sharpedo ex. The second is your follow-up.
3. Pecharunt ex in play. Poffin can't fetch it because of its HP, so spend Ultra Ball here. Without Subjugating Chains, Binding Mochi does nothing, because Mochi only works on a Poisoned attacker.
4. Manual Energy onto a Benched Carvanha. Hungry Jaws costs two Darkness Energy and Sinister Surge supplies only one. Putting the other one down now frees your turn-two attachment for Munkidori. Sinister Surge can't power Munkidori anyway, since it's Psychic.
5. Protect Bench space. You have five slots. A typical turn-two board needs all of them: Sharpedo, Toxtricity, Pecharunt ex, a second Carvanha, and Munkidori. Don't Poffin into a second Tatsugiri or bench Fezandipiti ex early unless you're short on Basics.

Turn-Two Priorities

1. Evolve Toxel into Toxtricity and the Benched Carvanha into Mega Sharpedo ex.
2. Use Sinister Surge on the Benched Sharpedo. The Ability only targets Benched Pokémon, so do this before the switch. Sharpedo now has two Energy and 2 damage counters.
3. Attach Binding Mochi to Sharpedo.
4. Use Subjugating Chains to switch Sharpedo into the Active Spot. It is now Poisoned.
5. Hungry Jaws hits for 120 + 150 + 40 = 310 to the Active.
6. If Munkidori has an Energy, Adrena-Brain adds 3 more damage counters wherever they're needed. Never move the counters off Sharpedo itself, because Hungry Jaws needs at least one counter left on it to get its +150.

If you're missing one piece, use Secret Box, which finds an Item, a Pokémon Tool, a Supporter and a Stadium. One Secret Box can find Mochi, Lillie's, and a Poffin or Ultra Ball, which covers most broken turn twos.

If the attack simply isn't there, Mega Sharpedo ex's Greedy Fang (70 damage, draw 2) keeps you moving while you rebuild.

Going First or Second

Choose to go first by default. Your setup runs on Items and Abilities. Giving up a first-turn attack costs you little, while the extra turn of development gets your 310-damage turn online sooner. Going first also lets Tatsugiri or Pecharunt ex absorb the opponent's first attack while your Bench builds.

The case for going second rests on Toxel's Call for Family. It fetches any two Basics, including Pecharunt ex and Munkidori, which Poffin can't touch. That only matters if your seven is light on search, and you choose before you see your hand. So take first unless you specifically expect a field where landing the first big hit matters less than a guaranteed full Bench.

Falling behind isn't a disaster either. Pecharunt ex's Irritated Outburst does 60 damage for each Prize card the opponent has taken, which gives you a comeback attacker if you do go second.

Sequencing & Key Lines

Turn One: Build Before You Draw

Your first turn is about board, not hand size. Sequence it like this:

1. Bench first. Play Buddy-Buddy Poffin for Carvanha plus Toxel before anything else, then Poké Pad or Ultra Ball for the next missing piece. The target board is two Carvanha, two Toxel, and one Pecharunt ex.
2. Supporter last. Lillie's Determination shuffles your hand away. Spend your Items first so they aren't lost. With six Prize cards remaining it draws eight cards, so it is never better than right now.
3. Energy on the attacker. Your manual attachment goes on a Carvanha you plan to evolve. That Carvanha needs two Darkness Energy for Hungry Jaws next turn.

Starting with Tatsugiri Active is fine. Use Attract Customers to find a Supporter, then play that Supporter. Leave Tatsugiri up front as a wall until Subjugating Chains brings a Darkness Pokémon in next turn.

Going second with Toxel Active and a thin hand? Call for Family for two Basics is a real attack. Take it over a weak Item turn.

Turn Two: The Core Sequence

The order matters. Toxtricity can only target a Benched Darkness Pokémon, and Hungry Jaws checks for damage counters at the moment you attack.

1. Evolve Carvanha into Mega Sharpedo ex on the Bench. Evolve Toxel into Toxtricity.
2. Use Sinister Surge onto the Benched Sharpedo. It gets one Energy and 2 damage counters, which turns on Hungry Jaws' bonus. With two Toxtricity, use both Surges on Sharpedo. That frees your manual attachment for Munkidori, which is Psychic type and can never take Surge Energy.
3. Attach Binding Mochi to Sharpedo.
4. Use Subjugating Chains from Pecharunt ex to bring Sharpedo Active. Sharpedo is now Poisoned, so Mochi turns on.
5. Use Adrena-Brain. Leave at least one counter on the attacking Sharpedo, or move counters from a different Pokémon.
6. Play Boss's Orders if the Prize you want is on the Bench. Then attack.

The table maps directly onto the format's big Pokémon (HP from official card text):

• Mega Kangaskhan ex (300 HP): falls to the Mochi line alone.
• Dragapult ex (320 HP): needs the Mochi line plus Adrena-Brain.
• Mega Lucario ex (340 HP): needs all of it, exactly.

Count it out before you commit Boss's Orders.

Branch Points

• Switching without Chains. Mega Sharpedo ex has Retreat 0, so you can always retreat into a different Sharpedo for free. Use Chains when you need the Poison for Mochi. Retreat when Mochi isn't attached and you don't want to give your opponent free Poison damage to plan around.
• Feeding Munkidori. Poison adds a counter to your Active Sharpedo at each checkup. That gives Adrena-Brain a steady supply of counters while keeping your 330-HP attacker healthy. Move them before attacking, and keep one on the attacker.
• Greedy Fang turns. If you can't reach two Energy on any Sharpedo, a one-Energy Greedy Fang for 70 plus two cards beats passing. It also sets up the next turn's Hungry Jaws.
• Secret Box vs. Team Rocket's Petrel. Box for a full turn: Ultra Ball, Binding Mochi, Boss's Orders, and a Stadium. Petrel when you need one exact Trainer and can't afford three discards. Its most common target is Box itself or Special Red Card.
• Fezandipiti ex. Bench it only after you have lost a Pokémon, so Flip the Script draws three immediately. Benched early, it is just two free Prize cards for your opponent's Boss's Orders.

What to Hold

• Special Red Card is live once your opponent has three or fewer Prize cards remaining. It is an Item, so pair it with Boss's Orders in the same turn. That way you disrupt their hand and take a Knock Out together. Don't spend Judge in that same turn unless Red Card is unavailable.
• Team Rocket's Watchtower shuts off Colorless Pokémon's Abilities and leaves every Pokémon in this list untouched. Hold it until a Colorless Ability actually matters. Mega Kangaskhan ex is Colorless type. Playing it into nothing just gives your opponent a Stadium to bump.
• Gravity Mountain belongs on the table only against Stage 2 Pokémon. Its −30 HP can lower an evolved threat below your damage total, or into Adrena-Brain range.
• Night Stretcher saves for the second Sharpedo or a Toxtricity. Use it on Energy only if you can't attack otherwise.

Playing Around Bench Spread

Dragapult was the most frequent archetype in online Top 8s (source: Limitless TCG online platform, Oct 5–19, 2026). Phantom Dive does 200 to the Active and places 6 damage counters on your Bench however your opponent likes. That reshapes how you use your engine:

• Surge only onto Mega Sharpedo ex in this matchup. Never Surge onto a 70-HP Carvanha, because 20 damage makes it a free Knock Out off the spread.
• Bench no more 70-HP Basics than you need. Each of Carvanha, Toxel, and Tatsugiri is a target. Evolve Carvanha and Toxel as soon as you can, and keep only one unevolved spare of each.
• Promote Sharpedo, not support. A fresh Sharpedo survives one Phantom Dive even after Surge counters. Munkidori (110 HP) and Toxtricity (140 HP) do not survive spread plus a Boss.

Against Basic Box, Adrena-Brain places counters with an Ability, not an attack. Tera Ogerpon ex's Bench protection doesn't stop it, so you can pre-load a Benched Ogerpon ex before you Boss it up.

Matchup Matrix

Your damage math decides most of these matchups. A Mega Sharpedo ex that took two damage counters from Toxtricity's Sinister Surge, was switched in and Poisoned by Pecharunt ex, and carries Binding Mochi hits for 310 with Hungry Jaws. Munkidori adds up to 30 more, for 340. The cost is Prizes: as a Mega Evolution Pokémon ex, Mega Sharpedo ex gives up 3 Prize cards. Every matchup comes down to whether your 310–340 hits take more than the 3 Prizes you hand over each time a Sharpedo goes down.

Dragapult (Even)

This is the archetype to prepare for. Dragapult took 37 of 176 online Top 8 slots and made Top 8 in 20 of 22 events (source: Limitless TCG online platform, Oct 5–19, 2026). Group the Blaziken, Dusknoir and Dudunsparce builds under the same plan.

Phantom Dive does 200 damage and spreads 6 damage counters. That spread deletes 70-HP Carvanha, Toxel and Tatsugiri, so play down only the Basics you need this turn.

Mega Sharpedo ex survives one Phantom Dive at 330 HP. Dragapult ex has 320, so your 310 line falls 10 short. Close the gap one of two ways:

• Use Munkidori. It needs a Darkness Energy attached, and it can move the spread counters they placed on your Bench back onto their Pokémon.
• Drop Gravity Mountain. Dragapult ex is a Stage 2, so it falls to 290.

Every OHKO on a Dragapult ex is 2 Prizes, and one Sharpedo can trade for two of them. Use Fezandipiti ex's Cruel Arrow to hit their evolving Benched Pokémon before they become threats.

Basic Box (Even)

Mega Kangaskhan ex has 300 HP, so your 310 line takes 3 Prizes from it in one attack. Rapid-Fire Combo does 200 plus 50 per heads, which means your Sharpedo survives unless they flip three or more heads.

Their Teal Mask and Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex are Tera Pokémon. On the Bench, they are immune to attack damage, so Cruel Arrow does nothing to them there. Adrena-Brain moves damage counters rather than dealing attack damage, so it still works on them.

Mega Kangaskhan ex is Colorless, so Team Rocket's Watchtower removes its Abilities, along with those of any other Colorless Pokémon they have. Expect Special Red Card from them late in the game. Hold Judge or Lillie's Determination so you can rebuild your hand after it.

Lucario Hariyama (Even)

Mega Lucario ex has 340 HP. You need the full 340 line to take its 3 Prizes: the 310 hit plus Munkidori's 30.

Mega Brave does 270, which leaves your 330-HP Sharpedo standing, and Lucario can't use Mega Brave again the following turn. Use that turn to swing back.

The danger is your support. Pecharunt ex, Toxtricity and Fezandipiti ex are all Fighting-weak. Bench a second Toxtricity early, and keep Pecharunt ex on the Bench rather than in the Active Spot.

N's Zoroark (Favored)

Their list runs Munkidori, Pecharunt ex and Fezandipiti ex, much like yours. Their Munkidori is Psychic with Darkness Weakness:

• Greedy Fang (70, doubled to 140) KOs it and draws you 2 cards.
• Yveltal's Dark Feather (110, doubled to 220) also KOs it.

Use Boss's Orders to pull it Active and remove their damage-moving engine early. N's Zoroark ex has 280 HP, so it falls to the 310 line.

Alakazam Dudunsparce (Even)

Speed decides this one. Abra and Kadabra are soft targets, so use Boss's Orders and Cruel Arrow to hit them before Alakazam lands. Once it does, Gravity Mountain takes 30 HP off it as a Stage 2.

Lillie's Clefairy ex is a multi-Prize Basic. That makes it a good Boss target when you need to take 2 Prizes at once.

Other Stage 2 Setup Decks (Even)

Against slower evolution decks, including the Ogerpon Meganium Hydrapple builds, apply the same plan as Alakazam:

1. Pressure their Bench early with Cruel Arrow and Boss's Orders.
2. Keep Gravity Mountain ready to bring their Stage 2s under your damage thresholds.
3. Commit your Sharpedo only once their main attacker is in play.

Single-Prize Attackers (Unfavored)

These decks punish your Prize structure. You spend 310-damage attacks to take 1 Prize at a time, while two Sharpedo KOs end the game for them.

Here, Pecharunt ex is often the better attacker. Irritated Outburst does 60 for each Prize they've taken, so it grows stronger exactly as they get ahead. Yveltal's Dark Feather handles mid-HP Basics without exposing a 3-Prize target.

Against Psychic types, all of your Darkness attackers hit for Weakness, which is your best route to evening out the Prize race.

Tech Choices & Variations

The 3-3 Mega Sharpedo ex line, 3 Pecharunt ex, 2-2 Toxtricity, 2 Munkidori, 4 Lillie's Determination, 4 Ultra Ball, 4 Buddy-Buddy Poffin and 10 Darkness Energy form the engine. Cut from any of them and the deck stops reliably assembling its damage stack: Toxtricity puts counters on Mega Sharpedo ex for the Hungry Jaws bonus, Pecharunt ex poisons it to switch on Binding Mochi, and Munkidori moves those counters onto the opponent. Every slot below is negotiable. The engine is not.

The Flex Slots

• Yveltal: A single-Prize attacker with free retreat. Clutch traps something in the Active Spot, and Dark Feather is a respectable non-ex hit. It is the first card out when you need space. The usual replacement is a second Night Stretcher or a fourth Binding Mochi.
• 2nd Tatsugiri: Attract Customers only works from the Active Spot, and Subjugating Chains can't bring it up because it is Dragon type, not {D}. Its value is concentrated on your opening turns. Drop to one copy if you trust Lillie's Determination plus the Item searches to find Supporters.
• Team Rocket's Petrel: Flexible, because it fetches any Trainer, including Boss's Orders, Binding Mochi or a Stadium. It still costs your Supporter for the turn, though. If you cut it, you lean harder on Secret Box.
• Judge (2) and Special Red Card (1): Your hand disruption. Judge works at any point in the game. Special Red Card only works once the opponent is at 3 or fewer Prize cards, and it leaves them 3 cards instead of 4. Together they let you disrupt in the mid game and again at the finish. A third Judge is the natural add against setup-dependent decks.
• Stadium split (3 Team Rocket's Watchtower, 1 Gravity Mountain): Team Rocket's Watchtower never hurts you, because nothing in this list is Colorless. Its value scales entirely with how many {C} Ability Pokémon you expect to face. Gravity Mountain only does anything against Stage 2 Pokémon.
• Fezandipiti ex: Flip the Script refuels you after your low-HP Basics get Knocked Out. Cruel Arrow picks off a damaged Benched target. The cost is that it is a two-Prize liability on your Bench. Keep it unless you are cutting for a specific matchup.

Tuning for Your Local Field

Dragapult was the most represented archetype in the period's large online events, at 37 of 176 Top 8 slots and Top 8 in 20 of 22 events (source: Limitless TCG online platform, Oct 5-19, 2026). Basic Box was next at 17 slots (source: Limitless TCG online platform, Oct 5-19, 2026). Tune with those two in mind first.

The Damage Math Behind the Mochi Count

Run three Binding Mochi as a minimum, never fewer. Here is how a fully stacked turn adds up:

• A damaged, Poisoned Mega Sharpedo ex with Binding Mochi hits for 310 with Hungry Jaws.
• One Adrena-Brain from Munkidori moves 30 more damage onto the target first, bringing the total to 340.

That covers Dragapult ex at 320 HP and exactly reaches Mega Lucario ex at 340. Without the Tool, you fall short of both. If your field is mostly big two- and three-Prize attackers, the fourth Mochi is worth more than any single tech.

One warning applies to every matchup: Munkidori is Psychic type. Subjugating Chains can't swap it into the Active Spot, and it needs a {D} Energy attached before Adrena-Brain works. Don't cut Toxtricity or Energy to fit techs, because Munkidori depends on both to function.

Budget Options

The full list comes to about $124 at TCGplayer market prices. That is approximate and prices move, so check current listings before you buy. Most of the cost likely sits in the Pokémon ex: three Mega Sharpedo ex, three Pecharunt ex and one Fezandipiti ex. The four-copy staples, Lillie's Determination, Ultra Ball and Buddy-Buddy Poffin, also add up even when each copy is cheap. Once you have the core, the single copies of Secret Box and Special Red Card are the other cards worth pricing out.

The Untouchable Core

Some cards cannot be cut, and the reason comes from the card text. The deck's main damage line needs four pieces working together:

• Toxtricity attaches Energy to a Benched Mega Sharpedo ex and puts 2 damage counters on it. That damage turns on the +150 from Hungry Jaws.
• Pecharunt ex switches that Sharpedo into the Active Spot and Poisons it.
• Poison is what makes Binding Mochi's +40 apply.
• Pecharunt ex is the only Poison source in the list.

Take out any one of these and the line stops working. Don't build this deck until you can buy all of these:

• 3 Carvanha / 3 Mega Sharpedo ex
• 2 Toxel / 2 Toxtricity
• 3 Pecharunt ex and 3 Binding Mochi
• 10 Darkness Energy
• The search package: Ultra Ball, Buddy-Buddy Poffin, Poké Pad

Don't trim Pecharunt ex to save money either. Buddy-Buddy Poffin can't find it because of its 190 HP, and Poké Pad can't find it because it has a Rule Box. Only Ultra Ball searches it out. With fewer copies, you start it less often and find it later.

Acceptable Budget Swaps

Every replacement below already appears in the decklist, so the swaps don't add anything new to learn.

Make the cuts in this order: Special Red Card first, then Team Rocket's Petrel, then Secret Box, then Fezandipiti ex. Each step down costs you more than the last.

If you only make the first cut, the deck plays almost the same as the full list. Once you cut Fezandipiti ex, you lose your best catch-up draw after the opponent takes a Knock Out. You'll need to be more careful about what you leave exposed.

Swaps to Avoid

• Cutting Munkidori. It is your only way to move damage onto the opponent's board. It also takes counters off one of your own Pokémon, which can rescue a damaged Pokémon. Keep both copies over Fezandipiti ex.
  • Note that it is Psychic type. That means Pecharunt ex can't switch it in, and Toxtricity can't power it, so plan to attach its Darkness Energy by hand.
• Cutting Binding Mochi copies. The +40 is what turns many of your attacks into Knock Outs, and three copies is already the minimum.
• Trimming Energy. Toxtricity pulls Darkness Energy straight from your deck every turn. Cutting copies makes that Ability whiff sooner and leaves you less Energy for manual attachments.
• Dropping Tatsugiri for a cheaper body. It is your extra Supporter search from the Active Spot. A thinner Supporter count makes your opening hands much less consistent.

Upgrade Path

1. Buy the core first. Get the full evolution lines, all three Pecharunt ex, Binding Mochi, Energy and the search Items. Play the budget swaps above until you add the rest.
2. Add Fezandipiti ex next. It restores your comeback draw and gives you a non-Mega attacker that Pecharunt ex can pivot into.
3. Add Secret Box. Grabbing a Tool, a Stadium and a Supporter off one card is the biggest consistency gain left once the Pokémon are complete.
4. Finish with Team Rocket's Petrel and Special Red Card. These are finishing touches. They win some close games but don't define how the deck plays.

Before you buy paper copies, test the full list online. That shows you how often the missing pieces would have mattered, so you know whether the next upgrade is worth the money for your local field.

Common Mistakes

1. Wiping Mega Sharpedo ex Clean with Munkidori

Hungry Jaws only gets its extra 150 if Mega Sharpedo ex has any damage counters on it. Adrena-Brain moves up to 3 counters from one of your Pokémon. If your Sharpedo is carrying only the 2 counters from Sinister Surge and you move both, you drop from 270 to 120 and lose the turn. The ability says "up to 3," so you can move fewer. Either leave at least one counter on Sharpedo, or take the counters from a different Pokémon, such as a Surged Benched attacker or a Carvanha that used Reckless Charge.

2. Retreating for Free Instead of Using Subjugating Chains

Mega Sharpedo ex has a Retreat Cost of 0, so it is tempting to just retreat into it. Don't do that when you have Binding Mochi attached. Mochi only adds its 40 when the holder is Poisoned, and in this list the Poison comes from Pecharunt ex's Subjugating Chains. Here is what that 40 changes:

• A damaged Sharpedo's Hungry Jaws does 270.
• With Poison and Mochi, it does 310 to the opponent's Active.
• That 40 is the difference against a 300-HP Mega Kangaskhan ex.
• Add 30 from Adrena-Brain and you reach 340, which covers both Dragapult ex (320) and Mega Lucario ex (340).

Count the damage before you decide how Sharpedo gets into the Active Spot.

3. Targeting the Wrong Types

Both of the deck's movement and acceleration Abilities only work on Benched {D} Pokémon:

• Munkidori is Psychic. Sinister Surge can't attach to it, and Subjugating Chains can't pull it into the Active Spot. Adrena-Brain still needs a Darkness Energy on Munkidori, so you must spend a manual attachment on it. Plan that attachment a turn ahead rather than discovering the problem mid-turn.
• Tatsugiri is Dragon. Subjugating Chains can't bring it Active either.
• Pecharunt ex can't switch itself in. Chains excludes any Pecharunt ex.
• Chains is once per turn total. Benching more Pecharunt ex does not give you more uses.

4. Using Abilities in the Wrong Order

Attract Customers only works while Tatsugiri is in the Active Spot. A typical mistake is using Chains to swap in Sharpedo first, which locks you out of the Supporter search. Use this order:

1. Use Attract Customers with Tatsugiri Active.
2. Play the Supporter you found.
3. Use Sinister Surge on your Benched Sharpedo.
4. Use Chains to bring Sharpedo up, Poisoned.
5. Attach Binding Mochi and use Adrena-Brain.
6. Attack.

Surge has to target a Benched Pokémon, so it must come before Chains moves Sharpedo to the Active Spot. If you Chain first, you can't Surge your attacker that turn.

5. Losing the Eight-Card Lillie's Determination

Lillie's Determination draws 8 only while you have exactly 6 Prize cards remaining. Once you take a Prize card, every copy is a plain draw-6. If your opening hand has both Lillie's and Judge or Boss's Orders, play Lillie's early.

Before you play it, use the Items you want right now, such as Buddy-Buddy Poffin and Ultra Ball. Lillie's shuffles your hand away, so anything you hold gets put back into the deck instead of developing your board. Don't sacrifice the 8-card draw to take an early Prize with Carvanha.

6. Overfilling the Bench Against Spread

Carvanha, Toxel, and Tatsugiri all have 70 HP. Dragapult ex's Phantom Dive places 6 damage counters on your Bench however its pilot likes. That means two Poffins on turn one can leave you with seven Basics and hand over two easy Knock Outs.

Sinister Surge makes this worse, because its own 2 counters stack with spread damage. Against spread decks:

• Bench only what you need for the next two turns.
• Prefer evolving a Basic over adding a fresh one.
• Don't Surge onto a fragile Basic when you can Surge onto an evolved Mega Sharpedo ex that has room to absorb counters.

7. Misusing the Stadiums

Team Rocket's Watchtower removes Abilities from {C} Pokémon. None of your Pokémon are Colorless, so it never turns off your engine. Players who hold it out of caution are wasting it.

• Play it when the opponent has Colorless Pokémon in play, such as Mega Kangaskhan ex.
• Play it to remove an opposing Stadium.
• Against a deck with no Colorless Pokémon, it is still a valid way to remove an opposing Stadium. Don't spend an Ultra Ball discard keeping it in hand for no reason.

Gravity Mountain only does something against Stage 2 Pokémon, such as the Alakazam line. Played into anything else, it simply replaces your own Watchtower.

8. Giving Away Cheap Multi-Prize Turns

Pecharunt ex and Fezandipiti ex each have a Rule Box, and Boss's Orders is in every competitive list. If you Bench two Pecharunt ex "for redundancy," the opponent can take an easy Prize trade off a Pokémon that wasn't going to attack.

• Bench one Pecharunt ex unless the first is likely to be Knocked Out.
• Bring Fezandipiti ex down only once Flip the Script is live.
• Irritated Outburst scales with the Prize cards your opponent has taken. It is a late-game finisher, not an early attacker.

Watch the timing on your disruption too. Special Red Card can't be played until the opponent has 3 or fewer Prize cards remaining. Don't follow it with your own Judge in the same turn, because Judge would refill their 3-card hand to 4.

Tournament Prep & Final Notes

What to Practice Before the Event

• Damage math until it's reflex. Every big turn stacks several conditions: counters on Mega Sharpedo ex, Poison, Binding Mochi attached, and sometimes Munkidori counters on the target. Missing one piece costs you a Knock Out, and these decks rarely get a second chance.
• Bench discipline against spread. Dragapult took 37 of 176 online Top 8 slots (source: Limitless TCG online platform, 2026-10-05 to 2026-10-19). Its Phantom Dive puts 6 damage counters on your Bench however the opponent likes (source: TCGdex, accessed 2026-10-19). That threatens your 70 HP Carvanha, Toxel and Tatsugiri. Practice opening with only the Basics you need, then filling the Bench the turn you evolve.
• The Munkidori Energy problem. Run reps where you plan your manual attachments around getting a Darkness Energy onto Munkidori. Neither engine Ability can do it for you.

Rules Interactions to Know Cold

• Sinister Surge only targets Benched {D} Pokémon. Load Mega Sharpedo ex while it sits on the Bench, before it goes Active. The 2 damage counters are the point: they switch on the +150 from Hungry Jaws.
• Munkidori is Psychic and Tatsugiri is Dragon. Sinister Surge can't attach to them, and Subjugating Chains can't pull them Active. To get Tatsugiri into the Active Spot for Attract Customers, you have to start it there or retreat into it.
• Don't strip your own Sharpedo. Adrena-Brain moves up to 3 counters. If you move every counter off Mega Sharpedo ex, Hungry Jaws drops back to 120. Take counters from a different Pokémon, such as a Surged Toxtricity or Pecharunt ex, or leave at least one on Sharpedo.
• Subjugating Chains is limited to one use per turn, no matter how many Pecharunt ex you have in play. It also can't bring in another Pecharunt ex. In this list, the Poison it inflicts is your only way to switch on Binding Mochi.
• The retreat-and-chain line. If an unpoisoned Mega Sharpedo ex is already Active, retreat it for its 0 Retreat Cost. Then use Subjugating Chains to bring it straight back in, now Poisoned.
• Binding Mochi only boosts damage to the opponent's Active Pokémon. Cruel Arrow from Fezandipiti ex aimed at the Bench gets no bonus.
• Both Stadiums are one-sided. You play no {C} Pokémon, so Team Rocket's Watchtower never turns off your own Abilities. You play no Stage 2 Pokémon, so Gravity Mountain only shrinks the opponent's.
• Tera Pokémon don't block Abilities. The Tera rule prevents damage from attacks to Benched Tera Pokémon (source: Limitless card pages, accessed 2026-10-19). Adrena-Brain is an Ability that moves damage counters, not an attack.
• Timing windows on your Supporters and Items. Lillie's Determination draws 8 only while you have exactly 6 Prize cards remaining. Special Red Card is dead until your opponent is at 3 or fewer.
• Prize exposure. Mega Evolution Pokémon ex give up 3 Prize cards when Knocked Out (source: Scrydex, accessed 2026-10-19). Assume every Mega Sharpedo ex you lose costs you three.

Damage Reference

All figures are Hungry Jaws damage to the Active Pokémon and assume no Weakness or Resistance applies.

Note the Dragapult ex line: the full Mochi turn falls 10 short on its own. Against the format's most-represented archetype, you need Munkidori online or chip damage already on the target.

Clock Management

This deck searches constantly. Buddy-Buddy Poffin, Ultra Ball, Poké Pad, Sinister Surge and Call for Family all mean digging through and shuffling your deck. Long setup turns are where your clock goes.

• Decide the whole sequence before your first action: which Pokémon gets Surged, who gets Binding Mochi, and who gets chained in.
• Know your Secret Box package (Item, Tool, Supporter, Stadium) before you resolve it, so the search is a lookup, not a decision.
• Don't burn time on empty Attract Customers activations once you have your Supporter for the turn.

Final Assessment

Besides this list's Top 4 at a 358-player event, the archetype earned 6 Top 8 slots across 5 online events (source: Limitless TCG online platform, 2026-10-05 to 2026-10-19). It also took 3rd at the 2,927-player Louisville Regional (source: limitlesstcg.com, 2026-10-10).

What it offers:

• A 0-Retreat attacker that hits for 270 to 310.
• Two Stadiums that only hurt the other side.
• A Supporter-dense draw engine.

What you have to respect:

• A Mega attacker that gives up three Prize cards.
• Fragile 70 HP Basics that spread decks can pick off.
• Math that demands precision every turn.

Take it if you're willing to count to 340 under pressure, because when you count right, very little in this field survives the swing.

Metagame Context

Built from RedwingPhoenix's Top 4 list at TOURNAMENT OF DOOM! DINNER? (358 players, 2026-10-17), via the Limitless platform. Metagame context comes from a research brief dated 2026-10-19 covering 2026-10-05 to 2026-10-19, drawn from Limitless TCG event results; TCGdex; Scrydex. Card text and prices: TCGdex.

Source: tournament results. Decklist and placements as reported by the event organizer.