Dragapult ex
The card defining the 2026 Standard format.
What this card does
Dragapult ex is the engine of the most-played deck in Australia and New Zealand right now, sitting at close to half of all competitive decks. It is a Stage 2, so it starts as Dralakdir, evolves to Drakloak, then to Dragapult ex, usually by the second or third turn.
It hits hard and, more importantly, it hits in two places at once. That second part is what makes it so strong and so hard to play against. A child piloting it has to plan two or three turns ahead, which is why it rewards practice.
Phantom Dive
Put 6 damage counters on your opponent's Benched Pokémon in any way you like. (200 damage)
Phantom Dive does 200 damage to the Pokémon in front of it, then places six extra damage counters (60 damage) anywhere on the opponent's Bench, spread however the player likes. Knocking out the active Pokémon while quietly softening up two more on the Bench is how Dragapult takes its Prize cards a turn ahead of slower decks.
Attacks
Put 6 damage counters on your opponent's Benched Pokémon in any way you like.
Which deck it belongs in
It is the heart of the Dragapult ex deck, paired with Dusknoir and Munkidori to finish off the Pokémon it has chipped away at.
- •Two-way damage: hits the front and the Bench at once
- •Fast for a Stage 2, often online by turn two or three
- •320 HP is hard to knock out in a single hit
- •Sets up knockouts a full turn ahead of slower decks
- •Weak to Dragon attackers, which hit it for double
- •Needs Dusknoir and Munkidori to reach its best, so it has many moving parts
- •Struggles when its set-up is disrupted early
- •High-HP healing walls like Hydrapple can out-grind it
Pairs well with
Plan your Phantom Dive spread two turns ahead. The counters you place now decide which Pokémon Dusknoir can finish next turn.
Top players who use this deck
Bayzen A. · Australia
5th, Melbourne Regional Championships 2026 (Junior division), and Oceania Junior #6 with 1,020 Championship Points
Gareth Murphy · Australia
Runner-up, Melbourne Regional Championships 2026 (959 players)
Hiromu Sasaki · Japan
Champion, Melbourne Regional Championships 2026
Shun Takemasa · United States
Top 4, Melbourne Regional Championships 2026 (Dragapult Dusknoir)
Dragapult ex is the most successful deck of the season, with event wins including the Korean League Final, Lima, Los Angeles, Champions League Aichi and Prague. At Australia's Melbourne Regional it took first, second and several Top 8 places, and Australian Junior Bayzen A. finished 5th.
Dragapult is the Stealth Pokémon. In the video games its Dreepy live inside it and get fired out like missiles, which is exactly how the card spreads damage across the Bench.
This is a strong but demanding first competitive deck. The Dragapult ex card itself is a Double Rare and reasonably priced, but a full deck adds up. Borrow or proxy it for practice before buying in.
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