Table of Contents
A4-109 does everything. One Energy, full pressure, zero mercy.
Backed by A3b-034 and a hand control core that ruins setups, this deck is all gas from Turn 1. If you’re looking for something fast, toxic, and strong as it looks—this is it.
80 for 1? Balanced.
Strengths & Weaknesses
| Pros | Cons |
| + A4-109’s 1 Energy 70 + poison knocks out non-ex basics and 2-shots bigger threats. | - Damage is limited since A4-109 often needs 2 shots and A3b-034 can’t attack because of Dark Energy only. |
| + A4-109’s 170 HP makes it tough to take down. | - Starting with A2-110 isn’t ideal. |
| + A3b-034’s draw with the new A4-134 makes it easy to consistently bring out A4-109. | |
| + A2-110 boosts damage thresholds and can step in as an attacker when needed. | |
| + One of the most explosive openers thanks to A4-109. |
How to Play Crobat ex Sylveon ex
We are only playing Dark Energy since we want A4-109 and A2-110 online at all times. A3b-034 will mostly only be used for its draw. Evolve into A4-109 as your main attacker. Use A4-134 and A3b-034 for draw, with A4-112 as additional damage or backup if needed.
Turn 1 Breakdown
If starting with A4-134:
This is your ideal starter, especially going second, since you can use Find a Friend to search for A3b-034, letting you draw cards right away or grab the A4-109 line to evolve soon. Then you retreat into A4-109 the next turn.
If starting with A4-107:
Starting with A4-107 is fine if you already have A3-144 and A4-109, especially going first since you can attack right away. Otherwise, you generally want to start with A4-134 and retreat into A4-109.
If starting with A2-110:
Not ideal since it can’t attack immediately and has a 2 Retreat Cost. Depending on the matchup, you may still retreat to A4-109 or push through with A2-110 if the 80 damage keeps you in tempo.
Early Game
- Getting Crobat online is high priority since its 70 damage with Poison is strong early in the game letting you one shot most non-evolution basics.
- Try to evolve into A3b-034 as fast as possible to increase your draw consistency and find PROMO-007 sooner. Always play A3b-034 first to gain more information before committing other cards.
- Bench and evolve your Pokémon early, especially when holding a large hand, since the deck is vulnerable to hand disruption tools like PROMO-006, A2b-069, and A2-155.
- Consider playing A2-147 early to thin your hand, but only attach it to a Pokémon you want to protect from key thresholds—such as keeping Darkrai alive past 140 damage.
- Use PROMO-005 before PROMO-007 when digging for evolutions like Crobat and Sylveon, since it thins your deck and increases draw efficiency. Alternatively, if you're looking for Basics, play PROMO-007 or A3b-034 first before using PROMO-005.
- A4-158 is a great option to read your opponent's hand while also removing a Supporter in hand. This is very potent early on since it reduces your opponents chances on finding Professors Research since it also adds a card back in their deck again.
Board and Hand Management
A common dilemma in this deck is which four Pokémon to bench. You’ll usually need at least one A4-109 and A3b-034, leaving two open slots.
– A A4-109 and A2-110 is definitely the optimal board since you have another 20 damage you can do with A2-110 that can also be an attacker.
– If you're lacking early card draw, you will most likely default to two A3b-034.
– If you already have 2 A4-107 on the board, you mostly want A2-110 on the third slot and just one slot for A3b-034 but of course, adjust if necessary.
- This decision is made harder by the need to dump your hand consistently, while also avoiding being disrupted. Balancing your board and hand size becomes key to the deck’s success.
- If you already have A3-144 and A4-109, consider not evolving into A3b-034 or playing PROMO-007 yet. This prevents having a larger hand and not be prone to hand disruptions.
- As mentioned in other guides—if you’re planning to reset your hand, it’s often best to bait a PROMO-006, A2b-069, or A2-155. Keep your hand at 4+ cards if you're okay with a reset, or below 3 if you're trying to avoid it altogether.
Midgame Strategy
- By this point, you should already have a good idea of what your four Pokémon will be and start planning trades accordingly.
- If you already have Energy for A4-109, your next Energy priority is into A2-110, not only doing 20 damage per attachment but can also be an attacker later on if A4-109 is knocked out.
- One common problem is that your starter—like A3b-034—may have taken early damage and retreated, which makes it vulnerable to A2-150. If you're running A2b-070 or A2-147, try to use them preemptively to avoid this risk.
- Use A3-155 to keep A4-109 out of knockouts or mainly preemptively if you're planning to use another Supporter next turn.
- You're also vulnerable to A1-225. Giving a Benched Pokémon A2-147 can help it survive a hit and deny a point.
- Try to protect A3b-034 from being knocked out—it’s one of the weaker points of the deck. If it goes down, you can’t afford to lose points anymore.
How to Play Red Card & Mars
If You’re Going First
- Against non–Stage 2 decks:
Using PROMO-006 right away is ok if you want to reduce your hand. Other than that, you might want to wait it out until your opponent’s hand gets larger or get hold of A4-158 to combo with. With A4-158, use PROMO-006 first to reduce their hand to 3 then use A4-158 to remove a Supporter, limiting your opponent’s hand to 2. - Against Stage 2 decks:
It might be better to delay a turn. Since they can’t evolve yet, holding PROMO-006 can be more effective next turn—especially after they play PROMO-007.
If You’re Going Second
- Against non–Stage 2 decks:
Using PROMO-006 right away is ok if you want to reduce your hand. Other than that, you might want to wait it out until your opponent’s hand gets larger or get hold of A4-158 to combo with. With A4-158, use PROMO-006 first to reduce their hand to 3 then use A4-158 to remove a Supporter, limiting your opponent’s hand to 2. - Try to play it right away since this is your only chance of reducing their chances of finding A3-144 and their Stage 2 Evolution.
Mars Tips
A2-155 becomes stronger later in the game. You can be more conservative early on and play it once you know a Pokémon will get KO’d to increase its impact.
Playing Umbreon and Nihilego
- If you run A4-112, you have the option of hitting with it the next turn using its 2 Energy attack—since you're starting with A4-134 most of the time, you’ll only need to attach 1 more. Board management becomes harder since you may want to delay evolving A4-134 into A3b-034, especially since you only run two A4-134. A4-112 also has the ability to pull in a damaged Pokémon, but only while it’s in the active spot.
- A3a-042 increases Poison damage to 20 and can also be a decent starter thanks to its ability to apply Poison. However, if it gets knocked out, you can't afford to lose any more EXs—so ideally, A3a-042 stays on the Bench.
Card Choices
Core
Must-have cards the deck relies on to function.
- A4-107 – Using the new Zubat for extra poison damage over time–also picks off baby Pokémon.
- A4-109 – Your main attacker–get it online as fast as possible.
- A4-134 – New Eevee helps find Sylveon faster, letting you draw right away–your ideal starter.
- A3b-034 – Draw power to reach Crobat faster.
- A2-110 – Backup attacker that boosts damage, lets you hit higher thresholds, and 2-turns Oricorio with Crobat.
- A3-144 – Top priority to find and Crobat right away.
Optional
Cards that can be cut without hurting core consistency.
- A2-150 – With Crobat's limited damage, Cyrus is almost always valuable.
- A3-155 – Helps Crobat survive longer and bypass key damage thresholds, especially with Giant Cape.
- A4-158 – Slows your opponent down by removing a Supporter and shuffling it back–sets them back and reveals their game plan. Crucial late game to get rid of Cyrus.
- PROMO-006 – Even stronger with A4-158–drop their hand to 3, then remove the Supporter to massively limit their options.
- A2-147 – Makes Crobat, Darkrai, or Sylveon harder to reach, and keeps Zubat safe from early hits.
Situational
Techs that only matter in specific matchups.
- A4-112 – Useful if you start with Eevee and need to attack fast with 2 Energy. Acts like a pseudo-Cyrus, but not a default include since it hurts Eevee consistency and takes a Sylveon slot.
- A2-155 – Constantly pressures your opponent with hand disruption and can win late game by leaving them with just 1 card.
- A3a-042 – Another way to boost Crobat's poison and also 1 retreat, but Darkrai is usually better for a more reliable attacker option.
- A1-225 – Can set up Cyrus plays, bypass targets, or simply delay your opponent.
Final Thoughts
Crobat might not hit huge numbers, but its speed, efficiency, and synergy with Sylveon make it one of the most consistent decks right now. You win by outpacing and outdrawing, slowly locking your opponent out of the game with constant pressure and hand control. It’s not flashy, but it’s fast, safe, and surprisingly hard to counter once it sets up.
You can also check out our other guides for more insights! With the ranked format here, now is the perfect time to master these strategies, climb the leaderboard, and dominate matchups!
