Starmie Froslass — Standard Strategy Guide

Affiliate links: card links on this page go to TCGplayer, and we earn a commission on purchases at no extra cost to you. How this works

Archetype Overview

Starmie Froslass is a Water Stage 1 deck that treats damage counters as a resource. Two Mega attackers do the heavy hitting: Mega Starmie ex and Mega Froslass ex. Underneath them, Froslass, Risky Ruins and Munkidori put a steady stream of counters onto the opponent's side of the table. It's cheap at about $25, it evolves fast off Buddy-Buddy Poffin and Hilda, and it took 1st Place out of 168 players at Amyverse PTCG Live Weekly #18 Cash Prize! on 2026-10-21.

The Plan

You win by making every attack count for more than its printed number. The passive damage comes from three sources:

• Froslass puts 1 damage counter on every Pokémon with an Ability, on both sides, during each Pokémon Checkup. Checkup happens between every turn, so the counters add up quickly. A second Froslass doubles the rate.
• Risky Ruins puts 2 damage counters on any Basic non-Darkness Pokémon a player puts onto their Bench during their turn. That includes your own Benched Basics.
• Munkidori turns that self-inflicted damage into offense. With a Darkness Energy attached, it moves up to 3 damage counters from one of your Pokémon to one of the opponent's, once per turn.

Those pieces feed each other. The counters Risky Ruins puts on your Staryu or Snorunt are not wasted. They become 30 damage on whatever you want to finish off. The counters Froslass puts on your own Munkidori can be moved straight off it. Your two Mega attackers have no Abilities, so Freezing Shroud never touches them. The cost of running Froslass lands on your support Pokémon, and Munkidori is built to recycle exactly that.

On top of the counters, the Megas do the Knock Outs.

• Jetting Blow on Mega Starmie ex costs a single Energy. It does 120 to the Active and 50 to a Benched Pokémon, so it kills a damaged Pokémon and sets up a second one in the same attack.
• Nebula Beam does 210 and ignores Weakness, Resistance and any effects on the opponent's Active Pokémon.
• Resentful Refrain on Mega Froslass ex does 50 for each card in the opponent's hand, for one Energy.
• Absolute Snow does 150 and puts the Active to sleep.

Why the Plan Is Strong

• One-Energy attacks with real damage. Jetting Blow and Resentful Refrain each cost a single Energy. You can attack hard the turn your Stage 1 lands, without building Energy across several turns.
• Ignition Energy is a burst button. On an Evolution Pokémon it provides three Colorless Energy, then discards at the end of your turn. That powers Nebula Beam from a fresh Mega Starmie ex in one attachment. Paired with one Water, it also covers the Colorless part of Absolute Snow.
• Your own Supporters control Resentful Refrain's damage. Judge leaves the opponent on exactly 4 cards before you attack, which sets up 200 damage. Lucian leaves them on 3 or 6 depending on their coin flip. Against an opponent holding a full hand, you skip the disruption and attack into it.
• The engine is all low-HP Basics. Snorunt, Staryu, Budew and Tatsugiri all qualify for Buddy-Buddy Poffin, and Poké Pad finds any of your Pokémon that don't have a Rule Box. That covers Froslass, Munkidori and Shaymin. Hilda grabs an Evolution and an Energy together, so building a Mega rarely costs you a turn.
• Your Supporters are easy to find. Meowth ex searches out any Supporter when you Bench it. Tatsugiri digs six cards deep for one while it's Active. Four Lillie's Determination draw eight cards while you still have six Prize cards left. You'll often reach Boss's Orders or Judge on the exact turn you need it.
• Your Bench is protected where it's weakest. Shaymin stops attack damage to your Benched Pokémon that don't have a Rule Box. Your Snorunt, Staryu and Munkidori are the targets spread damage would aim at. Since Risky Ruins has already damaged them, that protection matters more here than in most decks.
• Bubbly Water Energy keeps your attackers awake. A Water Pokémon with it attached recovers from and ignores Special Conditions. Your Megas can't be shut down by Sleep, Paralysis or Confusion.

Budew adds a turn of Item lock for no Energy. Mew ex has no Retreat Cost and can use the attacks of your Benched Pokémon, so it's a flexible pivot attacker for the right board.

The Costs You Accept

This deck hurts itself on purpose, and it can backfire.

• Your Ability Pokémon take damage too. Munkidori, Meowth ex, Mew ex, Shaymin and Tatsugiri all have Abilities, so Freezing Shroud ticks each of them every turn.
• Risky Ruins taxes your own Bench. Every Basic you play takes 2 counters, and your 70-HP Basics don't have much room.
• Your Megas are big Prize trades. Losing one is expensive, so you can't feed them carelessly.

If you lose track of how much damage your own board can absorb, you will lose Pokémon to your own engine. Scoop Up Cyclone and Night Stretcher give you some recovery, but only some.

Who Should Pick It Up

This deck suits you if you like counting. Every turn you are tracking:

• how many counters are on each Pokémon,
• how many Checkups until a Pokémon dies to Freezing Shroud,
• the size of the opponent's hand, and
• which target Jetting Blow's 50 should go on.

Players who reward themselves for precise math will find a lot of hidden damage here. If you'd rather ignore the board state and attack, this isn't your deck.

It's also a strong pick on a budget. At about $25 it's an affordable way into a deck that won a 168-player event. Its rewards come from reading the board well rather than from expensive cards.

Core Strategy & Game Plan

Starmie Froslass wins by putting damage counters on the board from several sources at once, then taking Prize cards with two high-HP Stage 1 attackers. Mega Starmie ex and Mega Froslass ex handle the Active Spot. Froslass, Risky Ruins, and Munkidori push counters onto everything else. By the midgame your Boss's Orders targets are already damaged, and your attacks take Knock Outs your opponent didn't plan for.

The Chip-Damage Engine

• Froslass: Freezing Shroud puts 1 damage counter on every Pokémon with an Ability during each Pokémon Checkup, and Checkup happens between every turn, yours and theirs. Two Froslass in play double the output. Your Megas have no Abilities, so the Shroud never touches them. It does hit your own Munkidori, Meowth ex, Mew ex, Shaymin, and Tatsugiri.
• Risky Ruins: any Basic non-Darkness Pokémon put onto the Bench during its owner's turn takes 2 damage counters. Every time your opponent develops their board, they pay this tax.
• Munkidori: with a Darkness Energy attached, Adrena-Brain moves up to 3 damage counters from one of your Pokémon to one of theirs, once per turn. This card turns your self-damage into a resource. The counters that Freezing Shroud and Risky Ruins put on your side become your ammunition. Munkidori is Psychic, so it takes Ruins counters when benched and Shroud counters every Checkup. Moving damage off itself is often the right transfer.
• Jetting Blow: Mega Starmie ex adds 50 damage to a Benched Pokémon on top of 120 to the Active, for a single Water.

No single piece is overwhelming. Together they create two-Knock-Out sequences. Jetting Blow handles the Active while its Bench hit, a Munkidori transfer, and Checkup damage bring a second target into range for next turn's Boss's Orders.

The Attackers

Mega Starmie ex is your default attacker. Jetting Blow is efficient pressure for one Energy. Nebula Beam does 210 for three Colorless and ignores Weakness, Resistance, and any effects on your opponent's Active Pokémon, which means opposing damage-prevention on the Active doesn't stop it.

Ignition Energy provides three Colorless on an Evolution Pokémon, so a freshly evolved Starmie can Nebula Beam the turn it lands. Ignition discards at the end of your turn. Save it for the turn that 210 actually takes a Knock Out.

Mega Froslass ex is the closer. Resentful Refrain does 50 for each card in your opponent's hand, for one Water. You control that number:

• Judge leaves your opponent holding exactly 4 cards, so Judge into Resentful Refrain is 200 damage on demand. It also disrupts their next turn.
• Lucian puts them on 6 or 3 cards by coin flip. Use it only when either result is acceptable.
• Absolute Snow (150 and Asleep) is your steady option when their hand is small.

Bubbly Water Energy on either Mega makes it immune to Special Conditions. Put it on your Active attacker whenever your opponent relies on Confusion, Sleep, or Paralysis.

Mew ex is the flexible pivot. It has Retreat 0 and can use any Benched Pokémon's attack. With a Water Energy and a Mega Froslass ex on the Bench, it fires Resentful Refrain without exposing the Mega in the Active Spot.

Protecting Your Prize Map

Both Megas are Mega Evolution Pokémon ex. Under the Mega Evolution rule, each gives up three Prize cards when Knocked Out (source: Scrydex Mega Evolution expansion rules page, accessed 2026-10-19). Their 310 and 330 HP buy time, but heavy damage on a Mega is a liability, not a sunk cost.

• Scoop Up Cyclone returns a damaged Mega and all attached cards to your hand, denying your opponent those three Prizes.
• Munkidori can also move counters off a Mega onto your opponent's board, as long as the Mega has damage on it.

Make your opponent work for every Knock Out while your passive damage keeps ticking.

Posture

This deck is proactive. Freezing Shroud punishes slow games against Ability-reliant decks, and Risky Ruins punishes setup, so every turn your opponent spends developing is a turn you gain value. You are not trying to out-trade on raw damage. You are trying to make every opposing Pokémon enter play already damaged.

The Ideal Game

1. Turn 1:
   • Buddy-Buddy Poffin for Snorunt and Staryu.
   • Poké Pad for Munkidori or the Basics you're missing.
   • Lillie's Determination at six Prizes for 8 cards.
   • Bench your own Basics before playing Risky Ruins, since it hits your Water Basics too. Then drop it so it greets your opponent's setup.
   • If your hand has no Supporter, Meowth ex or an Active Tatsugiri finds one.
2. Turn 2:
   • Hilda fetches a Mega or Froslass plus the Energy to use it.
   • Get at least one Froslass down now. Every Checkup it sits in play is free damage, so an early Froslass is worth more than a late one.
   • Attach Darkness Energy to Munkidori.
   • Attack with Jetting Blow, or Nebula Beam off Ignition Energy if 210 takes a Knock Out.
3. Turn 3 onward:
   • Use Adrena-Brain every turn.
   • Use Boss's Orders on whichever Benched Pokémon your accumulated damage has put in range.
   • Rotate damaged attackers out with Scoop Up Cyclone or Switch.
   • Save Judge into Resentful Refrain for the turn you need a big hit or a disruption swing to close the game.

Card Choices & Breakdown

The Attackers

Mega Froslass ex (2) and Mega Starmie ex (2) are your damage. Both Megas attack for a single Water, and they cover each other's gaps.

• Mega Froslass ex punishes big hands with Resentful Refrain, which does 50 damage per card in your opponent's hand. Absolute Snow is your steady option: 150 damage that also puts the opponent to sleep, for when their hand is small.
• Mega Starmie ex uses Jetting Blow early to start chipping the Bench. Nebula Beam does 210 and ignores Weakness, Resistance, and any effects on the Defending Pokémon, so it answers protection effects and walls.

The deck runs only two of each Mega. Hilda, Ultra Ball, and Night Stretcher can find or recover them, so a third copy would mostly sit in your hand. Mega Evolution Pokémon ex give up three Prize cards when Knocked Out. That is a big reason the deck spreads damage instead of trading attackers back and forth.

The Damage-Counter Engine

Froslass (2) is the reason this is a Froslass deck and not just a Starmie deck. Freezing Shroud puts a damage counter on every Pokémon with an Ability during each Pokémon Checkup. That includes yours, except other copies of Froslass. Two copies stack two counters per Checkup. Against opponents who rely on Ability Pokémon, that pressure never stops.

Munkidori (2) turns your own damage into theirs. With a Darkness Energy attached, Adrena-Brain moves up to 3 counters from one of your Pokémon to one of theirs. Your side picks up counters from several sources:

• Freezing Shroud hits your own Ability Pokémon, including Munkidori.
• Risky Ruins damages your benched Basics.
• Your attackers take hits from the opponent.

Each of those becomes ammunition. Two Munkidori give you two moves per turn when both are powered, and each copy backs the other up against Bench damage.

Risky Ruins (3) places 2 counters on any Basic non-Darkness Pokémon benched during its owner's turn, on both sides. It taxes opposing setup and feeds Munkidori. Three copies let you win Stadium wars and keep it in play.

The cost is real. Your own Snorunt and Staryu from Buddy-Buddy Poffin get hit too. Play the Stadium after your Bench is built, not before.

Basics and Utility Pokémon

• Snorunt (4) / Staryu (3): Snorunt gets the fourth copy because it feeds two different evolutions, Froslass and Mega Froslass ex. Staryu feeds only one.
• Meowth ex (1): Benching it searches out any Supporter, usually Hilda or Boss's Orders. Scoop Up Cyclone lets you replay it on a later turn for another search.
• Tatsugiri (1): A second Supporter-finder that works from the Active Spot. It is a strong turn-one start.
• Mew ex (1): Its zero Retreat Cost makes it a free pivot. Memory Helix lets it copy a benched Mega's attack if it has the Energy, which gives you an extra attacker without evolving. Teleportation Burst switches it back out after attacking.
• Budew (1): A free attack that shuts off Items for a turn. It is an excellent lead going second against Item-heavy setups.
• Shaymin (1): Protects your benched non-Rule Box Pokémon from attack damage. Those are your Snorunt, Staryu, Froslass, and Munkidori. Keep in mind Freezing Shroud will tick it down too.

A note on Freezing Shroud: Meowth ex, Tatsugiri, Mew ex, Shaymin, and Munkidori all take Freezing Shroud damage every Checkup. The list accepts this because Munkidori can move those counters away. You still need to track it every turn.

Supporters

• Lillie's Determination (4): Your main draw Supporter. It draws eight cards when you still have all six Prize cards, which makes it your best turn-one Supporter.
• Hilda (3): Finds an Evolution Pokémon and an Energy in one card, so it is your evolution and attachment turn rolled together. Three copies plus Meowth ex and Tatsugiri means a fourth isn't needed.
• Boss's Orders (3): Spread puts damage on the Bench, and Boss's Orders cashes it in. Three copies keep a gust available for the late-game Prize race.
• Judge (1) / Lucian (1): Both disrupt the opponent's hand and also set up Resentful Refrain:
  • Judge leaves them at exactly four cards.
  • Lucian leaves them at six or three, depending on their coin flip.
  Play either before attacking only when the resulting damage still makes the Knock Out you need.
• Crispin (1): Grabs a Darkness Energy and a Water in one play, attaches one, and puts the other in your hand. It powers Munkidori and an attacker together.

Items

• Buddy-Buddy Poffin (4): Can fetch Snorunt, Staryu, Budew, and Tatsugiri. It cannot reach Shaymin or Munkidori.
• Poké Pad (4): Finds anything without a Rule Box, including Froslass and Munkidori, with no discard cost.
• Ultra Ball (3): Your only Item that reaches the Pokémon ex. Three copies because the discard cost adds up.
• Scoop Up Cyclone (1): Picks up a damaged Mega to deny three Prize cards, or resets Meowth ex for another search.
• Switch (1) / Air Balloon (1): Your mobility. Air Balloon on Mega Starmie ex cuts its Retreat Cost of 2 to zero.
• Night Stretcher (1): Gets back a lost Mega, a Munkidori, or a Basic Energy.

Energy

• Darkness Energy (3): Exists only to turn on Munkidori. Three copies support two Munkidori with a spare for discards.
• Water Energy (3) and Bubbly Water Energy (2): Five Water sources fuel both Megas.
  • Bubbly Water Energy also makes the Water Pokémon it's attached to immune to Special Conditions.
  • Put it on whichever attacker the opponent is trying to put to sleep, confuse, or poison.
• Ignition Energy (1): Provides three Colorless Energy on an Evolution Pokémon for one turn.
  • On a fresh Mega Starmie ex, it pays for Nebula Beam immediately.
  • Paired with a Water on Mega Froslass ex, it pays for Absolute Snow.
  • It discards at the end of your turn, so plan it as a one-shot burst.

The Decklist

Legality check before you register: the card data used for this guide flags the listed printing of Mew ex (not Standard-legal) and Water Energy (not Standard-legal). The list is shown as it placed. Check each one against the current official Standard card list for your event date before you register; another printing of the same card may be legal.

Here is the exact 60 that took 1st Place at Amyverse PTCG Live Weekly #18 Cash Prize! (2026-10-21, 168 players, played by Limitless user ImArthz). The list runs at roughly $25 at TCGplayer market prices, which makes it one of the cheapest ways into a competitive Standard deck. The two Stage 1 lines are the core and shouldn't be touched. The flex space is in the single-copy Basics, the one-of Supporters, and the Energy split.

Pokémon (20)

Trainer (31)

Energy (9)

Read the list as two layers. The engine is Snorunt, Froslass, Risky Ruins and Munkidori. Those cards put damage counters on the board every turn, including on your own Pokémon. Munkidori then relocates up to 3 of those counters per turn onto whichever opposing Pokémon you want to finish. The two Megas close games on top of that pressure.

Watch the cost of your own Abilities. Meowth ex, Mew ex, Shaymin, Tatsugiri and Munkidori all take a counter at every Pokémon Checkup while Froslass is in play. Think of the single-copy Ability Pokémon as the flex budget. If your field rewards a different tool, those slots and the one-of Supporters are where you make room. Leave the 4-4-3 search package and the 4 Lillie's Determination alone.

Opening Hands & Setup

What a Strong Opening Looks Like

Your opening is good when it does three things: puts at least two evolution Basics on the Bench, gives you a turn-one Supporter or a reliable way to find one, and lets you make a Mega Evolution with Energy on your second turn. Concretely:

• Best hands: any Basic plus Buddy-Buddy Poffin, plus Lillie's Determination or Tatsugiri. Buddy-Buddy Poffin grabs any two of Snorunt, Staryu, Budew, or Tatsugiri. It can't fetch Shaymin or Munkidori, which are above 70 HP, so pick those up with Poké Pad.
• Playable hands: a lone Basic with Ultra Ball or Poké Pad. These open slowly but recover once you find a Supporter. A hand with Meowth ex counts here even without a Supporter, because benching it from hand searches one out.
• Weak hands: a single Basic, no search, and no Supporter. You rebuild by drawing. If you drew Meowth ex but it is your only Basic and has to start Active, its Ability is gone: Last-Ditch Catch only works when you play it from hand onto the Bench.

Lillie's Determination draws 8 as long as you have exactly 6 Prize cards remaining. Early in the game it is your best Supporter. Spend your Items first, then play it, so you don't shuffle away search cards you could have used.

Choosing Your Active

1. Tatsugiri: Attract Customers only works from the Active Spot, and it looks at the top 6 cards for a Supporter every turn. This is the ideal start, especially going first, when the Ability still works even though you can't play the Supporter yet.
2. Budew: Retreat 0 and a free attack that stops your opponent from playing Items on their next turn. It is the strongest start going second. At 30 HP it is a liability to keep Active later, so plan to swap it out.
3. Staryu or Snorunt: Fine starts, since the Active one evolves in place on turn two. Prefer Snorunt if you plan to open with Mega Froslass ex. Mega Froslass ex has Retreat 1, while Mega Starmie ex has Retreat 2.
4. Shaymin or Munkidori: Acceptable pivots with Retreat 1, but both do more from the Bench.
5. Avoid if you have any choice: Meowth ex and Mew ex. Each gives up two Prize cards, and Meowth ex loses its search when it starts Active.

Turn-One Priorities

1. Bench before you play Risky Ruins. None of your Basics are Darkness type, so your own Stadium puts 2 damage counters on every Basic you Bench after it's in play. That leaves Snorunt and Staryu at 50 HP and Budew at 10. Play Buddy-Buddy Poffin and Poké Pad first, then the Stadium. The one exception is a deliberate setup for Munkidori. Adrena-Brain moves up to 3 damage counters from one of your Pokémon to one of your opponent's, so a counter-loaded Bench becomes damage you can redirect later.
2. Get two evolution lines down. The target board is two Snorunt and one Staryu, or the reverse, plus Munkidori once you can spare a Bench slot.
3. Attach Water to your turn-two attacker. Crispin going second is the cleanest Supporter here. It attaches Darkness Energy to Munkidori and puts Water Energy in hand, so your manual attachment goes on the Snorunt or Staryu you will evolve.
4. Use Meowth ex from hand if you have no Supporter. Grab Hilda when your turn two needs a Mega, or Lillie's Determination when your hand is thin.

Turn-Two Priorities

Hilda is the turn-two Supporter. It finds a Mega and an Energy in one card. Your attack options:

• Ignition Energy on Mega Starmie ex: One attachment provides three Colorless on an Evolution Pokémon, which pays for Nebula Beam (210, unaffected by Weakness, Resistance, or effects on the Defending Pokémon) with no Energy already in place. It discards at the end of your turn, so it only buys one attack.
• Water already attached, then Ignition Energy on Mega Froslass ex: Pays for Absolute Snow (150 and Asleep).
• Water only: Mega Starmie ex uses Jetting Blow for 120 plus 50 to a Benched Pokémon. Mega Froslass ex uses Resentful Refrain, which does 50 per card in your opponent's hand. Going second, their hand after turn one is often big enough that this hits harder than either of the other attacks.

Plan Froslass around Freezing Shroud. It also puts counters on your own Munkidori, Tatsugiri, Shaymin, Meowth ex, and Mew ex every Checkup. Only bring it down once your Ability Pokémon are doing their jobs or the counters are feeding Munkidori.

Going First or Second

Default to going second. The player going first can't play a Supporter or attack on their first turn. Going second, you get Lillie's Determination for 8 or Crispin on turn one, an Item-locking attack from Budew, and a turn-two Mega that can hit with Resentful Refrain against a full hand.

Go first when you know your opponent's setup depends on benching many non-Darkness Basics. Putting Risky Ruins down before their first turn makes every Basic they Bench take 2 counters, and those counters stack with Freezing Shroud and Adrena-Brain later. Against a Bench built mostly of Basic Pokémon ex with Abilities, such as Basic Box, an early Stadium wears down their whole board. Going first also works if your hand has Tatsugiri Active and Buddy-Buddy Poffin, since you can set up without a Supporter on turn one.

Sequencing & Key Lines

Turn One: Bench Order Matters More Than Bench Size

Your first turn is about sequencing your searches around your own Risky Ruins. Every Basic in this list is non-Darkness, so the Stadium tags your own Bench drops too. The default order:

1. Buddy-Buddy Poffin first. Take Snorunt plus Staryu, or a second Snorunt. Tatsugiri and Budew are also legal targets, but you rarely want them on the Bench.
2. Poké Pad for Munkidori. At 110 HP it can't come off Buddy-Buddy Poffin, so plan a Poké Pad or Ultra Ball for it every game.
3. Your Supporter. Crispin is the cleanest turn-one Supporter. It grabs Darkness and Water, attaches the Darkness Energy straight to Munkidori, and puts the Water in your hand for your manual attachment.
4. Risky Ruins last, or not at all. Play it after your Basics are down. Once it's in play, it punishes the opponent's later Bench drops instead of yours.

On the lead, start Tatsugiri when your hand lacks a Supporter. Attract Customers only works from the Active Spot, so use it before you retreat. Going second, Budew Active shuts off their Items with Itchy Pollen for zero Energy. Avoid leading Meowth ex or Mew ex unless forced, because an early Knock Out on either gives up two Prize cards for nothing.

Turn Two: The Hilda Branch

Hilda is your turn-two pivot. It finds an Evolution card and an Energy, and which pair you take decides your first attacker:

• Mega Starmie ex + Ignition Energy: On an Evolution Pokémon, Ignition Energy provides three Colorless Energy. That pays for Nebula Beam (210) off a single attachment. It discards at end of turn, so treat it as a one-shot burst.
• Mega Starmie ex + Water: Jetting Blow does 120 Active plus 50 to the Bench. Take this when you're setting up a two-Knock-Out turn rather than one big hit.
• Mega Froslass ex + Water: Resentful Refrain does 50 per card in their hand. Count their hand before you commit. Six cards means 300.

Before any attack, check Munkidori. With Darkness Energy attached, Adrena-Brain moves up to 3 damage counters from one of your Pokémon onto theirs. The Risky Ruins counters on your own Basics are ammunition: 210 from Nebula Beam plus 30 moved is 240, and the move happens before the attack. Always resolve Adrena-Brain first.

The Hand-Size Branch Point

Judge and Lucian fight directly against Resentful Refrain.

• Judge sets their hand to exactly 4, which locks Refrain at 200. Only play it before a Refrain turn if 200 plus your counter movement is enough.
• Lucian leaves them at 6 or 3 on a coin flip. Use it as disruption on turns you attack with Mega Starmie ex or Froslass, never before you rely on Refrain.
• Lillie's Determination draws 8 at exactly six Prize cards remaining. Spend your first copy before you take a Knock Out.

Playing Around Phantom Dive

Dragapult variants are the strategy you will face most (source: Limitless online Top 8s, Oct 5–19, 2026). Phantom Dive does 200 and places 6 damage counters on your Bench however they like. Do the math:

• A clean Snorunt or Staryu (70 HP) survives 6 counters. One that took 2 from Risky Ruins doesn't. Against Dragapult, think hard before letting your own Stadium soften your Bench. Evolve damaged Basics fast, and remember damage carries over when they evolve.
• Froslass's Freezing Shroud chips your own Ability Pokémon every Checkup: Munkidori, Shaymin, Meowth ex, Mew ex and Tatsugiri. Bench it only when the opponent's Abilities pay you back more than your own losses.
• Use Adrena-Brain defensively. Pull counters off whichever Benched Pokémon sits closest to Phantom Dive range and dump them on their side.
• Shaymin prevents damage to your Benched non-Rule-Box Pokémon. Phantom Dive's Bench effect places damage counters, so don't count on it there. Save Shaymin for opponents with attacks that deal Bench damage.
• Keep your Bench to what you need: two attackers, Munkidori, and one spare.

Against Dragapult ex's 320 HP, Refrain into a hand of six or more, plus Adrena-Brain, is your one-turn answer. Don't Judge that hand away.

What to Hold

• Scoop Up Cyclone: A Knocked Out Mega gives up three Prize cards (per the Mega Evolution ex rule, source: Scrydex rules listing). Scooping a damaged Mega Starmie ex or Mega Froslass ex denies that swing, and the evolution stack returns to your hand to rebuild.
• Meowth ex loop: Tuck Tail returns it to hand. Replaying it next turn searches another Supporter, which turns a single Boss's Orders into repeat access. You can only use one "Last-Ditch" Ability per turn.
• Boss's Orders: Hold it for turns that take Prizes. Jetting Blow's 50 to the Bench sets up the target for next turn's Boss.
• Air Balloon and Switch: Mega Starmie ex has Retreat 2, and Air Balloon makes it free. Save Switch to escape Asleep or Confused. Attach Bubbly Water Energy to your Water attacker if the opponent relies on Special Conditions.
• Mew ex tricks: Retreat 0 makes it a free pivot. Memory Helix lets it copy a Benched Budew's Itchy Pollen at no cost, or a Benched Mega Froslass ex's Refrain for one Water. That's a surprise attacker that never needed to evolve.

Matchup Matrix

Dragapult (all builds) — Even

Dragapult took 37 of 176 online Top 8 slots and won 9 of 22 events (source: Limitless TCG online platform, Oct 5–19, 2026). Expect it every round. Phantom Dive's 200 doesn't Knock Out either Mega, since Mega Froslass ex has 310 HP and Mega Starmie ex has 330. The danger is the 6 damage counters on your Bench. Shaymin won't help here: Flower Curtain prevents damage, and Phantom Dive places counters. A Snorunt or Staryu that took 2 counters from your own Risky Ruins has 50 HP left and is an easy pickup.

Evolve before you expose Basics. Bench only what you need, and hold Risky Ruins until your own Bench is built. The Prize trade works against you: Dragapult ex is worth two Prizes and each Mega is worth three. That means you need one-hit Knock Outs on its 320 HP:

• Lucian on heads leaves them 6 cards. Mega Froslass ex's Resentful Refrain then does 300, and Munkidori's 3 counters make 330.
• Mega Starmie ex's Nebula Beam does 210, plus 30 from Munkidori. Use this to set up a second hit.

Each partner build changes how Dragapult reaches its damage, not the plan above. For their side, see our Dragapult Standard guide, Dragapult Blaziken Standard guide and Dragapult Dusknoir Standard guide.

Basic Box — Favored

This deck is almost entirely Basic Pokémon ex, so Risky Ruins puts 2 counters on most of what it benches. Every list runs 3 Meowth ex, and Freezing Shroud ticks each one at every Pokémon Checkup.

The Tera rule only prevents attack damage to Benched Ogerpon. It doesn't stop Stadium counters or Munkidori's moved counters, so dump Adrena-Brain onto a Benched Tera. Don't waste Jetting Blow's 50 on a Benched Tera Ogerpon ex. Aim it at Raging Bolt ex, which is not Tera, or at Meowth ex.

Mega Kangaskhan ex needs three heads on Rapid-Fire Combo to Knock Out either of your Megas. Make it flip, and take its 3 Prizes back with Nebula Beam plus Absolute Snow. See our Basic Box Standard guide.

Lucario Hariyama — Even

Mega Brave's 270 can't Knock Out a Mega on its own, and it can't be used the next turn. Aura Jab's 130 still finishes the job, so both decks two-hit each other's 3-Prize Megas. Whoever starts the exchange usually wins it.

• Lead with Absolute Snow. The 150 damage plus Asleep forces them to wake up or switch before they can swing.
• Follow with Nebula Beam. 210 plus 150 clears Mega Lucario ex's 340.
• Keep Meowth ex off the Bench after Last-Ditch Catch. It has 170 HP and Fighting Weakness, so Aura Jab Knocks it Out. Pick it back up with Scoop Up Cyclone.

Their Riolu and Makuhita eat Risky Ruins counters. See our Lucario Hariyama Standard guide.

N's Zoroark — Even

N's Zoroark ex is Darkness type with 280 HP. Your Munkidori and Mew ex both have Darkness Weakness, so expect Boss's Orders-style pressure on them. Bench one Munkidori at a time.

Their own Munkidori is Psychic, so it takes Risky Ruins counters on entry and Freezing Shroud ticks every turn. Nebula Beam plus Adrena-Brain reaches 240, short of 280. For a one-turn Knock Out, use either:

• A heads-Lucian Resentful Refrain.
• Absolute Snow first, then a Nebula Beam to finish.

Single-Prize attackers — Unfavored

Two Mega Knock Outs end the game for them, while you need six separate Knock Outs. Win by taking two Prizes a turn:

• Jetting Blow's 50 onto a Basic already carrying 2 Risky Ruins counters Knocks Out anything with 70 HP while 120 hits the Active.
• Use Munkidori to finish a second target.
• Fire Resentful Refrain whenever their hand is bloated.
• Use Absolute Snow's Asleep to deny attacks while you catch up.

Stage 2 and Ability-reliant setup decks — Favored

Hit them before they evolve:

• Budew's Itchy Pollen shuts off their Items on the turn they need to search.
• Jetting Blow and Risky Ruins pick off Basics on the Bench.
• Freezing Shroud grinds down every Ability Pokémon they rely on.

Freezing Shroud also hits your Munkidori, Meowth ex, Shaymin, Tatsugiri and Mew ex. Use Scoop Up Cyclone to rescue the one that matters.

Tech Choices & Variations

Most of this 60 cannot be changed. The Snorunt and Staryu lines, four Buddy-Buddy Poffin, four Poké Pad, four Lillie's Determination and the Munkidori pair are the engine, and cutting any of them makes your setup fail more often. The real choices are in the single-copy Pokémon, the disruption Supporters, the Stadium count and the Energy split.

The Flex Slots at a Glance

Judge vs. Lucian

Choose this slot based on Resentful Refrain. After Judge, your opponent holds exactly 4 cards, so Mega Froslass ex hits for a guaranteed 200 that same turn. After Lucian, their hand is 6 on heads (300) or 3 on tails (150). That is a higher ceiling, but you can't plan a knockout around it. If your field is full of big single attackers you need to take down on a known number, run the second Judge. Keep Lucian if you mostly want to wreck a set-up hand and can live with a random damage output.

Tatsugiri and the Ability Tax

The deck can't pay Surf, because it plays no Fire Energy. That makes Tatsugiri a pure Active-Spot search card. It has an Ability, so Freezing Shroud hits it. It is also a non-Darkness Basic, so Risky Ruins places counters on it if you bench it. If you find your opening Active is usually Snorunt or Staryu anyway, the fourth Hilda does more work. It finds the Stage 1 and the Energy in one card.

Mobility Package

Air Balloon takes Mega Starmie ex from a Retreat Cost of 2 to 0, so it is the last mobility card to cut. Switch and Scoop Up Cyclone overlap. Scoop Up Cyclone also picks up a damaged Meowth ex so you can replay it for another Supporter search. If you need a slot, Switch is the weaker of the two.

Tuning for Your Local Field

Dragapult-heavy rooms. 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). Phantom Dive places 6 damage counters across your Bench. Placed damage counters are not attack damage, so Shaymin doesn't stop them. Your own Risky Ruins puts 2 counters on every Snorunt and Staryu you bench, which makes your Bench easier to knock out. Against this field, swap Shaymin for a third Munkidori so you can move counters off threatened Basics. Consider dropping to 2 Risky Ruins, and only play one after your Bench is already built.

Basic Box rooms. All 17 Basic Box Top 8 lists ran 4 Ultra Ball and 4 Energy Switch, along with 3–4 Area Zero Underdepths (source: Limitless TCG online platform, Oct 5–19, 2026). Their Item count makes Itchy Pollen worth a second Budew. Mega Kangaskhan ex is Colorless, so Risky Ruins taxes it. A fourth Ruins helps you win the Stadium war against Underdepths.

N's Zoroark rooms. Sample N's Zoroark lists include Munkidori, whose Mind Bend Confuses your Active (source: Limitless TCG online platform, Oct 5–19, 2026). Keep both Bubbly Water Energy. A Water attacker with one attached can't be affected by Special Conditions, so don't trim them for raw Energy count.

Lucario Hariyama rooms. Mega Lucario ex is Fighting type, and Meowth ex has Fighting Weakness ×2. Keep the single copy, but bench it only when the Supporter it finds wins the turn. If your local field leans this way, take the Switch slot rather than the Meowth ex slot.

Budget Options

At about $25 (TCGplayer market prices; approximate), this list is already priced like a budget deck. You trim it for a binder, not a wallet. The goal is to know which slots can bend if you are missing copies, and which ones you have to own before the deck functions at all.

Where the Cost Likely Sits

Cost likely concentrates in the Rule Box Pokémon and the staple Supporter:

• Mega Froslass ex and Mega Starmie ex: the two attacking lines. These are non-negotiable.
• Meowth ex and Mew ex: single-copy utility Pokémon ex.
• Munkidori: the damage-moving engine piece.
• Lillie's Determination: a four-of draw Supporter that tends to be a shared staple.

Everything else is common evolution fodder, Basic search Items, and Energy. If you play several decks in the format, you may already own much of it.

Do Not Cut

• Both Mega lines at two copies each. Mega Starmie ex provides your Weakness-proof, effect-proof Nebula Beam. Mega Froslass ex provides Resentful Refrain and Absolute Snow. The deck's two-axis plan collapses if either line drops to one.
• Froslass. Freezing Shroud is what generates damage counters for Munkidori to move. It is also cheap, so keep both copies.
• Ignition Energy. On an Evolution Pokémon it provides three Colorless Energy. That turns a single attachment into Nebula Beam for the turn, and there is no substitute for that tempo.
• The search package. Keep Buddy-Buddy Poffin, Poké Pad, Hilda, and Ultra Ball. These are cheap and they are the consistency.

Acceptable Swaps

Every replacement below comes from inside the existing list, so you are only shifting counts.

Swap Traps

• If you cut a Munkidori, keep all three Darkness Energy. Adrena-Brain needs Darkness Energy attached. Running thin on both makes the surviving copy unreliable.
• Do not cut Munkidori to zero. Without it, the counters that Froslass and Risky Ruins put on your own Pokémon are pure cost with no payoff. At that point you are playing a different, worse deck.
• Do not cut Risky Ruins to save on singles. It is part of the damage-counter plan, not a cosmetic Stadium.

Upgrade Path

1. Core shell: both Mega lines with their Basics, Froslass, the full Item and Hilda package, Ignition Energy, and Risky Ruins. This plays real games.
2. Two Munkidori plus all three Darkness Energy: the biggest single jump in power, because it turns passive chip damage into Knock Outs.
3. Four Lillie's Determination: fixes the clunky draws that budget Supporter counts create.
4. Meowth ex: adds turn-one Supporter access on top of the existing search.
5. Bubbly Water Energy: pick these up once Special Conditions show up in your local field.
6. Mew ex last: it is the most marginal slot, and the 2nd Switch covers most of its pivot role in the meantime.

Stop at step 3 and you already have a tournament-viable list. Steps 4 through 6 smooth out draws and add options rather than changing what the deck does.

Common Mistakes

1. Forgetting Freezing Shroud hits your own Bench

Froslass puts a damage counter on every Pokémon with an Ability during each Pokémon Checkup, and that includes yours. Munkidori, Meowth ex, Mew ex, Shaymin and Tatsugiri all bleed every turn it stays in play, and with both Froslass down they take two counters per Checkup. If you dump your whole engine onto the Bench and then evolve into Froslass, you are handing the opponent cheap Knock Outs. Before evolving, count which of your Ability Pokémon actually need to stay in play. Use Scoop Up Cyclone to reset a damaged Meowth ex or Mew ex before it becomes a Prize liability. Use Adrena-Brain to move counters off your own damaged Pokémon onto the opponent's side instead of letting them pile up.

2. Running Munkidori without Darkness Energy

Adrena-Brain does nothing unless Munkidori has a Darkness Energy attached. Players bench Munkidori, spend their attachment on a Water attacker, and leave the damage-moving engine idle for a turn. Your three Darkness Energy belong on Munkidori first unless that attachment is the difference between attacking and not attacking. Plan the Hilda or Crispin Energy pick around this. Crispin can find a Darkness Energy alongside a different Basic Energy type, and that pair often fixes both needs at once.

3. Benching into your own Risky Ruins

Risky Ruins places 2 damage counters on any Basic non-Darkness Pokémon put onto the Bench during its owner's turn. That covers every Basic in this list: Munkidori is Psychic, not Darkness, and it takes the counters too. Dropping the Stadium before your Buddy-Buddy Poffin turn puts your 70-HP Snorunt and Staryu at 50 HP, right where Bench spread finishes them. Sequence your Bench first and play Risky Ruins after. The best timing is the turn the opponent has open Bench space they need to fill. Keep one more point in mind against Dragapult: Shaymin only prevents damage from attacks. Phantom Dive puts damage counters, which isn't damage, so Shaymin does not protect your Basics from it.

4. Shrinking the hand you're about to punish

Resentful Refrain deals 50 per card in your opponent's hand. A Judge sets their hand to 4, which caps the attack at 200. Lucian leaves them at 3 or 6 depending on their coin flip. Both are fine disruption, but playing either one on the turn you need a big Resentful Refrain is self-sabotage. Count their hand before choosing your Supporter. If the current hand size already gets the Knock Out, play Lillie's Determination or Boss's Orders instead. Save Judge for turns when you're attacking with Absolute Snow or one of Mega Starmie ex's attacks, which don't care how many cards they hold.

5. Wasting the 8-card Lillie's Determination

Lillie's Determination draws 8 only while you have exactly 6 Prize cards remaining. Once you take your first Prize, that window closes for good. If your hand is weak early, use the draw-8 before you start taking Prizes. Don't spend your Supporter on a marginal Boss's Orders for a single-Prize Knock Out and then crack Lillie's for 6 a turn later. Also remember it shuffles your hand away first. Play your Items, especially Buddy-Buddy Poffin, Poké Pad and Ultra Ball, before you shuffle.

6. Misplaying Ignition Energy

Ignition Energy provides three Colorless Energy only on an Evolution Pokémon, and it discards itself at the end of your turn. On a Basic it is a single Colorless Energy that vanishes. Its purpose is an immediate Nebula Beam from Mega Starmie ex, or covering Absolute Snow's cost on Mega Froslass ex. Attach it only on the turn you attack with it, and only to the Mega that's swinging. You have one copy, so don't spend it on an attack your other Energy could already pay for.

7. Aiming Jetting Blow at Pokémon that ignore it

The 50 Bench damage from Jetting Blow is attack damage. Against Basic Box, a Benched Teal Mask or Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex prevents all attack damage while on the Bench under the Tera rule (source: Limitless card pages, accessed 2026-10-19). Don't target them. Put that 50 on a non-Tera ex instead, or set up for a later Knock Out. Damage counters from Adrena-Brain, Froslass and Risky Ruins aren't attack damage, so those are how you pressure a Benched Tera.

8. Giving away 3 Prizes on a Mega

Mega Froslass ex and Mega Starmie ex each give up 3 Prize cards when Knocked Out under the Mega Evolution Pokémon ex rule (source: Scrydex card rules listing, accessed 2026-10-19). Two of those finish most games for your opponent. Don't promote an unready Mega just to stall. Lead into big hits with single-Prize Basics or Froslass when you can't take a Knock Out back. Before passing, check whether a damaged Mega can be saved with Scoop Up Cyclone or cleaned up with Adrena-Brain.

Tournament Prep & Final Notes

What to Practice

• Counter math, every turn. Your damage comes from attacks plus damage counters that build up between turns, so learn the attack numbers by heart. Nebula Beam does 210. Absolute Snow does 150. Jetting Blow does 120 to the Active and 50 to a Benched Pokémon. Resentful Refrain does 50 per card in your opponent's hand. A Munkidori activation adds up to 3 counters on top of any of these. Before you attack, count the board: what is already on each target, and how many Pokémon Checkups it will sit through.
• Dragapult reps first. Dragapult took 37 of 176 online Top 8 slots, made Top 8 in 20 of 22 events, and won 9 of them (source: Limitless TCG online platform, Oct 5–19, 2026). Dragapult ex has 320 HP, so neither Nebula Beam nor Nebula Beam plus one Adrena-Brain knocks it out from full. Practice setting up the two-hit Knock Out. Also practice deciding which of your 70 HP Basics you can afford to expose to Phantom Dive's 6 spread counters.
• Basic Box reps second. Basic Box took 17 slots and won 3 of those events (source: Limitless TCG online platform, Oct 5–19, 2026). Its lists are almost entirely Basic Pokémon ex, including three copies of Meowth ex. Every one of those Meowth ex takes 2 counters from Risky Ruins when benched and 1 more from each Froslass at every Checkup. Practice going after its Ability Pokémon before they fall back.
• Supporter routing. Meowth ex and Tatsugiri turn your Pokémon into Supporter searches. Drill choosing the right Supporter for the turn ahead: Hilda for the Mega, Boss's Orders for the Knock Out, or Judge for disruption.

Rules Interactions to Know Cold

• Freezing Shroud hits your side too. Each Checkup, every Pokémon with an Ability takes 1 counter. That includes your Munkidori, Meowth ex, Mew ex, Shaymin and Tatsugiri. Only Froslass is exempt. With two Froslass in play, each one's Ability applies, so plan for double chip on your own support Pokémon.
• Risky Ruins is not one-sided. It hits any Basic non-Darkness Pokémon put onto the Bench during its owner's turn, and none of your Pokémon are Darkness type. A Buddy-Buddy Poffin for Snorunt and Staryu costs 2 counters on each. A benched Budew drops to 10 HP.
• Self-damage is ammunition. Adrena-Brain moves counters from any one of your Pokémon. Counters placed by Risky Ruins or Freezing Shroud can become damage on the opponent's side. Each Munkidori needs Darkness Energy attached to use it. The move is not an attack, so the Tera rule's protection of benched Ogerpon ex against attack damage does not stop it. The same goes for Freezing Shroud's counters.
• Ignition on an Evolution provides three Colorless Energy. One attachment to Mega Starmie ex pays for Nebula Beam outright. It is discarded at the end of your turn, so attack that turn or waste it.
• Nebula Beam ignores effects on the opponent's Active. It also ignores Weakness and Resistance. Reach for it when the Active is protected by an effect.
• Disruption Supporters set Resentful Refrain's damage. After Judge, your opponent holds exactly 4 cards, so Refrain does 200. After Lucian, they hold 6 or 3 cards depending on their flip. Play the Supporter, count their hand, then choose between Refrain and Absolute Snow.
• Rule Box limits. Poké Pad cannot find Meowth ex, Mew ex or either Mega. Ultra Ball can. Last-Ditch Catch only triggers when Meowth ex is played from your hand onto the Bench. Scoop Up Cyclone or Tuck Tail returns it to your hand for another search.
• Prize exposure. Mega Pokémon ex give up 3 Prize cards when Knocked Out. Mew ex copying Resentful Refrain or Jetting Blow from the Bench gives up only 2. Retreat 0 lets it pivot back out freely.
• Bubbly Water protects only Water Pokémon. On a Mega it blocks all Special Conditions. On Mew ex or Munkidori it still provides Water Energy, but its Special Condition immunity does nothing.
• Lillie's Determination draws 8 only at exactly 6 Prizes. Fire it early when you can. Once you have taken a Prize, it draws 6.

Clock and Pace

The deck is search-heavy. A normal setup turn can involve Buddy-Buddy Poffin, Poké Pad, Ultra Ball, a Meowth ex search and a Tatsugiri look. Each one adds a shuffle and a choice. Map the whole turn before your first action:

• Which Mega you are building.
• Which Energy goes where.
• Which Supporter you are taking.
• How many counters your attack needs.

In paper, announce every Freezing Shroud trigger out loud at each Checkup, on both boards. A missed counter is a missed Knock Out, and forgotten triggers are exactly what create disputes in a long match.

Final Assessment

This list wins on layered damage. Attack damage, spread, Stadium chip and Checkup chip all add together, and Munkidori converts your own self-damage into reach. Two different Megas give you a clean answer to big single targets (Nebula Beam) and to full hands (Resentful Refrain). The Supporter-search package keeps the engine consistent without many draw Items.

The costs are real:

• Your own Ability Pokémon bleed every turn.
• Your Basics start fragile under your own Risky Ruins.
• Every Mega you lose hands over 3 Prize cards.

Pilots who track counters precisely will win the Knock Out races this deck is built to win. Pilots who don't will lose to their own chip damage. The deck's 1st place finish in a 168-player field, at roughly $25, makes it one of the best-value picks you can register. Put the reps into the Dragapult and Basic Box games before your event.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Starmie Froslass deck win games?

It puts damage counters on the board from several sources at once with Froslass, Risky Ruins and Munkidori, then takes Prize cards with Mega Starmie ex and Mega Froslass ex. By the midgame your Boss's Orders targets are already damaged, so your attacks take Knock Outs your opponent didn't plan for.

Why does Munkidori matter so much in this deck?

With a Darkness Energy attached, Adrena-Brain moves up to 3 damage counters from one of your Pokémon to one of the opponent's, once per turn. It turns the counters that Freezing Shroud and Risky Ruins put on your own side into ammunition. Without it, those counters are pure cost with no payoff.

When should I play Judge or Lucian before Resentful Refrain?

Judge leaves the opponent at exactly 4 cards, so Resentful Refrain does 200, while Lucian leaves them at 6 or 3 on a coin flip. Count their hand first. If the current hand size already gets the Knock Out, play a different Supporter and save Judge for turns you attack with Absolute Snow or Mega Starmie ex.

Should I play Risky Ruins before or after benching my Basics?

Bench your Basics first and play Risky Ruins after. Every Basic in the list is non-Darkness, so the Stadium puts 2 counters on your own Snorunt and Staryu too, dropping them to 50 HP. The exception is a deliberate setup to feed counters to Munkidori.

What are the hardest matchups for Starmie Froslass?

Single-Prize attackers are unfavored because each Mega gives up 3 Prize cards, so you need to take two Prizes a turn. Dragapult, Lucario Hariyama and N's Zoroark are rated even. Against Dragapult, the danger is Phantom Dive's 6 damage counters on a Bench softened by your own Risky Ruins.

What are good budget swaps if I'm missing cards for this deck?

The list is already about $25, and every swap comes from inside it. If you're missing Mew ex, play a 2nd Switch. If you're missing Meowth ex, play a 4th Hilda, and if you're missing Bubbly Water Energy, play Water Energy. Never cut Munkidori to zero, and keep both Mega lines at two copies.

How should I use Ignition Energy?

On an Evolution Pokémon, Ignition Energy provides three Colorless Energy, so it pays for Nebula Beam on a fresh Mega Starmie ex. Paired with a Water, it pays for Absolute Snow on Mega Froslass ex. It discards at the end of your turn, so attach it only on the turn that attack actually takes a Knock Out.

What should I practice before taking this deck to a tournament?

Practice counter math every turn: the attack numbers, what is already on each target, and how many Checkups it will sit through. Put your reps into the Dragapult games first and the Basic Box games second. Also drill Supporter routing with Meowth ex and Tatsugiri.

Metagame Context

Built from ImArthz's 1st Place list at Amyverse PTCG Live Weekly #18 Cash Prize! (168 players, 2026-10-21), 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.