Hey everyone!

Celestial Guardians is finally here!— featuring the top decks from Ursiiday’s Pocket Weekly #27, plus a look at what’s currently best for Ranked play from Ultra Ball to Master Ball (having hit Master Ball myself too with Solgaleo ex and Snorlax Greninja!).

It’s only been five days since Celestial Guardians and Ranked mode launched, but the meta is far from settled — and players are still dropping wild new decks and out-of-this-world techs.

In this article, we’ll break down the biggest event from yesterday, see how the meta is taking shape, and highlight some of the strongest decks you can use to climb Ranked right now. Let’s get into it!

Deck Distribution

We’re finally breaking down what might be one of the most diverse metas we’ve seen so far, and I’m excited! Basic ex attackers? That’s yesterday’s news — Stage 2s are back, and A3-144 is the real MVP. If you’re planning to cook up something spicy this format, you better pack those Candies.

Let’s kick things off with A3-122 A2-111, the face of the format and easily the most common deck you’ll run into on ladder. A3-122 might "only" hit for 120, but it does it for just 2 Energy from the Bench — which is ridiculously fast. Paired with A2-111’s 50 damage on Turn 1, you’re putting early pressure that many decks just can’t handle. Or can they?

One of the hottest picks (literally) is A2b-010–A3-033. Two Stage 2s in one deck? Normally sounds slow, but thanks to A3-144 skipping Stage 1s, you can fit both lines cleanly. The dual attackers give you answers to a lot of situations. A3-033 handles A3-066, although not always reliably, while A2b-010 takes care of bigger threats — and yes, it’s surprisingly fast.

Now here’s some good (or bad) news depending on how you feel: A2b-035–A2-110 is still here. Old reliable. It might be that players stuck with it because they didn’t have the new cards yet — or maybe it’s just that good. Either way, consistency is king, and this deck still performs.

Then we’ve got a spicy, off-meta brew: A2b-035–A2a-063–A1-089. Yeah, you read that right. Probably one of the wildest builds to make it to the top tables, but it works. We’ll touch on it a bit later — or check out the full guide I just posted if you want the full breakdown.

A2-089 is aging like fine wine. Still doing 130 damage on Turn 2, and now even more consistent thanks to A3-144. It’s basically the Fighting-type A3-122 with a punchier swing. No wonder it's still around.

Next, we have A2b-010, but this time without A1-047. Why? Because Stoke lets it charge itself, and with A3-144, you’re doing this a full turn earlier. That also solves the awkward A2b-008–A1-047 issue. The deck's now streamlined and explosive.

The A3-066–A2-053 pairing is gaining traction too. A3-066 keeps A2b-035–A2-110 in check, while A2-053 ramps up pressure and Energy. It’s a clever anti-meta pick that’s starting to see real results.

Surprisingly, A2a-071–A2a-050 made a showing too. Looks like it’s found its footing again, likely thanks to A3-144 support.

And lastly, we’re seeing the rise of new archetypes from Celestial Guardians: A3-012–A2b-007, A3-101–A2-089, and even solo A3-033 builds. The meta’s wide open — and that’s exactly why it’s so fun right now.

Top 64

Okay, that was a lot of varied decks — but I listed them all out for a reason.

• Surprise surprise... it’s still A2b-035–A2-110 at the top. While the variety of decks this week was impressive, the numbers tell a different story at the top. A2b-035–A2-110 managed to convert 14 out of 75 players into Top Cut, giving it a huge 18.67% conversion rate — more than double that of A3-122–A2-111, which only saw 10 out of 131 players make it through, at a 7.63% conversion rate. Despite being the most played deck, A3-122–A2-111 struggled to keep up with the sheer consistency and resilience of A2b-035–A2-110, proving once again that raw power isn’t everything — reliability wins tournaments.
• The standout here is definitely A2-053–A3-066. With just 22 players bringing the deck, it still managed to land 3 in Top Cut, giving it a 13.64% conversion rate — the second-highest after A2b-035–A2-110. And it makes sense: it has a favorable matchup against Darkrai–Giratina, winning around 53% of the time, making it a solid meta call. The problem? It struggles massively against A2b-035–A2a-063, with an abysmal 11.76% win rate. So it’s a bit of a gamble — if you want to edge out Darkrai–Giratina, A2-053–A3-066 is a safe bet, unless you run into Snorlax, which can completely shut you down.
• Next up is A2b-035–A2a-063–A1-089, easily one of the most creative brews in the tournament. It converted 6 out of 67 players into Top Cut, finishing with a strong 8.96% conversion rate. The deck has one of the highest ceilings in the meta, capable of explosive plays and massive tempo swings — but it’s held back by inconsistency. Its biggest weakness is against A2b-035–A2-110, a matchup where it simply can’t keep up in resources, making it a tough uphill battle. It also struggles against A2b-010, with the win rate hovering around 35%, which limits its flexibility in a diverse field.
• The next standout is A2b-010–A3-033, which almost dominated the entire field — only losing to versions of A2-089 and A2a-071–A2a-050.

Top 4 Decks

Tournament	First Place	Second Place	Third Place	Fourth Place
Ursiiday's Pocket Weekly #27	Snorlax Greninja Giratina	Oricorio Magnezone	Charizard Incineroar ex	Oricorio Greninja Magnezone

• And we have our winner — A2a-063 A1-089 A2b-035!
• Interestingly, there were no A2b-035–A2-110 decks in the Top 4, and the winning player only faced it once in Top 16. That alone is impressive — because had they hit more of it, their run might’ve ended early. But with A2b-035–A2-110 largely out of their path, the deck was highly favored and clinched the tournament.
• A3-066–A2-053 took a well-earned second place, showing just how strong and well-positioned it was this week. Along the way, it matched into multiple EX decks, including A2b-035–A2-110 and A2b-010, which it handled cleanly. Unfortunately, it hit its worst matchup in the finals — the Snorlax deck — which stopped its run just short of the win.
• In third was A2b-010–A3-033, another strong pick that faced plenty of A2b-035–A2-110 and came out ahead more often than not. However, its run ended against A3-066–A2-053, which is a tough matchup. The deck’s only real answer is Burn damage, which can easily be mitigated by switching or healing, making the matchup difficult to win consistently.
• Fourth place was also a creative take — a variation of A2a-063–A2b-035–A1-089, but this time opting for double A3-066 and A2-022, cutting A2a-063 and A2a-074 entirely. This version focused on tanking hits and healing rather than brute force, letting A3-066 carry games by outlasting opponents. It even defeated a standard Snorlax–Greninja–Giratina build in a less favored matchup, making its performance all the more impressive.

Snorlax Greninja Giratina 1st Place

What makes this win even more interesting is that it’s a new variation of the A2a-063 A1-089 A2b-035 deck — and one I just recently made a guide on! This list took things further by running 2 A2b-035 and using both Water and Psychic Energy, making A2b-035 a more active attacker instead of just sitting on the Bench.

Of course, this has trade-offs. You’ll start with A2b-035 more often, but since you can attach Energy and retreat into A2a-063, it’s not the worst. The bigger concern is A2-150, which can punish you if you don’t manage your board carefully — so that’s definitely something worth noting.

All in all, it’s a cool take on an already powerful deck. Let’s see if this version becomes the go-to moving forward.

Oricorio Magnezone 2nd Place

A3-066 paired with A2-053 was a popular choice this week — and for good reason. This list opted to run 2 A3-151, which ended up being a smart call since Tools like A2-148 and A3-146 are some of the few reliable ways to counter A3-066. Having a way to remove those threats mid-game can really swing matchups.

Overall, A3-066–A2-053 is well positioned in a meta packed with EX-heavy decks like A2b-035–A2-110 and A2b-010, making it a strong meta pick. That said, it still struggles against decks like A2-089 and A2a-063, which can push through its defenses easily. Still, seeing this deck perform well is a good sign for the meta — we don’t want a format dominated only by EX Pokémon, and the success of A3-066–A2-053 shows there’s still room for smart counterplay.

Charizard Incineroar 3rd Place

A2b-010–A3-033 EX's strong performance this week really highlights just how powerful A3-144 has become. Making two Stage 2 attackers viable in one deck is something we haven’t seen in past metas — and now, it’s not just viable, it’s competitive.

The list that placed highly runs 2 A2b-008, 1 Charmeleon, and 2 A2b-010, likely to increase the odds of seeing A2b-010 early. Interestingly, it only plays 1 A3-030 and 1 A3-033, which suggests A3-033 is more of a backup tech — especially useful against A3-066, thanks to its Burn. However, switching between A3-033 and A2b-010 is Energy-intensive if you want to consistently hit that 150 damage again.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see a future version run 2 A3-033 but still just 1 A3-030, just to avoid awkward starts with A3-030 and give the deck a bit more flexibility depending on the matchup.

Oricorio Grenina Giratina 4th Place

Like mentioned before, this was a creative twist on the standard A2a-063–A2b-035–A1-089 core — but instead of sticking with A2a-063 and A2a-074, the deck cut both entirely. In their place, it ran double A3-066 and A2-022, shifting the focus to tanking hits and healing with support from A2a-072. This strategy allowed A3-066 to stick around longer and slowly grind out games.

You’ll also notice the inclusion of A3-151, which makes perfect sense with the A3-066 engine — giving you more control over the board while keeping pressure up. All in all, it’s a well-thought-out variant that leans into countering EX Pokémon, which is one of the main weaknesses of the Snorlax variant.

Best Decks for Ranked

That was an impressive first tournament of this expansion. Based on the latest data and my own experience after reaching Masterball myself. Let’s break down the best decks you can use right now to climb the ladder and secure that Master Ball emblem!

Giratina ex Darkrai ex

Yes, you’re reading that right — A2b-035–A2-110 is still really good. Whether it’s based on tournament results or just my own experience grinding Ranked, the deck continues to dominate. The only real checks right now are A3-066 and the occasional A2b-010, but aside from that, it still does its thing.

Honestly, this deck doesn’t need much of an introduction — everyone knows what it does. But if you don’t, I’ve got a guide you can check out which still holds up even today. The only major update is the inclusion of A3-151, which helps deal with Tools such as A2-147 — which can easily catch people off guard when they think they’re safe from a Darkrai ping.

Snorlax Greninja Giratina ex

If you’re looking for a deck to climb with, I’d definitely recommend the A2a-063–A1-089–A2b-035 list I used to reach Masterball. It might not look like much on paper — the combination can seem a bit odd at first — but trust me, after piloting it all the way to the top, I can confidently say it’s the real deal.

I’ve also put together a full guide to help you understand how the deck plays, especially since its play patterns aren’t the most conventional. And if you’re interested in experimenting, you can try the double A2b-035 variant with Psychic Energy, like the one used by the first-place finisher this week. It’s a small twist, but it opens up a lot of flexibility.

Charizard ex Incineroar ex

This is also one of the best-performing decks right now, with consistent high placements across tournaments. Its only real weakness? It sometimes loses to itself. If you don’t hit the A3-144 combo early, you can fall behind fast — even in otherwise favorable matchups.

But if you’re okay with a few unlucky losses here and there, the deck more than makes up for it in overall performance. Over the long run, it’s a powerhouse — and if that sounds like your kind of deck, this might be the one to climb with.

Solgaleo ex Skarmory

This deck actually plays a lot like A2-111–A2-053 from last month — it preys on a wide range of decks early on, but once you climb higher, the cracks start to show. At lower Ultraball ranks, its speed and pressure can carry games easily, letting you breeze through matchups. But as you reach Ultraball 3 and above, you’ll start running into more optimized lists that are prepared to counter it — and that’s where things can get tougher. I also get created a guide about the deck so check that out!

Rampardos Lycanroc

I personally believe the A3-101 version is superior to the A2-092 variant, mainly because of its consistency. The deck always starts with A3-098 — since it’s the only Basic — and its attack lets you fetch A3-101 directly, guaranteeing a solid board setup early. From there, all you really need to worry about is finding A2-089.

Thanks to A3-144, you can easily get a turn 2 A2-089 if you hit the combo, which can dismantle most decks before they even get going. I highly recommend trying this deck out — it’s fast, aggressive, and boasts great matchups into popular decks like A2a-063 and A3-066.

Oricorio Magnezone

A3-066 is also a solid deck to bring, though it’s a bit less appealing for Ranked compared to tournaments due to the wider variety of matchups you’ll run into. However, if you’re climbing high on the ladder and starting to see more A2b-035–A2-110 or A2b-010, this becomes a great counter pick.

A3-066–A2-053 remains one of the most successful lists this week, and it’s the version I’d recommend if you’re looking to punish the top EX-heavy decks. Just keep in mind — A2a-063 and A2-089 are its biggest hurdles, so prepare for some tough games if those show up.

Arceus ex Crobat Carnivine

And finally, I want to highlight A2a-071–A2a-050–A2a-009, a deck that’s had solid tournament placements and is something I’ve run into quite a bit on ladder. The list usually runs only Grass Energy, focusing on hitting early with A2a-009 while setting up A2a-071 and A2a-050 in the back. It’s a straightforward game plan that works surprisingly well.

If you like to gamble, you can try adding Dark Energy to make A2a-050 an attacker too — but missing that Turn 1 A2a-009 hit can really set you back, so it’s a risky tradeoff. Still, with A3-144 helping bring out A2a-071 and A2a-050 fast, you can easily start piling on pressure if your early game lands right.

Final Thoughts

Celestial Guardians is shaping up to be one of the most diverse metas we’ve had so far, and it’s still evolving fast. We’re seeing a ton of innovation across the board — from A2a-063–A1-089–A2b-035 taking first place, to A3-066–A2-053, and A2b-010–A3-033 putting up solid results.

A3-144 is the meta-defining card right now, opening up powerful Stage 2 strategies that would’ve been unthinkable just a month ago. Decks like A2-089, A2b-010, and more are thriving because of it, marking a real shift away from the EX-centric playstyle that dominated earlier metas.

If you're climbing Ranked, pick a deck not just for its power, but for its consistency and adaptability. And if you’re playing in tournaments, now’s a great time to get creative — this is a meta that rewards smart techs, clever matchups, and bold calls.

Whatever you choose, good luck out there — and have fun cooking!