ex Battle Deck Upgrade Guide
Tinkaton ex Battle Deck Upgrade Guide
One Tinkaton ex whose Big Hammer does 30 for every card in your hand.
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 Tinkaton 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
Tinkaton ex is a Stage 2. Big Hammer does 30 damage for each card in your hand for two Energy of any type, so seven cards is 210. Pulverizing Press does 140 and ignores any effects on the Defending Pokémon.
Drifblim and Espathra lines are the other attackers.
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 Tinkaton 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.
This deck wants Supporters that leave your hand big. Iris's Fighting Spirit draws until you have 6 cards (after discarding one), and Lillie's Determination draws 6 or 8, so Big Hammer does 150 to 210 the turn you play either. Rare Candy gets Tinkaton out a turn sooner.
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.
Iris's Fighting Spirit
Ascended Heroes #190
Draw to 6: Big Hammer for about 150.
Rare Candy
Mega Evolution #125
Tinkatink straight to Tinkaton ex.
What comes out: Nemona, both Pal Pad, the Espathra line and Squawkabilly.
Upgrade path 2: Try Alakazam for the same idea in Standard
Tinkaton ex rotated, but the hand-size idea did not. Alakazam (Mega Evolution) draws 3 cards when you evolve into it, and its Powerful Hand puts 2 damage counters on the Active Pokémon for each card in your hand for one Energy. Ten cards is 200 damage that ignores Weakness and Resistance, since it is damage counters. Alakazam finished second at Worlds 2026.
Other battle decks
Or search, filter and sort all 31 on the battle deck directory.
Decklist and release details checked against: Bulbapedia .
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.
Create Free AccountPokémon and Pokémon character names are trademarks of Nintendo. ©Pokémon. ©Nintendo/Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK inc. TurnZero HQ is not affiliated with, sponsored, or endorsed by Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, Creatures Inc., or GAME FREAK inc. Card data comes from the open PokemonTCG dataset, and prices from TCGplayer.