Summary
No one would expect a tiny, silly-looking bird to overthrow the most powerful ex cards inPokemon TCG Pocket’s meta. Yet, here we are, with Oricorio’s Lightning variant striking fear into the hearts of infamous cards like Darkrai ex and Giratina ex—better known as the DarkTina duo. The question now is, how can players counter this anti-ex card? How can they mitigate its impact on ex-oriented decks, and what are the best responses to the enemy’s Oricorio plays?
The following list outlines seven counters for Oricorio. And by “Oricorio,” we’re referring to the Lightning-type variant, as the other three are not making much of an impact on the current metagame. So, without further ado, here are the best counters for Oricorio inPokemon TCG Pocket’s Celestial Guardians era.
7Charizard (A1 035)
Reason: Durability and High Damage
Oricorio can cause a lot of pain toMoltres ex and Charizard ex decks. However, the non-ex Charizard from the Genetic Apex expansion could be the perfect response tothe infamous yellow bird inPokemon TCG Pocket. With this card, players can withstand multiple Oricorio attacks, with the potential to one-shot it. Of course, that requires some luck with Moltres ex’s flips, as ramping up Charizard without Moltres ex is quite ineffective against Oricorio.
6Drampa (A3 124)
Reason: Versatility and ‘Revenge’ Damage
If Oricorio manages to stall and damage the player’s Active ex Pokemon, Drampa can step in as a revenge card. When one of its fellow Benched Pokemon is damaged, Drampa deals a hefty 70 damage, enough to knock out Oricorio in one shot.
The two downsides of playing Drampa are its high retreat cost and the prerequisite for dealing damage. If the player has no damaged Pokemon on the Bench, Drampa is ineffective against Oricorio and will likely be knocked out in two turns.
5Floragato (A2b 006)
Reason: Above-Average HP and Potent Evolution
While Floragato’s damage may not seem enough to take down Oricorio, its above-average HP makes it an ideal counter. Especially now that Leaf Cape can boost Grass-type cards' HP by +30, Floragato effectively becomes a 120-HP card capable of demolishing Oricorio in two turns.
According to recentPokemon TCG Pockettournament data, Decidueye ex and Meowscarada decks have had nearly a 100% success rate against Oricorio lineups, mostly thanks to Meowscarada’s evolution lineup, which perfectly counters and bypasses the anti-ex Pokemon’s ability.
4Regice (A2 034)
Reason: Counter Ability and Stall Potential
Regice’s Ability may not be effective against Oricorio’s effectless attack, but its decent HP allows it to endure a couple of shots from the bird, with a chance to take it out in two turns.
One could argue that Komala is equally effective as Regice against Oricorio. However, since Komala should be charged up on the Bench, it may not perform as quickly as Regice. With Regice, the player can tank damage immediately and deal 50 damage in return.
3Skarmory (A2 111)
Reason: Quick Build-up and Decent Damage
Rising to the top alongsideCelestial Guardians' Solgaleo, Skarmory is a high-potential counter to Oricorio. With a Rocky Helmet attached, Skarmory can essentially one-shot Oricorio, provided the yellow bird attacks it first. Even if Oricorio plays defensively, a charged-up Skarmory can easily knock it out in two turns, even if the opponent is using a Giant Cape.
2Magearna (A3 123)
Reason: Capability of One-Shotting Oricorio
SincePokemon TCG Pocket’s Steel-type archetypeis quite popular in the current meta, Magearna has the potential to be a viable counter to Oricorio. This intriguing Pokemon has an attack effect that perfectly counters Oricorio’s Safeguard ability: Whenever Magearna faces a Pokemon with an ability, its attack is boosted by 40, increasing the total damage to 80. In other words, a charged-up Magearna can one-shot Oricorio, unless it’s equipped with a Giant Cape.
Magearna’s low retreat cost is also an advantage. The player can easily switch it out after taking down Oricorio and start dealing damage with their primary damage dealer, likely one of their ex Pokemon.
1Lucario (A2 092)
Reason: Capability to Counter More than One Card
The Lightning-type Oricorio is weak to Fighting-types, so what better counter than Lucario, one ofPokemon TCG Pocket’s best anti-meta cards? With Lucario, the player can deal 80 damage to Oricorio. Here’s the breakdown: Lucario’s base damage is 40, which is boosted to 60 by its own ability, Fighting Coach. Since Oricorio is weak to Lucario’s Fighting type, that 60 damage is automatically increased to 80, allowing the aura-detecting Pokemon to one-shot the stalling bird.
Lucario is the best Oricorio counter, not only because it can one-shot it, but also because it remains a solid attacker afterward. There’s usually no need to switch out Lucario, as it can deal consistent damage to the opponent’s other cards. It’s also worth noting thatthe standard Rampardos and Lucario deckcurrently holds a nearly 100% win rate against Oricorio-powered decks, proving the strategy’s effectiveness against this anti-ex Pokemon.
