What are the most powerful and valuable cards in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet?

With the Scarlet and Violet series being out for a while, there is a plethora of deck combinations capable of dominating the competition.  Curious about which cards are the strongest? I’ve gathered 15 powerful cards that you can use in your Pokemon Trading Card Game decks that will blow your opponent away!

15. Jirachi (Common)

Isn't it funny how Jirachi has no damage moves? It's only here to support!

What Is it- Jirachi is a Metal-type Basic card with 70 HP and a 2x weakness to Fire.

Jirachi comes with an ability called Stellar Veil. This ability ensures that attacks from your opponent’s Basic Pokemon can’t put damage counters on your Benched Pokemon. Basically, this is a big middle finger to Sableye’s Lost Mine attack. Sableye is a huge threat to the trainer’s Benched Pokemon, and Jirachi comes in and says NOPE, no more damage counters! Finally, our Benched Pokemon are safe… at least from Sableye’s form of damage. Things like counter-damage spread decks that include Pokemon like Mismagius and Cofagrigus EX will still be in effect and not be screwed over by Jirachi, so be careful.

What Makes This Card Good:

• Amazing support to protect against Sableye
• Paired with cards like Manaphy, your team’s Benched Pokemon will be safe from damage
• A very niche card that stops certain attack damage counters from Basic Pokemon

14. Garchomp EX (Double Rare)

Garchomp is as menacing in the TCG as it is in the mainline games!

What Is it- Garchomp EX  is a Water-type Stage 2 EX Pokemon. It has a 2x weakness to Lightning and no Retreat cost.

This guy is underrated. Sure, powerful Lighting types are running around but if you don’t run into those kinds of decks, this Pokemon can catch your opponents off-guard. It has 2 attacks and both of them are very Energy efficient. 

The first attack, Hydro Lander, takes only 1 Fighting Energy and deals 160 damage. It also has an effect where you can attach up to 3 Basic Fighting Energy cards from your discard pile to your Benched Pokémon however you want. That’s amazing support! You don’t have to worry about finding Energy cards or messing around with Tool or Trainer cards. Garchomp does it in its attack. The 2-for-1 combo is always very welcome. This means you can easily set up your Benched Pokemon and wait for the perfect moment to switch in and strike right out of the gate.

Its secondary attack, Sonic Dive, lets you discard 2 Energies from Garchomp. This attack does 120 damage to 1 of your opponent's Pokémon. (Don't apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.) Now, this attack doesn’t specify where the attack can go. It just says your opponent’s Pokemon. So, that 120 damage can go straight to the opponent’s Benched Pokemon if you want. Awesome, right? And those discarded Energy cards synergize really well with Hydro Lander, so it’s a win-win!

What Makes This Card Good:

• Seen as an underdog pick so you can catch your opponent off-guard and get some sneaky good plays in
• Free retreat is always a plus that could pair nicely with something like Iron Leaves EX
• Amazing setup support for your other Pokemon

13. Flutter Mane (Rare)

Is it just me or do the Japanese cards look cooler?

What Is it- Flutter Mane is a Psychic-type Basic Pokémon. It’s part of the Temporal Forces set.

This Psychic Pokemon has an ability called Midnight Fluttering that prevents your opponent’s Active Pokemon from using their abilities, as long as Flutter Mane is in the Active. This is a strong ability that can shut down a lot of strategies your opponent might be thinking of setting up. Things like Comfey’s ability Flower Selecting is turned off. This ability is meant to disrupt your opponent’s plan by shutting down powerful abilities. This card is similar to Klefki, but is much better because your Pokemon can still use their abilities. 

Flutter Mane also has an attack called Hex Hurl. This attack costs 3 Energy and puts 2 damage counters on your opponent's Benched Pokémon however you want. We all know how powerful effects like this can be (looking at you Sableye). It’s an easy way to add damage to Pokemon that have yet to enter the field. This has obvious rollover when they are in the Active. Less HP means it’s easier for your Pokemon to KO them.

What Makes This Card Good:

• A good disrupter to deny your opponent’s from using abilities
• No drawback for yourself when using this ability (besides having to be in the Active)
• Good move that puts damage on the opponent’s Benched Pokemon

12. Chien-Pao EX (Double Rare)

I don't think it matters what moves it has, if you're getting hit with Chien Pao's icy blades, it's going to hurt!

What Is it- Chien-Pao EX is a Water-type Basic EX Pokémon. It has 220 HP and a 2x Metal weakness. 

This Pokemon comes with 1 ability and 1 attack. Its ability, Shivery Chill, says that once during your turn if this Pokémon is in the Active Spot, you can search your deck for up to 2 Basic Water Energy cards, reveal them, and put them into your hand. Then, shuffle your deck. This ability is very nice because there’s no guesswork in trying to get lucky with your Energy cards. You don’t have to mess with Tool or Trainer cards to do the same thing that Shivery Chill does. Again, the 2-in-1 combo is always appreciated. See a theme here? Consolidating roles is super useful in card economy so you have more room to run other cards that’ll make your deck stronger. 

This ability synergizes well with Chien-Pao’s attack called Hail Blade. This attack makes it so that you can discard any amount of Water Energy from your Pokémon. This attack does 60 damage for each card you discard in this way. These multiplicative moves are usually pretty strong. And because we took 2 Water Energy cards from the discard directly into our hand, we already have 120 damage right there. And because we have a deck of cards that work together as a team, this move can easily soar in power. Cards like Baxcalibur help Chien-Pao get a ton of Water Energy cards onto it with ease.

So, the game plan is to have a good handful of Water Energy cards to enhance Chien-Pao’s power. Then we take a card like Baxcalibur or even Palkia V Star to attach a ton of Water Energy cards. You can tell we’ll want cards with access to searching out Energy cards to attach to Chien-Pao to power it up as fast as possible.

What Makes This Card Good:

• Easy access to Water Energy cards to power up its move or even to save them for another hard-hitting Pokemon that uses Water Energies
• Great synergy with other Water-type cards that can search out a ton of Water Energy cards easily
• High attack potential if you can attach 4 or more Water Energy cards, KOing many high HP threats

11. Gholdengo EX (Double Rare)

Everyone can agree that Gholdengo looks like the string cheese man, right?

What Is it- Gholdengo is a Metal-type Stage 1 Pokémon EX card that has 260 HP. It has a 2x weakness to Fire and a Retreat cost of 2. 

Gholdengo is a master at drawing cards because of its ability Coin Bonus. This ability allows you to draw a card, once during your turn. And if Gholdengo is in the Active Spot, you can draw 1 more card. That’s a pretty powerful effect because drawing cards is a major way to turn the tide of the game! Not to mention it doesn’t matter if Gholdengo is Benched or not (but it’s more beneficial to you if you put it in the Active slot). If you have multiple Gholdengos in your deck, Active or Benched, then you’re drawing cards left and right every turn. Free cards by the way. No supporters needed, no real downsides! 

Not only that, but Gholdengo can also dish out some hefty damage in Make It Rain. This attack deals 50 damage multiplied by however many Basic Energy cards you discard. This isn’t a big problem because there are easy ways to get those discarded Energy cards back into our hands. Cards like Energy Retrieval or Superior Energy Retrieval will make it like those Energy cards weren’t even missed! Another benefit to Gholdengo’s attack is it only costs 1 Energy! Very in line with a conservative, money-hungry Pokemon!

What Makes This Card Good:

• An awesome manipulator of your deck with its ability Coin Bonus
• A seemingly endless recycling of Basic Energy cards to enhance itself or be put on other Pokemon
• Easy damage as long as you have ways to return Basic Energy cards to your deck

10. Iron Valiant EX (Double Rare)

Doesn't matter what form it takes, Gallade is a badass

What Is it- Iron Valiant EX is a Psychic-type Basic, Future Pokémon card. It has 220 HP and a 2x weakness to Metal.

This card is interesting because of its ability Tachyon Bits. Once during your turn, when Iron Valiant moves from your Bench to the Active Spot, you can put 2 damage counters on 1 of your opponent's Pokémon. Notice that the damage counters don’t have to go on the Active. 

With this ability, Iron Valiant aims for a hit-and-run strategy. Ideally, you’d have switch cards or searching cards in your deck that allow Iron Valiant to use its ability the best it can. You could even have multiple Iron Valiants in your deck to stack their abilities (yes, they do stack)!

What Makes This Card Good:

• Easy way to tack on damage counters on your opponent’s Pokemon
• A reliable way to proc its ability with things like Escape Rope, Switch, or even Rapid Strike Urshifu V
• A good card for hit-and-run decks

9. Future Booster Energy Capsule (Tool Card/Uncommon)

Extra damage is extra damage, so we'll take it!

What Is It- This is a Tool Card that only works for Future Pokemon. The Future Pokémon equipped with this card has no Retreat Cost. Also, the attacks it uses do 20 more damage to your opponent's Active Pokémon (before applying Weakness and Resistance). 

A simple but effective Tool Card that powers up your Future Pokemon’s attacks. 20 extra damage to your Pokemon’s attacks doesn’t seem like much, but trust me, it is. Iron Hands EX is a prime example where that 20 added damage really pulls its weight. Cards like Iron Valiant also get a nice power boost and can do massive damage to stronger EX, V, and V Max Pokemon.

What Makes This Card Good:

• Very awesome support for Future Pokemon
• No retreat cost means easy switches with no penalty
• Future powerhouses become even better powerhouses

8. Professor Turo’s Scenario (Supporter Card/Uncommon)

Future Pokemon get all the love, huh?

What Is it- This Supporter card allows you to put 1 of your Pokémon in play into your hand. The caveat is you have to discard all cards attached to that Pokémon.

This card is a good Supporter card, hands down. This is basically a reprint of AZ but for the current rotation. AZ was a good card and saw tons of play in many decks because of its versatility and usefulness in basically any situation. There have been other cards similar to this like Penny or Cassius but those had other conditions attached to them. Not only does it act like a retreat for free, but it also heals the Pokemon you put back. A handy card that can save a vital Pokemon from being KO’d. 

What Makes This Card Good:

• It has amazing support capabilities that is a free retreat and heal
• No conditions attached to what Pokemon can be taken from play
• A versatile card that is useful in any deck and should be considered a staple as long as it's in rotation

7. Technical Machine: Devolution (Tool Card/Uncommon)

Imagine if we had something like this in the mainline games!

What Is It- This Tool Card allows the holder to use the attack on this card. (You still need the necessary Energy to use the attack, though). When it’s used, you have to discard it at the end of your turn.

This TM lets you Devolve each of your opponent's evolved Pokémon. Then, those evolved Pokemon go back into their hand. 

This card is very good at dealing with 2 stage decks like the foreboding and powerful Charizard EX decks. So, for example, let’s say your opponent gets his Charizard EX in the Active. Now, on your turn, your attacker Pokemon can have this TM attached, deal 70 damage, and return your opponent’s Charizard EX into their hand. Then, devolve it back into a Charmander with 70 HP, and now you’ve KO’d that Charmander. They will probably have Rare Candy cards to help build up to their Charizard EX, but this TM easily runs their supplies down quickly.

What Makes This Card Good:

• Easy Energy cost
• It devolves each evolved Pokemon, not just a single one
• Effective against powerful evolution decks and Stage 2 powerhouse decks

6. Buddy-Buddy Poffin (Item Card/Uncommon)

Anime food looks so good! Just looking at this card makes my mouth water!

What Is it- This is an Item Card from the Temporal Forces set.

This Item Card allows you to search your deck for up to 2 Basic Pokémon with 70 HP or less and put them onto your Bench. Then, you shuffle your deck. With the new rotation that happened at the end of March, a lot of good search cards were phased out. Battle VIP Pass and Level Ball are rotated out of the season.  Buddy-Buddy Poffinis good because it’s one of the only cards left that lets you search out Basic Pokemon in the early game to set up big wins in the late game.

What Makes This Card Good:

• Can be played on any turn
• Good synergy for setup decks and Lost Box decks or any decks that need those low HP setup Pokemon
• The only search card in the new rotation, so it's the only choice

5. Iron Leaves EX (Double Rare)

This is one of the few Future Pokemon I actually like

What Is it-Iron Leaves EX  is a Grass-type, Basic, Future Pokémon EX card. It has 220 HP and a 2x weakness to Fire. 

This Pokemon has an ability called Rapid Vernier. This ability allows you to switch it with your Active Pokémon when you play this Pokémon from your hand onto your Bench during your turn. If you do, you can move any amount of Energy from your other Pokémon to this Pokémon.

This ability is awesome. It allows you to set up Iron Leaves  super easily. No searching your deck for Energies. No Tool or Item card shenanigans to get all the Energies you need. Nope. Iron Leaves just does it once it’s switched in! 

Do you know what this means? With its attack, Prismatic Edge, it can OHKO the most popular card/deck in the game: Charizard EX. Charizard has a 2x weakness to Grass, and guess who’s a Grass-type with amazing switch-in potential for a surprise one-shot attack? Yup, that’s right. Iron Leaves. All you have to do is switch it into the Active, get all those juicy free Energy cards stacked on it, and wham-bam one of the most threatening Pokemon in the format is gone. Just. Like. That.

What Makes This Card Good:

• Great ability that allows it to quickly set up for a clean kill on any Pokemon weak to Grass
• Easy counter to Charizard EX
• It’s a Future Pokemon so cards like Future Booster Energy Capsule power it up even more

4. Iron Crown EX (Double Rare)

Ok, the Gen 5 Legendaries look so cool as Future Pokemon!

What Is it- Iron Crown EX is a Psychic-type Basic Pokémon. It has 220 HP and 2x weakness to Dark. 

This Pokemon has an ability called Cobalt Command. It allows attacks used by your Future Pokémon, except any Iron Crown EX, to do 20 more damage to your opponent's Active Pokémon (before applying Weakness and Resistance). This ability is a good power boost to all Future Pokemon. Especially since Iron Crown doesn’t have to be in the Active. It could be sitting in your Bench and passively adding power to your Future Pokemon. This effect also stacks with itself so the more the merrier! 

Its attack Twin Shotels does 50 damage to 2 of your opponent's Pokémon. This attack's damage isn't affected by Weakness or Resistance, or by any effects on those Pokémon either. This attack is a nice damage dealer to your opponent’s Pokemon. It also has the added benefit of placing that damage on either Active or Benched Pokemon.

Just like Future Booster Energy Capsule, Iron Crown EX is a good way to buff damage. A card that comes to mind is Iron Hands EX. Attach Future Booster Energy Capsule and have an Iron Crown EX (or several) and Iron Hands EX is dealing at least 40 extra damage. With Amp You Very Much, Iron Hands EX can do so much damage and get you extra prizes to win faster.

What Makes This Card Good:

• Easy way to add damage boosts to already strong Future Pokemon
• Its ability can stack with each copy
• Twin Shotels is a good way to get around Manaphy and its Wave Veil ability

3. Iron Hands EX (Double Rare)

Watch out for Mr. Defibrillator!

What Is it- This Iron Hands card is a basic, Lighting type EX card with 2x Fighting weakness. It has 2 attacks and no ability with a 4 Retreat cost.

This guy is a MENACE. Just ask anyone and they’ll tell you how common this lug is in tournaments. Well, duh! This walking defibrillator is a powerhouse when paired with the Future Booster Energy Capsule card. With this card attached, Iron Hands’ attacks now deal an extra 20 damage. Now, his 2nd attack, Amp You Very Much, deals 140 instead of 120. Without Future Booster Energy Capsule attached, Iron Hands was just barely missing the KO on common threats that are weak to Lighting-based attacks. Now, he’s easily one-shotting them and taking an extra prize card. With that extra prize card in tow, it’ll be stupid easy to win!

What Makes This Card Good:

• Huge damage potential
• Easy to set up with other Lightning-based supports and damage amplifiers 
• Gives you extra prize cards as long as you KO a Pokemon with Amp You Very Much

2. Roaring Moon EX (Double Rare)

How did they find a way to make Salamance even cooler?

What Is it- Roaring Moon EX is a  Dark Basic Pokémon. It has 230 HP and a 2x weakness to Grass.

Just like Iron Hands EX, this card is no chump. It is another strong attacker that demolishes your opponent’s Pokemon. Literally. 

Its first attack, Frenzied Gouging, instantly KOs one of your opponent’s Active Pokemon cards. Once this is done, Roaring Moon takes a huge 200 damage to itself. Doing the math, it’s left at a laughable 30 HP. This is a problem but not as big as you might think. You could use Roaring Moon EX as your ace or trump card to win you the game. It won’t matter if it drops down to 30 HP because you won anyway. 

There are easy ways to get Energy cards to your hand. Things like Dark Patch or Professor Sada's Vitality will help get those Energy cards onto Roaring Moon. There are relatively easy ways to get Roaring Moon’s HP in a better spot, too. Cards like Emergency Jelly or Ancient Booster Energy Capsule either heal or boost Roaring Moon’s HP respectively.

What Makes This Card Good:

• Amazing win condition in Frenzied Gouging once it gets set up
• Powerful secondary attack as well that can easily destroy other EX cards as long as you discard a Stadium card
• If paired with Professor Sada's Vitality, it’s much easier to snag Energy cards for Roaring Moon EX

1. Charizard EX (Ultra Rare)

Of course, we can't talk about powerful Pokemon without mentioning Charizard!

What Is it-  Charizard EX is a Darkness-type Stage 2 Pokémon. It has 330 HP and a 2x weakness to Grass. This Charizard also has a Dark Tera type.

What’s not to like about this Charizard? It’s an uber-strong card with massive HP to boot. This card is a monster and has been in many top-tier decks for good reason. Because of its offensive typing, it’s able to easily deal with the massive threat, Gardevoir EX. 

Its ability Infernal Reign states that when you play this Pokémon from your hand to evolve 1 of your Pokémon during your turn, you can search your deck for up to 3 Basic Fire Energy cards and attach them to your Pokémon however you want. Then, shuffle your deck. This is a strong ability that lets Charizard set up quick and easy. 3 Fire Energy cards are no joke! It only needs 2 to attack, so that leaves you with an extra Fire Energy to place on your Charizard for even easier setup later or attach to another Pokemon.

Charizard EX’s attack Burning Darkness does a base 180 damage plus 30 more damage for each Prize card your opponent has taken. This is a huge attack meant for the late game that can decimate anything your opponent throws out. Say your opponent has taken 4 prizes. That’s an easy 300 damage right there, KOing most Pokemon in the format. 

So Charizard is looking for Fire Energy cards and Rare Candy to set up massive damage later on. Cards like Pidgeot EX can help with this. Its ability Quick Search helps you find any card you may need to set up. Another good partner for setting things up would be Arceus V Star with its ability Starbirth. This lets you search your deck for 2 cards of your choice. So the name of the game is searching cards to easily find the cards you need to make Charizard a powerhouse. Any cards that help you sniff out Fire Energy cards or Rare Candy are a must in this deck for optimal performance. 

What Makes This Card Good:

• Superior KO potential 
• Easy self-setup with its ability
• Great synergy with other meta cards like Pidgeot EX, Arceus V Star, Bibarel, Jacq, etc.

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