Rayquaza GX (TCG)

Rayquaza GX
Rayquaza-GX and Tapu Koko ♢ Types used Major cards Rayquaza-GX Era 2017–2019

Rayquaza GX was a Pokémon Trading Card Game deck archetype played during the very end of the 2017-2018 season, remaining as a contender through the whole 2018-2019 season. The deck's strategy revolved around Rayquaza-GX's potential to deal damage for each energy in the player's Pokémon and its Ability to attach energies to itself when put into play. Rayquaza GX's best results were 1st place in the Masters Division at the 2018 Japan Championships and 4th, 5th and 7th places in the Masters Division at the 2018 Pokémon Trading Card Game World Championships. Semifinalist Pedro Eugenio Torres' version was printed as a promotional World Championships deck, Dragones y Sombras.

Strategy

Rayquaza GX offered a very solid strategy through its main attacker: Rayquaza-GX's Stormy Winds Ability allowed the player to attach a basic energy from the discard pile when put into play with the drawback of discarding cards from the deck and its Dragon Break Attack dealt 30 damage times the number of each and energies in the player's Pokémon. Supporting Pokémon would be played along as secondary attackers, speed up energy attachments or to allow the player to draw all possible Rayquaza-GX from their deck. Max Elixir was a great way to power up benched Pokémon and allowed a big swing with the right setup on the player's first turn. Tapu Koko ♢ and Shaymin ♢ were also late but notable additions to the archetype.

Key cards

• Rayquaza-GX - When played in the field, Rayquaza-GX's Stormy Winds Ability could discard the top 3 cards from the player's deck and attach a basic energy to itself, even if not one of those discarded cards. Its Dragon Break attack could knock out most Basic Pokémon-EX and Pokémon-GX with 6 basic and energies in the player's Pokémon.
• Marshadow -Its Let Loose Ability was a cheap way to redraw cards with a non-GX Pokémon.
• Tapu Koko ♢ - Its Dance of the Ancients Ability allowed the player to attach more energies to benched Pokémon.
• Shaymin ♢ - A secondary attacker with free retreat cost and a similar attack to Rayquaza-GX.
• Max Elixir - Played for a chance to attach basic energies from the deck to benched Rayquaza-GX.

Typical decklist

Max Elixir

Pedro Eugenio Torres' decklist at the 2018 World Championships

Quantity	Card	Type	Rarity
4×	Rayquaza
1×	Xurkitree
2×	Marshadow
1×	Tapu Lele
1×	Oranguru
3×	Acro Bike	I
1×	Escape Rope	I
2×	Field Blower	I
4×	Max Elixir	I
4×	Mysterious Treasure	I
4×	Puzzle of Time	I
2×	Rescue Stretcher	I
1×	Super Rod	I
2×	Ultra Ball	I
3×	Choice Band	I
2×	Float Stone	I
4×	Guzma	Su
1×	Lillie	Su
4×	Professor Sycamore	Su
7×	Grass Energy	E	—
7×	Lightning Energy	E	—

Possible tech cards

Tapu Koko-GX

The following cards were often used in Rayquaza GX in place of certain cards included in the above lists.

• Xurkitree-GX - A secondary attacker which was immune to Pokémon with special energies.
• Tapu Koko-GX - Tapu Koko-GX's Ability allowed the player to move energies to itself and switch to the active position when played in the field, attacking faster than Rayquaza-GX in some situations.
• Vikavolt - Played with the loss of Max Elixir in some lists to power up the deck's attackers.
• Ho-Oh-EX - In the Expanded format, Ho-Oh-EX could return from the discard pile into play along with and energies attached to itself.
• Zeraora-GX - Free retreat cost to Pokémon with energies.

This article is part of Project TCG, a Bulbapedia project that aims to report on every aspect of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.