Pokémon ex have had an undeniable reign in battles in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket thus far, but these Pokémon powerhouses may have found their match in the unassuming Lightning type Oricorio, a Pokémon introduced in the Celestial Guardians expansion. With Oricorio’s Safeguard Ability preventing all damage done to it by attacks from opposing Pokémon ex, this Lightning-type Pokémon has become the talk of the current battle meta with its ability to shut down decks that are reliant on Pokémon ex attacks to deal damage. You may have seen a variety of decks featuring Oricorio, but this all-Lightning, no-Pokémon ex deck pairing Oricorio with the Magnemite line is one of the most straightforward and powerful.

Game plan: Safeguard means most Pokémon ex can’t take down Oricorio with damage from attacks, so it makes for a great “wall” Pokémon to lock out some of the most feared attackers in the game. But even Pokémon ex–reliant decks typically have other means to deal at least a little damage to Oricorio, so fold that into your plan. A Giant Cape and Potions should be enough to avoid the small bits of damage that can add up to a KO on Oricorio, while Guzma can remove troublesome Pokémon Tool cards, such as Poison Barb and Rocky Helmet, that would wear down Oricorio’s limited HP.

The Pull of Magnemite

Players have tested a lot of potential partners for Oricorio, but Magnemite and its Evolutions are a top choice. Magnemite’s Stage 1 Evolution, Magneton, benefits from having a teammate like Oricorio that can slow down an opponent’s plans and buy it time to use Volt Charge from the Bench to power up for Magnezone’s Thunder Blast attack.

The biggest threat to Oricorio comes from stronger non-Pokémon ex. Fortunately, not many of those Pokémon can endure the damage from one of Oricorio’s Zzzap attacks followed by Magnezone’s Thunder Blast—a total of 160 damage!—so that combo can be a great way to remove those threats. The Pokémon included in this deck only give up one point when defeated, so it’s often a game-winning tactic to trade some Knock Outs to run your opponent out of Pokémon that can damage Oricorio. After that, it’s clear (if maybe a little slow) sailing as Oricorio Zzzaps its way to victory.

This deck is mostly reliant on the interplay of its star Pokémon, so the Trainer lineup is pretty standard fare beyond the cards mentioned above. Softening incoming attacks and picking your matchups are always important in decks that don’t feature the one-hit firepower that a lot of Pokémon ex decks have. Feel free to experiment with other Trainer cards to see which complement your play style the best.