Leafeon ex & Celebi ex Might Be the Biggest Disappointment of the A2a Set

Eeveelutions have consistently shaped the Pokemon TCG Pocket metagame, and Leafeon ex is no exception. Its rise reaffirms that every new ex Eeveelution introduction brings significant shifts—just like the one unfolding with Leafeon ex's arrival.

Eeveelutions have consistently shaped the Pokemon TCG Pocket metagame, and Leafeon ex is no exception. Its rise reaffirms that every new ex Eeveelution introduction brings significant shifts—just like the one unfolding with Leafeon ex's arrival.

If you follow Pokemon TCG Pocket's competitive scene, you've likely noticed Leafeon ex steadily climbing the ranks, currently holding a 7.5% meta share, with projections reaching 8.5% to 9% soon.

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For those interested in understanding the Leafeon ex meta and the decks where it excels, this guide provides a detailed analysis of its competitive performance and the blueprint for building the ultimate Leafeon ex deck.

The Best Deck for Leafeon ex

In the current metagame, the best deck for Leafeon ex is a basic Celebi ex setup, but with Water as the primary Energy instead of Grass. This allows for the inclusion of Irida as a secondary healer alongside Erika. Other essential cards in this lineup include Cyrus, Sabrina, and Giant Cape, which complement the overall strategy.

Here's the complete decklist:

This Leafeon ex build is a classic example of an "energizer" or "engine" archetype, similar to Magnezone & Skarmory ex or Darkrai ex & Greninja. The goal is to stall and create a large Energy bank on Leafeon ex, aiming for at least four to five Energy by the third or fourth turn.

How the Leafeon ex & Celebi ex Meta Works

Leafeon ex & Celebi ex follows a classic TCG Pocket strategy: energize, stall, and attack. A similar approach was used in Magnezone & Darkrai ex decks, where Magnezone built itself up with self-energizing Magneton. However, Leafeon ex & Celebi ex put a unique spin on this by utilizing non-Grass Energy.

Leafeon ex's meta decks rely on Water-type Energy, allowing them to include Irida as an additional healer Supporter, making these setups highly durable. Here's how the strategy unfolds:

Step One: Energizing Primary Attackers

Ideally, you open with Leafeon ex, giving you the option to build up either the Active Spot (Leafeon ex itself) or a Bench-sitter—preferably Celebi ex.

Both Leafeon ex and Celebi ex require only one Grass-type Energy. Once each has its initial Grass Energy, you can choose to ramp them with Water Energy from the Zone or Grass Energy generated by Leafeon ex. (Each turn provides two Energy attachments, so allocate them wisely.)

Step Two: Dealing Damage and Stalling

With at least three Energy on Leafeon ex, you can start dealing 70 (up to 90) damage. Meanwhile, the goal is to stall and stack Energy on Celebi ex. To do this, you have two options:

* Use Benched Cyrus to move an Energy from Leafeon ex to Celebi ex.

* Use Giant Cape to copy Leafeon ex's ability, generating an additional Grass-type Energy. This copy of the ability can be used to provide more Energy to Celebi ex.

Step Three: Finishing Off with a Ramped Celebi ex

Once Celebi ex has enough Energy, switch attackers and go for high burst damage. Celebi ex flips a coin for each Energy attached to it, dealing 50 damage per heads. Landing three heads results in 150 DMG, making it highly effective against all meta threats.

Since Celebi ex will likely have a few Water-type Energies attached, you can take advantage of both Irida and Erika to keep it healed and sustain its presence on the field.

Leafeon ex Meta Performance Report

The unique twist of using Water-type Energy and Irida as a healer has allowed Leafeon ex decks to rise through TCG Pocket's metagame with ease. While its impact hasn't been as significant as Arceus ex, the other emerging Triumphant Light star, Leafeon ex has still secured a spot among the top five decks in the game in a short time.

A key factor behind Leafeon ex's success is its strong performance against several meta-dominating decks from the previous expansion. On average, Leafeon ex decks have a 65% win rate against Magnezone & Skarmory, Pachirisu ex (18-Trainer), and Darkrai ex & Greninja—decks that were among the most formidable setups before the A2a set.

How to Counter Leafeon ex