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Updated June 9, 2026Darkrai and Mega Altaria ex Deck Guide in Pokémon TCG Pocket
Nightmare Aura chip damage sets up clean Mega Harmony knockouts in a deck that attacks from two directions at once.
Darkrai and Mega Altaria ex pairs a Basic attacker that deals damage just by taking Energy with a bench scaling Stage 1 finisher. Darkrai ex chips away while Swablu evolutions assemble behind it, and once Mega Altaria ex lands on a full board, little survives the combined pressure.
The decklist
How it works
Darkrai ex is your opening Active Pokémon. Its Nightmare Aura ability deals 20
damage to the opposing Active Pokémon every time you attach a
Darkness darkness Energy from your Energy Zone to it, so
three attachments mean 60 damage before you declare an attack. With two
Darkness darkness and one Colorless
colorless Energy online, Dark Prism swings for 80, and the 140 HP body buys
time to get there. It concedes 2 points when it goes down, so do not leave it
stranded once badly hurt.
Mega Altaria ex is the closer. It is a Stage 1 that evolves directly from
Swablu, carries 190 HP, and attacks for only two Psychic
psychic Energy. Mega Harmony does 40 plus 30 for each of your Benched Pokémon,
hitting 130 with a full bench of three and 150 into anything weak to
Psychic psychic. Stacked on Nightmare Aura chip, that one
attack erases most threats. The catch: as a Mega Pokémon ex it hands over 3
points when knocked out, losing the game on the spot.
The regular Darkrai is the unsung hero of the list. Dark Void costs two
Darkness darkness and one Colorless
colorless Energy, hits for 60, and puts the opposing Active Pokémon to Sleep.
Because it is not an ex, it only gives up 1 point, making it the perfect speed
bump while Mega Altaria ex charges on the bench. Sleeping a loaded attacker
for one turn often decides the race.
Altaria is the second branch from Swablu, a parallel Stage 1 alongside Mega
Altaria ex rather than a step toward it. It attacks for two
Colorless colorless Energy with Dragon Arcana, which jumps
from 40 to 100 damage when it has two or more different Energy types attached,
an easy ask since your Energy Zone produces both Darkness
darkness and Psychic psychic. With 120 HP, no weakness,
and a 1 point body, it is a mid game attacker opponents hate trading into.
Matchups
| Matchup | Favorability | How to play it |
|---|---|---|
Gyarados ex  Water water decks | Favored | Their big attackers need several turns of setup, exactly the window Dark Void exploits. Sleep their Active Pokémon while Nightmare Aura stacks damage, then finish with a full bench Mega Harmony for 130. |
Pikachu ex  Lightning lightning decks | Even | Their attacks come online fast, so hold Swablu in hand until you can bench it and evolve next turn, since 50 HP folds to almost anything. Darkrai ex tanks early hits while chipping back 20 a turn, and Potion buys one extra swing. |
Charizard ex  Fire fire decks | Even | This is a race against their Energy ramp. Lead Dark Void for tempo, and only commit Mega Altaria ex when it can knock out the turn it attacks, since a stranded 3 point target is how you lose. |
Celebi ex  Grass grass decks | Unfavored | Both Darkrai and Darkrai ex are weak to Grass grass, so their attacks land 20 harder and your tanks stop tanking. Pivot onto Altaria and Mega Altaria ex, digging with Professor's Research for the Swablu line early. |
Dialga ex  Metal metal decks | Heavily unfavored | Mega Altaria ex takes an extra 20 from Metal metal attackers and donates 3 points when it falls, so it often stays in hand all game. Win with Nightmare Aura chip, Dark Prism, and Dark Void stalls, accepting a slower, grindier game. |
Tech options and swaps
The single copy Trainers are the flexible slots. Red Card forces your opponent to shuffle their hand into their deck and draw 3 cards, which punishes a stockpiled hand right before they commit it. A second Guzma is the cleanest swap if your field is Tool reliant, since discarding every Tool attached to the opponent's Pokémon is backbreaking there. If your field runs few Tools, lean on the doubled Potion count instead and keep Supporter turns for Professor's Research.
How to pilot it
- Keep any opening hand with Darkrai ex and a way to find Swablu. Play Poké Ball early for a random Basic, and use Pokémon Communication to swap a spare Pokémon for a random one from the deck.
- Going first, you get no Energy attachment on turn 1 and nothing can evolve yet, so lead Darkrai ex, bench a Swablu if you have one, and pass.
- From turn 2 onward, attach Darkness darkness Energy from the Energy Zone to Darkrai ex every turn you can. Each attachment triggers Nightmare Aura for 20 damage, winning the damage race while doing nothing else.
- Evolve Swablu on turn 2 or later, never on the turn it entered play. Pick the branch the matchup wants: Mega Altaria ex for power, Altaria for a body with no weakness and no 3 point liability.
- Mid game, swing with Dark Prism for 80 or Dark Void for 60 plus Sleep. Against decks that must attack every turn, Sleep often beats the extra 20 damage.
- Close with Mega Harmony. Fill the bench to its three Pokémon cap first; 70 with one Benched Pokémon versus 130 with three decides knockouts. Send Psychic psychic attachments to Mega Altaria ex while Darkrai ex holds the front.
- Avoid the classic misplays: attaching Psychic psychic Energy to Darkrai ex wastes Nightmare Aura, promoting Mega Altaria ex before it can attack invites a 3 point disaster, and emptying your bench guts Mega Harmony.
Deck strengths
- Nightmare Aura generates 20 damage per turn with zero attack commitment, winning long exchanges almost by default.
- Attackers split across Darkness darkness, Psychic psychic, and Dragon dragon types, so no single opponent punishes the whole lineup.
- Dark Void's Sleep buys free turns against slow, expensive attackers.
- Darkrai and Altaria are 1 point bodies that trade efficiently while the opponent chases bigger targets.
- Altaria has no weakness, a safe pivot when both Darkrai are threatened.
Deck weaknesses
- The Energy Zone supplies both Darkness darkness and Psychic psychic, and the wrong type at the wrong moment stalls a turn.
- Mega Altaria ex is weak to Metal metal and surrenders 3 points, so one misstep ends the game.
- Both Darkrai are weak to Grass grass, undermining the deck's main wall there.
- Draw support is thin, with only two Professor's Research drawing 2 cards each, so clunky hands happen.
Is it worth building?
Yes, with eyes open. The loop of attach, chip, sleep, then detonate Mega Harmony is strong, flexible, and fun to pilot, and it punishes slow setups brutally. It demands discipline, though: track when Mega Altaria ex is safe to commit, manage a split Energy Zone, and accept that Metal metal heavy fields are miserable. If you enjoy sequencing and patience over raw aggression, this one repays the investment.
