ex Battle Deck Upgrade Guide
Melmetal ex Battle Deck Upgrade Guide
One Melmetal ex that attaches its own Metal Energy and hits harder for each one, up to 210 with four.
Quick verdict
The ratings are TurnZero HQ's own read on a 1 to 5 scale, not an official one. Compare this deck with every other one on the Pokémon battle deck directory.
Shop the Melmetal ex Battle Deck on TCGplayer →What's in the box
These are the cards that decide how the deck plays. Each one links to its card page, with its current price.
How it plays
Melmetal ex is a Stage 1 with 300 HP. Metal-bolize searches your deck for up to 2 Basic Metal Energy and attaches them to Melmetal for one Energy, and Full Metal Knuckle does 90 plus 30 for each Metal Energy attached, so four Energy is 210.
Revavroom, Zacian and a Bronzong line provide extra damage.
Is it Standard legal?
No. Its Pokémon ex and nearly every other card carry the G mark and rotated on April 10, 2026. It still plays against other precons and in Expanded, which is where these decks were always strongest anyway.
Every upgrade card below carries an H, I or J regulation mark, the marks legal in Standard since the April 10, 2026 rotation, checked against our Pokémon card catalog on October 10, 2026. Basic Energy is always legal. See which cards are legal in each format for how regulation marks and reprints decide it.
Upgrade path 1: Swap in real Trainer cards
The Melmetal ex Battle Deck was built to teach, so its Trainers are the gentle ones: Nemona, Youngster, Great Ball and Potion. Replacing them is the cheapest upgrade in the Pokémon TCG, since every card below is a common or uncommon, and it makes the deck faster against other precons whatever format you play. Lillie's Determination shuffles your hand away and draws 6 (8 before you take a Prize), Ultra Ball finds any Pokémon, Night Stretcher gets back a Knocked Out Pokémon or a Basic Energy, and Boss's Orders lets you choose which Pokémon you Knock Out.
Melmetal's 300 HP is its strength, and Hero's Cape (+100 HP, an ACE SPEC) makes it 400. It is the priciest card on this page; skip it if the deck is for casual play.
Lillie's Determination
Ascended Heroes #192
Replaces Nemona and Youngster as the draw.
Ultra Ball
30th Celebration #128
Replaces Great Ball.
Night Stretcher
Ascended Heroes #196
Replaces Potion: gets back a Pokémon or Energy.
Boss's Orders
Ascended Heroes #183
Choose your Knock Outs.
Hero's Cape
Temporal Forces #152
ACE SPEC: 400 HP Melmetal. Expensive.
What comes out: 3 Roark, the Orthworm pair and 2 Energy Sticker.
Upgrade path 2: Try Archaludon ex for Standard
Melmetal ex rotated. Archaludon ex is the current Metal Stage 1: when you evolve into it, Assemble Alloy attaches up to 2 Basic Metal Energy from your discard pile to your Metal Pokémon, and Metal Defender does 220 and removes its Weakness for a turn.
Other battle decks
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Decklist and release details checked against: Bulbapedia , PokéGuardian .
Upgrade the deck, then see what you're missing.
Build your upgraded list in TurnZero HQ and it is checked against Standard or Expanded and against the cards you own. Free to start.
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