In a meta dominated by powerful 2-prize ex attackers, Ethan’s Typhlosion offers a glimmer of hope to players looking for a 1-prize attacker that can keep up with the pace of this ex ecosystem.
Centered around the main attacker of the Stage 2 card, Ethan’s Typhlosion, the Typhlosion line mostly has its self-sustaining engine, allowing it to reach its maximum damage output quickly.
The deck comprises 2 main pieces: the Ethan’s Typhlosion line, and the Supporter card, Ethan’s Adventure.
Ethan’s Typhlosion Decklist
Pokémon: 20
4 Ethan's Cyndaquil DRI 32
3 Ethan's Typhlosion DRI 34
4 Ethan's Quilava DRI 33
3 Dreepy TWM 128
3 Drakloak TWM 129
1 Budew PRE 4
1 Shaymin DRI 10
1 Victini SSP 21
Trainer: 34
4 Ethan's Adventure DRI 165
3 Arven OBF 186
2 Boss's Orders PAL 172
2 Iono PAL 185
1 Professor's Research JTG 155
4 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144
3 Ultra Ball SVI 196
2 Night Stretcher SFA 61
2 Rare Candy SVI 191
1 Super Rod PAL 188
1 Picnic Basket SVI 184
1 Redeemable Ticket JTG 156
1 Counter Catcher PAR 160
1 Secret Box TWM 163
2 Technical Machine: Evolution PAR 178
1 Vitality Band SVI 197
2 Gravity Mountain SSP 177
1 Artazon PAL 171
Energy: 6
6 Fire Energy SVE 10How to Play
This deck heavily relies on Ethan’s Typhlosion as the win condition. It’s a Stage 2 Pokémon, so we’ll want to have Ethan’s Cyndaquil in play as early as possible and evolve it into Ethan’s Quilava before getting Ethan’s Typhlosion in play. Buddy-Buddy Poffin are great to draw our Ethan’s Cyndaquil.
We can skip the Stage 1 evolution using Rare Candy, getting Ethan’s Typhlosion in play a turn earlier than expected.
For Ethan’s Typhlosion to swing its maximum damage of 280 through Buddy Blast attack, you need all 4 copies of Ethan’s Adventure in the discard pile, all for a single energy attached. To quickly draw and/or discard Ethan’s Adventure, look no further than Ethan’s Quilava and its ability, Bonded By The Journey, which searches a copy of Ethan’s Adventure to put into your hand. Depending on how quickly you set up your board with multiple Ethan’s Quilavas, you could see all 4 of your Ethan’s Adventures in your discard pile within the first 2 turns.
With discard cards like Professor’s Research and Ultra Balls, you can quickly discard Ethan’s Adventure to start hitting for your full damage with Ethan’s Typhlosion’s Buddy Blast.
Ethan’s Typhlosion still has Steam Artillery as a secondary attack, but it’s a high-cost attack that deals only 160 damage, so our game plan usually revolves around getting those Ethan’s Adventure in the discard pile as early as possible.
What happens if a copy of Ethan’s Adventure is prized? Well, Redeemable Ticket can bail you out by shuffling your prizes back into your deck. It is a guaranteed return to the deck, as you only place the original prize cards at the bottom of your deck and then put back the same number of cards from the top of your deck for prizes. Furthermore, Redeemable Ticket is searchable by Arven, making it very easy to take out the prized Ethan’s Adventure.
That makes up the core of Ethan’s Typhlosion deck. The next portion that players have been experimenting with is to see what complements Ethan’s Typhlosion.
Easier Knockouts
Victini is the first of the many damage modifiers that are often included in Ethan’s Typhlosion decks, usually having at least 1 copy. Victini’s ability adds 10 extra damage to Evolution Fire-type Pokemon, bringing Ethan’s Typhlosion’s Buddy Blast total damage to 290 with 1 Victini on the bench.
Gravity Mountain helps you set up your 1-hit KOs on Gardevoir ex and Grimmsnarl ex decks as it reduces Stage 2’s HPs by 30. While this includes your own Ethan’s Typhlosion, most, if not all, attackers in the current meta hit for around 200 anyway, so having that 30 less HP will rarely make a difference. If anything, it makes more difference for your opponents than for yourself, for sure.
Finally, as the deck strictly only attacks with Buddy Blast, which only requires 1 energy, and with Ethan’s Adventure searching you out the Fire energy anyway, you wouldn’t need to run more than 7 copies of the Fire Energy, considering you will likely only need up to 4 Ethan’s Typhlosion to attack, which just adds up to 4 Fire Energy required. You can even consider playing just 5 Fire Energy.
Drakloak Support
In comparison, Drakloak’s Recon Directive allows you to choose 1 of the top 2 cards of your deck to put into your hand. With 2 or even 3 Drakloaks on the bench, you will see yourself drawing multiple extra cards per turn. While it may seem like a straight-up upgrade compared to Dudunsparce, Drakloak eats up bench space, does not return to the deck, and requires great bench management, as you would also need to save bench space for your next Ethan’s Typhlosion to attack, Victini for bonus damage, potentially Shaymin, Iron Bundle, or even a Budew that you included in your deck that did not get KOed.
For players who are willing to play 2-prize Pokémon, the options are aplenty, although it appears players lean towards the following.
Gust Cards
Boss’s Orders and Counter Catcher are useful tools to help you catch up when you’re behind on prizes. You can force a 2-prize point Pokémon to the Active spot, allowing you to knock it out with Buddy Blast, getting more Prize Cards to win the game and potentially shutting down your opponent’s strategy.
Other Cards to Include
Depending on the phase of the game, you could get behind in prizes, but given the deck is normally only giving up 1 prize at a time, attaching Defiance Band to your attacking Ethan’s Typhlosion, can hit for 310 before Victini or any other modifiers, assuming you are behind in prizes. Taking a 2-prize Pokémon here should turn the tide in your favour, and keep your pace in the prize exchange.
Single-Prize-Pokemon-Only Version
Dudunsparce Support
Firstly, some players are keen to maintain the single-prize-only deck structure, and as such, that rules out any support cards like Fezandipiti ex and Mew ex. Instead, the 2 available draw engines are Dudunsparce with its Run Away Draw ability, and Drakloak’s Recon Directive. Run Away Draw sends Dudunsparce back into the deck, not discard pile, meaning this ability can be constantly reused, and lets you draw 3 cards, arguably an easier condition to fulfill compared to Fezandipiti ex’s ability. However, one downside to having a Dudunsparce is that after you have used the ability and you no longer have it on the bench as an option to activate, you become vulnerable to a late-game Iono, which could brick your hand and cost you the game.
2-Prize Pokemon Support
Pidgeot ex
For starters, Pidgeot ex and its Quick Search ability are always fantastic to have. Having the option to always search out any card from the deck is always a massive luxury, and can easily turn the game in your favor. Not to mention Pidgeot ex has 0 retreat cost, which is a bonus, as you do not need to have Rescue Board in your deck.
Next would be a card that needs no introduction. Fezandipiti ex’s Flip The Script allows you to draw 3 cards if your opponent got a KO in the previous turn. Immediately after the first KO, you can search Fezandipiti ex and place it on your bench. Unlike other decks that have ex Pokemon as their main attackers, you can maximize the value of Fezandipiti ex’s ability as you can use it up to 5 times in a game, assuming your opponents constantly KO your Ethan’s Typhlosion instead of any of your 2-prize Pokemon.
Another support card that complements Ethan’s Typhlosion ex would be N’s Zoroark ex. Trade allows you to draw 2 cards after you discard a card from your hand, which gives you the option of discarding an Ethan’s Adventure to draw 2 cards.
To round it off, let’s take a quick look at some other cards that are beneficial to have in a deck running Ethan’s Typhlosion.
Closing Words
Having a viable and competitive 1-prize attacker deck is a breath of fresh air in the current meta. Hopefully, as more sets are released in the future, Ethan’s Typhlosion decks will rise in stock and potentially see greater tournament results.
