Pokémon Battles & Beyond

 

Welcome Back to the Kingdom! Breaking Down Milotic ex & Feraligatr for the April 11 Meta

Welcome back to the kingdom! I'm here to break down the Milotic ex and Feraligatr deck for you. Before we dive in, I want to give a huge shoutout to Never Punished Gaming for allowing me to join the team—I'm beyond excited to be part of this amazing community!

Also, a massive thank you to the Cardboard Castle Games staff for running an amazing tournament on March 5, 2025. The event was well-organized, and every match was a great experience. We played four rounds and ended with a 2-2 record, gathering valuable insights into our matchups and what this deck brings to the evolving format.

Deck Overview

This deck is centered around Feraligatr TEF 41 as the main attacker, while Milotic ex plays the crucial role of support. The synergy between these two Pokémon allows for aggressive board presence, energy acceleration, and disruption, making it a strong pick for the upcoming April 11 meta.

• Feraligatr TEF 41 is the deck’s powerhouse, boasting a strong attack that can deal significant damage while maintaining momentum. However, it doesn't accelerate energy by itself. 
• Milotic ex provides essential support by ensuring energy flow and maintaining board stability, making it easier to recover from setbacks.
• The primary energy acceleration in this deck comes from Crispin, Earthen Vessel, and Colress's Tenacity, which help recover and accelerate energy, ensuring you can keep up with the energy demands of your attackers.
• Lana’s Aid and Night Stretcher also provide valuable recovery options for both Pokémon and Energy, keeping the deck in the game even after losing key pieces.
• A solid lineup of Trainers ensures consistency, recovery, and disruption, while the energy count is optimized for smooth gameplay.

Matchup Analysis

Wins:

1. Mirror Match – The mirror match was a battle of resource management and sequencing. We leveraged Arven and Iono effectively to disrupt our opponent’s setup while keeping a consistent game plan. Proper use of Luxurious Cape and Rescue Board helped us maintain tempo and edge out the win.

 

2. Gardevoir ex – This matchup played to our strengths, as Feraligatr’s high damage output and energy acceleration allowed us to keep up with Gardevoir ex’s scaling potential. Iono’s hand disruption was key in slowing down our opponent, and with careful sequencing, we controlled the prize trade to secure the victory.

Losses:

1. Archaludon ex – This was a tough matchup due to Archaludon’s high bulk and tanky strategy. Without a consistent way to pierce through its defenses, we struggled to keep up in the long game. Moving forward, alternative attackers or Stadium control may be necessary to deal with this kind of matchup.

 

2. Dragapult ex – This was our most difficult match, as Dragapult ex’s spread damage quickly overwhelmed our board. Its ability to place damage counters across multiple Pokémon made it challenging to stabilize. Even with Lana’s Aid and Night Stretcher, the constant chip damage added up too quickly. To improve this matchup, we may need more switching options, healing, or a secondary attacker that can deal with Dragapult ex efficiently.

Why This Deck Will Be a Top Contender for April 11

With the meta constantly evolving, this deck has the potential to become a top-tier competitor. Here’s why:

• Feraligatr’s Aggressive Playstyle – With its powerful attack and built-in energy acceleration tools like Crispin and Earthen Vessel, Feraligatr can maintain constant pressure on opponents, making it difficult for them to stabilize.
• Milotic ex’s Unparalleled Support – Milotic ex ensures that energy remains in play and provides recovery, allowing the deck to sustain itself throughout long games.
• Consistent Draw & Disruption – With Arven, Iono, and Pokégear 3.0, the deck runs an efficient engine that maintains a steady hand and denies opponents key resources.
• Resilience & Recovery – Cards like Lana’s Aid and Night Stretcher allow for effective recovery of both Pokémon and Energy, keeping the deck in the game even after losing key pieces.
• Strong Typing Coverage – The combination of Water and Dark Energy provides excellent versatility, allowing us to hit multiple meta threats effectively.

 

Looking Ahead

As we continue testing, adjustments may be needed to shore up difficult matchups, especially against Archaludon ex and Dragapult ex. Some potential improvements include:

• Additional disruption tools like Counter Catcher or extra Boss’s Orders to control the opponent’s board.
• Tech choices to handle tanky decks, possibly through alternative attackers or Stadium control.
• More healing or switching options to counteract spread damage from Dragapult ex.
• Extra energy recovery tools to maintain tempo in grindy matchups.

 

With continued refinement and testing, this deck is shaping up to be a dominant force in the April 11 meta. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue tweaking the list and preparing for the next phase of competition!

Deck List

If you’re interested in trying this deck out for yourself, the full deck list is down below:

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Pokémon: 12

• 2 Feebas TWM 49
• 2 Croconaw TEF 40
• 3 Totodile TEF 39
• 2 Milotic ex SSP 42
• 2 Munkidori TWM 95
• 1 Budew PRE 4 PH
• 2 Feraligatr TEF 41
• 1 Munkidori PRE 44
• 1 Feraligatr TEF 41 PH
• 1 Mimikyu PR-SV 75
• 1 Croconaw TEF 40 PH
• 1 Relicanth TEF 84

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Trainer: 19

• 1 Counter Catcher PAR 160
• 2 Luxurious Cape PAR 166
• 2 Lana's Aid TWM 155 PH
• 1 Precious Trolley SSP 185
• 2 Pokégear 3.0 SMALT 154
• 2 Pokégear 3.0 SVI 186
• 1 Rescue Board TEF 159
• 2 Artazon PAL 171
• 1 Lana's Aid TWM 155
• 2 Boss's Orders PAL 248
• 4 Arven SVI 166
• 1 Technical Machine: Evolution PAR 178
• 1 Professor's Research PAF 87
• 1 Crispin SCR 133
• 1 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 14
• 3 Iono PAF 80
• 2 Night Stretcher SFA 61 PH
• 1 Colress's Tenacity SFA 87
• 2 Earthen Vessel SFA 96

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Energy: 9

• 2 Luminous Energy PAL 191
• 3 Basic {D} Energy Energy 15
• 4 Basic {W} Energy Energy 11

thank you for reading, and we’ll see you next time in the Kingdom!