Cigar Funhouse

[frappier]

Hitmonchan ex (B1 Mega Rising) brings fast Pokémon TCG Pocket pressure: Quick Straight hits 50 for 1 Fighting, ignores Weakness, and pairs with Lucario buffs to bully early boards and set up Rampardos KOs.

I keep seeing the same thing in B1 Mega Rising games: someone flips a Basic ex, attaches one Energy, and the pace of the match changes right away. Hitmonchan ex does that. No "wait three turns and hope you draw the pieces" vibe. It's just pressure, instantly. If you're the type who likes to keep your grind smooth, it also pairs well with how people stock up between sessions using EZNPC for quick access to in-game currency and items, then hop back in and play fast lines without messing around.

Why Quick Straight Feels So Annoying

Quick Straight is the whole point. One Fighting Energy for 50 is clean math, and that "ignores Weakness" line is less of a nerf than it looks. You're not gambling on matchups to hit big spikes; you're planning turns. Fifty picks off a lot of early Basics, and it forces awkward decisions. Do they bench a fragile setup piece and risk losing it. Do they promote something bulkier and slow themselves down. You'll notice opponents start retreating earlier than they want, or they'll burn a switch effect just to stop the bleeding.

Turning 50 Into Real Threat

Of course, 50 alone won't delete chunky ex cards. That's where the "boring" boosts win games. Lucario's aura-style damage bump is the one that makes the deck feel unfair, because now your one-Energy poke isn't a poke anymore. Add Giovanni and suddenly you're landing numbers that actually change prize races. The best part is how little you commit: you're not over-attaching Energy, so you don't feel crushed when a Hitmonchan has to bail out or gets answered. You just send up the next attacker and keep the same tempo.

Simple List, Clear Job Roles

Keeping the list tight matters with a 20-card limit. I like starting with 2 Hitmonchan ex so you see it early, then building a straightforward finisher plan behind it. Rampardos is perfect for that "close the door" moment: bench Cranidos, hold Rare Candy, and threaten the jump straight into the big hit when the opponent finally stabilises. Professor's Research is your reset button when your hand gets clunky, and Sabrina is the card that turns "almost" knockouts into real ones by dragging up something that can't take the next swing.

Piloting Tips and Matchup Reality

The deck plays best when you treat retreating as a weapon, not a panic button. If Hitmonchan's about to get dropped, pulling it back can deny prizes and buy you one more clean attack with a fresh body. Lightning-weak and slow setup decks tend to fold under the early hits, but Psychic matchups can get messy fast, especially into Mew ex. That's when you pivot, keep your bench flexible, and look for lines that don't rely on Fighting damage alone while you check what you're missing and top up what you need from Pokemon TCG Pocket Cards during your next run of games.