Pokémon TCG: Expanded Deck Tech - Malamar VMax + Malamar EX

Today, we'll talk about Malamar VMax, which has a lot of potential but was left aside for a long time. Very few Pokémon TCG players actually see how valuable it is, even now.

Its attack, for instance, is excellent. It lets you control your opponent's hand, and, as such, essentially sabotage them.

Furthermore, to sabotage your opponent even further, this list plays Malamar-EX, from X/Y, as a support Pokémon. It will make the opponent's active Pokémon fall Asleep, so they won't be able to attack on their turn as usual.

Decklist

Structure

Malamar V & Malamar VMax: The Main Attackers

Let's start with Malamar V RCL 121. Its main attack is Brain Wash, which makes the opponent's active Pokémon Confused. Your opponent will have to flip a coin and get "heads" whenever they want to attack. If they get "tails", their Pokémon will take 30 damage and they'll be forced to pass their turn.

Then, there's Malamar VMAX RCL 122's main attack, Max Jammer. Firstly, it deals an "acceptable" amount of damage, as 180 is enough to take down rare Pokémon like Lumineon V PR-SW SWSH250, Dedenne-GX UNB 57, Squawkabilly ex PR-SV 160, and Tapu Lele-GX GRI 60. Secondly, it forces your opponent to reveal their hand. You'll pick a card and force them to put it at the bottom of their deck - that's how you'll control them.

This attack gets stronger if, during that turn, you use Xerosic's Machinations SFA 64. This way, your opponent will only have up to 3 cards in their hand, and, after you use Malamar VMAX RCL 122, they'll only have 2 cards!

Malamar-EX: Special Conditions

This Pokémon will make it even harder for your opponent to counterattack because of its ability, Hyper Hypnosis. It states that, "whenever you attach a Basic Darkness Energy SFA 98 to this Pokémon, the opponent's active Pokémon will become Asleep".

This way, they probably won't be able to attack on the following turn. They'll have to flip a coin at the beginning and at the end of the turn to try and "wake" their Pokémon.

To get out of this situation, your opponent will have to spend some resources, like Switch CRZ 144, Escape Rope BST 125, Full Heal RCL 159, Guzma BUS 115, Prime Catcher TEF 157, or similar.

Recursive Pokémon to Get Energies

Weavile-GX

This Pokémon is relevant in this list because of its ability, Shadow Connection, which lets you move Basic Darkness Energy SFA 98 between your Pokémon.

To get these energies from your deck, you'll use Red & Blue CEC 202. With it, besides drawing a GX evolution for one of your Pokémon (like Sneasel UPR 73 for Weavile-GX UNM 132), you'll be able to discard two cards from your hand to get two basic energies and attach them to the Pokémon-GX in question.

Then, you'll just have to move these energies to Malamar VMAX RCL 122 with Weavile-GX's ability.

Furthermore, Weavile-GX's GX attack, Nocturnal Maneuvers, lets you draw basic Pokémon from your deck and fill your bench with them however you like. This will be quite useful if you can't use Battle VIP Pass FST 225 on the first few turns, for instance.

Galarian Moltres-V

This Pokémon is critical in this list because of its ability, Direflame Wings. During your turn, this ability lets you recycle a Basic Darkness Energy SFA 98 from your discard pile and attach it to this Pokémon (but please note you can't stack it).

It is a way to get the third energy you need to use Malamar VMAX RCL 122's attack. After you get it, just use Weavile-GX UNM 132's ability to move it to Malamar VMAX.

You'll often use this ability after you use Radiant Greninja ASR 46's ability, Concealed Cards, which forces you to discard an energy card. These two cards are great together.

You can also attach Forest Seal Stone SIT 156 on Galarian Moltres V CRE 97 to use its VStar power. It goes very well with this list's overall strategy and is really helpful.

Other Recursive Pokémon

Crobat V PR-SW SWSH110's ability, Dark Asset, draws up to 6 cards. You can also attach Forest Seal Stone SIT 156 to it and use its VStar power.

Pecharunt ex SFA 39's ability, Subjugating Chains, lets you retreat all your Darkness Pokémon for free, but it also Poisons them.

You can take advantage of this with Binding Mochi SFA 55, which makes Poisoned Pokémon deal more damage.

You can also use Pecharunt ex as an "endgame" attacker, as it deals damage based on how many Prize cards your opponent has taken.

Mew ex sv3pt5 151's ability, Restart, draws up to 3 cards. It's great in emergencies, that is, when you don't have many cards in hand.

Its attack, Genome Hacking, lets you use any enemy attack as this attack. It is great in certain situations, such as when you're against Pokémon that deal massive amounts of damage (like Charizard ex PR-SV 161, Charizard VMAX DAA 20, Reshiram & Charizard-GX UNB 20). You can also use it to copy "spread" or "sniper" attacks and Knock Out Pokémon with Malamar VMax later on.

Radiant Greninja ASR 46's ability, Concealed Cards, draws up to 2 cards, but also forces you to discard an energy.

The best opening hand has Battle VIP Pass FST 225, so you can prepare your bench, more specifically 2 copies. If you have these 2 copies, you must get at least 2 Malamar V RCL 121, Pecharunt ex SFA 39, and Mew ex sv3pt5 151.

If you're second to play, Red & Blue CEC 202 is better.

This is a good opener for this list:

1) Put Galarian Moltres V CRE 97 as your active Pokémon and Sneasel UPR 73 on your bench.

2) On the following turn, after "turn 1" and just when you're about to evolve your Pokémon, use Red & Blue CEC 202 and discard 2 Basic Darkness Energy SFA 98 from your hand. This way, you'll be able to set up Weavile-GX UNM 132 with 2 Basic Darkness Energy SFA 98, and set up Malamar V RCL 121.

3) To get the third energy for Malamar V RCL 121, use Galarian Moltres V CRE 97's ability and then retreat it with Pecharunt ex SFA 39's ability to put Malamar V RCL 121 as your active Pokémon.

Munkidori PRE 44 can be a viable option because of its ability, Adrena-Brain. With it, if you attach one Basic Darkness Energy SFA 98 to it, you can move 3 damage counters from your Pokémon to your opponent's.

This is useful when you need to remove Poison counters from Malamar VMAX RCL 122 or when you really need to move some damage counters to prevent your opponent from Knocking Out your Pokémon.

Relicanth TEF 84's ability, Memory Dive, lets Malamar VMAX RCL 122 use Malamar V RCL 121's attacks, like Brain Wash.

Trainers

Supporter for Weavile-GX

As we mentioned, this card is perfect with Sneasel UPR 73's evolution line, as it lets you get a GX evolution for one of your Pokémon.

However, what interests us the most is its second effect. If you discard two cards from your hand, besides a GX evolution, you'll be able to get two energies from your deck and attach them to the Pokémon-GX in question.

This is a great way to filter your deck and get the energies you need for Malamar VMax. Afterward, all you need to do is move these energies from Weavile-GX through its ability.

Supporter to Get Items and Tools

You'll use this card to get Forest Seal Stone SIT 156 for your Pokémon V, or Binding Mochi SFA 55, if you already have Pecharunt ex SFA 39 as well.

You can also use it to get items like Trainers' Mail ROS 92, which will filter Supporter and other Items even more.

Supporter to "Pull" Enemy Pokémon

Supporter to Manipulate Hands

This card lets you manipulate both your and the opponent's hand according to how many Prize cards each of you still have left. After you use it, you'll both shuffle your hands into the bottom of your deck. Then, you'll draw cards according to how many Prize cards you still have left.

As this list has no problem drawing cards because of Mew ex sv3pt5 151 and Radiant Greninja ASR 46, this card won't affect you as negatively as it will affect your opponent. The best times to sabotage your opponent with it are mid-game or in the endgame.

Supporter to Control Your Opponent's Hand

This card is essential because it is perfect with Malamar VMax's main attack. If you play it before your attack turn, your opponent will have to discard their entire hand until they only have 3 cards left.

Then, when you use Malamar VMax's attack, you'll force them to return another card to the bottom of their deck. It is the core of this entire decklist, as well as its main "control" combo.

Supporter to Recycle Cards

With this card, you will be able to recycle your Pal Pad SSH 172 or other control cards, like Iono sv2 185 and Xerosic's Machinations SFA 64.

Items to Draw Pokémon

Item to Draw Trainers

Item to Draw Energies

Items to Recycle Cards

Ordinary Rod SSH 171 recycles Pokémon and basic energies from your discard pile. You can recycle two copies of each or all four copies (2 Pokémon and 2 basic energies).

VS Seeker PHF 109 lets you pick a Supporter from your discard pile and add it to your hand.

Pal Pad sv1 182 recycles two Supporters from your discard pile and shuffles them back into your deck.

Tools

Binding Mochi SFA 55 makes your active Pokémon deal 40 more damage if it is Poisoned, which you can set up with Pecharunt ex SFA 39's ability.

Finally, you'll be able to use Forest Seal Stone SIT 156 on Pokémon V and get any card in your deck with its "VStar" power. It's like a second Computer Search BCR 137!

Stadium

This Stadium disables all effects on special energies, yours and the opponent's, and turns them into simple colorless energies. It essentially sabotages decks that use them to attack faster, like the Dragon archetype, which often uses Double Dragon Energy ROS 97.

ACE SPEC

This is a strong ACE SPEC. To use it, you'll have to discard two cards in your hand, but then you'll be able to get any card from your deck and add it to your hand.

These are your best cards to discard:

1) You can discard 2 copies of Battle VIP Pass FST 225 after "turn 1" because they'll be dead cards and disrupt your overall strategy if you don't use them on the first turn.

2) You can also discard 2 Basic Darkness Energy SFA 98 to set up the Galarian Moltres V CRE 97 combo.

Favorable

This deck is great against Psychic decks, as it'll deal twice as much damage because of their weakness.

It is also perfect against decks that can't draw many cards, and, as such, can't recover from Xerosic's Machinations SFA 64 or Malamar VMax's attack.

Unfavorable

This deck struggles against aggressive "sniper" decks, such as Greninja VUnion, which can deal a lot of damage and Knock Out several high-HP Pokémon at once.

It can also struggle against Palossand ex SSP 91 if they use Barite Jail. This deck can't handle this attack all that well if they pair it with a Pokémon that can deal over 100 damage, like Armaldo SIT 96.

Hydreigon ex SSP 119 might be a problem because of its "mill" effect, as it can force you to discard two "recycle" cards. It can become even worse later on.

Raging Bolt ex TEF 123 is explosive and quite aggressive. It can also draw many cards because of Teal Mask Ogerpon ex PRE 12, so it can become an issue.

This deck may struggle against Mewtwo & Mew-GX UNM 71 and Glaceon-EX FCO 20 (particularly its second attack), as they prevent evolved Pokémon from dealing damage.

Iron Hands ex PRE 31, which is fast and aggressive, with Magneton SSP 59 and its upgrade from Scarlet/Violet's Surging Sparks, will be difficult to deal with. With Amp You Very Much, they can easily attach the energies they need and attack.

Decks that control how many bench slots you have, like Glimmora ex sv3 123, are difficult matchups.

Decks that use Avery CRE 130 to control you and sabotage your setup are also challenging.

Finally, decks that use Stadiums to sabotage your abilities, like Silent Lab PRC 140 or Path to the Peak ASR 213 are troublesome, particularly the latter.

This deck is cheap, and quite easy to get. I hope you enjoyed reading more about it!

What did you think of it? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!